After the post regarding the “hidden” part of the city, now it’s time to explore the main attractions of Cesenatico. There’s not only the heritage of the 20th Century: the most important part is for sure the historical centre.
1) The Canal Harbour ( Porto Canale)
This little harbour started to gain relevance when Leonardo da Vinci was asked in 1502 to design a new and larger port. The project, called Codex L, strenghtened the Canal Harbour, which is still the city’s major historical monument.
2) The Maritime Museum
The Maritime Museum is the only maritime museum in Italy that displays a Land Section and a Floating Section. If you visit the Land Section you can see two large examples of “trabaccolo” and “bragozzo“, some of the traditional Adriatic sailing boats.
There’s also an antiquarium that proved the existence of a little village at the time of the ancient Romans. Besides some archaeological artefacts, there’s also a plastic of the fortifications of the city, now destroyed.
However, what it makes really unique is the Floating Section, located in the oldest part of the canal harbour, with its ten traditional sailing boats: two “trabaccolo”, three “bragozzo”, a “paranza”, a “lancia”, a “topo”, a “battana” and a large transport “trabaccolo”.
Normally the boats do not show their multicoloured sails and this is what you would see normally:
However, during the summer, you can enjoy these ancient boats with their sails raised:
The sails are all decorated with the symbols of the fishermen’s families and the propitiatory.
3) Piazzetta delle Conserve
It´s located not far from the Maritime Museum ( Museo della Marineria) and it was the place where the people was used to store fish and food. Fish was in particular stored under layers of ice and snow collected during the winter and pressed inside these “buildings”.
Every Sunday morning you can buy fresh fruit, vegetables and wine from direct producers in the so-called “km zero market”. Do not miss it if you want to taste fresh and genuine food from Romagna!
4) Maritime traditions
I had the great chance to had a boat- trip on an ancient “bragozzo” and the experience was fantastic!
The captain of the bragozzo was a very kind person and told me about the fact that the ancient boats are used to reach Venice as it was the old Salt Way called in Italian “Via del Sale”.
I discovered that the Adriatic Sea would be really plenty of biodiversity that the pollution had reduced in the past years with damages to the fishing activity and that in the past many boats shronk in front of the port because of a different sea-level at the entrance of the harbour. However, it was spectacular to see Cesenatico and the Adriatic coastline from the sea.
Most of all, what is really representive of the maritime traditions are the fishing houses at the beginning of the harbour:
and the statue of the “waiting wife with children”, symbol of the families waiting for the arrival of the fishermen.
5) The food
Being one of the nice seaside places, Cesenatico can offer you tasty fish food and it’s really tasty. In particular I would recommed to have an aperitive at the Hotel Miramare, a dinner at Ristorante Marè, where you pay approximately from 20 to 60 Euros each.
You cannot leave this place without having tried a piadina romagnola, a flatbread made by white flour, lard or olive oil, salt and water.
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| Source: Italianfoodnet.com |
and the rustida, made by “grilled” sardins or other fishfood and the piadina flatbread.
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| Source: Eventsromagna.com |
6) The nightlife
Cesenatico needs to be inserted in the nightlife cities list as part of one of the largest fun area in Italy, the Riviera Romagnola. Here you find some places where to go:
- Molo 5: it´s the disco close to the Hotel Miramare;
- Sloppy Joe’s: a discopub close to the Molo 5
- Cafè degli Artisti or Habana Cafè in Viale Carducci where to have a cocktail;
- Bodeguilla: a rock bar in Viale Carducci;
7) Spazio Pantani
Marco Pantani was one of the most famous Cesenatico citizens and one of strongest cyclists in Italy. After his death, his family decided to open the “Spazio Pantani”, dedicated to the cyclist and the entire income of this sort of museum is destinated to charity activities. The ticket costs 5 Euros.
and he was dedicated a statue in Viale Carducci too.
Map: click on the top left to see the days and/or on the top right to enlarge the map.
Travel tips:
- This seaside place is really a place where to relax, have fun, make sports and even party all night long: it is suitable to all.
- The beaches are equipped and you can make sports like beachvolley, tennis and other activities;
- The food is superb and the people really hospitable;
- Besides being an important sea resort you can visit the city and learn its history.
- It can be an ideal place also for road trips and other cultural trips or sport trips.
Where to sleep:
- Budget accomodation: Le Stanze di Leonardo, pet friendly apartments located close to the Canal Harbour, for max 4 people, prices range 80-145 Euros per night. Divided per 4 it is between 20-35 Euros per night per person.
- Mid-range accomodation: Hotel Tiffany and Resort, located in Valverde, where I slept during my stay in Cesenatico and I really recommend it to you. Please read my review here: prices around 80-120 Euros per double room per night.
- Luxury accomodation: Grand Hotel Da Vinci, really central, Art Nouveau rooms, wooden floors and even selection of cushions, American breakfast, particularly delicious the food, prices around 220-250 Euros per night per double room.
The experience of my first International Blog Tour was fantastic as I met other travel bloggers and shared experience and ideas and had the chance to visit and appreciate this great seaside place, Cesenatico.
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Bel post e belle foto! Mi han messo gran curiosità i bragozzi e le \”cisterne usate per conservare sotto ghiaccio e neve (!!!) il pesce. Incredibili idee!Bravo Marco!
Great post Marco! Love the pictures! We had an amazing time there! 🙂
@ Roberta! grazie mille! E' stato bello navigare sul bragozzo, anche se si saltava un pochino un po' per le onde ed un po' per il vento.Vero era una tecnica geniale: cosi facevano un effetto \”frigorifero\” e conservavano il cibo…grandi! 🙂
@ Sara! thanks a lot for stopping here! Yeah we had a great time and let's hope to join another international blog tour or press trip around the world! 🙂
Great photos! The cycling museum sounds interesting, I wish I knew about it while I was there. 🙂
Thank you Tiana! It is close to the railway station, but also it's a museum that maybe attracts only people that are into cycling or were fan of Pantani…
That looks like a parade of the most colorful boats, really pretty. And that bread looks yummy I'm getting hungry.. wraps are the best!
Thanks a lot Rachel! Yeah the boats were really impressive that morning and also the food superb! 🙂 Looking again at the piadina, or wrap, is making me hungry too lol.
Looks like a lovely place to visit! Great pix!
Thanks a lot Irene! yes it is! 🙂