Rimini

Rimini is a very pleasant resort town in the east of Italy. Long ago, the Etruscans lived here. Now the Russians do.

Of course, Rimini isn’t Brighton Beach, but some details do hint at it quite unmistakably.

Only 150,000 people live in the city, yet it is very popular with tourists. Here’s why: Rimini has an excellent beach.

So the whole city stretches along this beach.

The beach is lined — just like in Sri Lanka — with endless cafés, sun loungers, changing cabins, and surfboard rentals.

The beach gives way to a very pleasant strip of park.

The park then gives way to a row of bars, delis, and all kinds of snack joints.

Next come the hotels.

And they, at last, smoothly grow into the city streets.

Rimini looks a bit empty in the photos: it’s October, and the beach season is over. In summer, it’s packed here.

And that’s great — let it be empty. It’s even better this way. Nothing distracts you from nature.

Besides tourists, Rimini is very popular with retirees. It’s so quiet, cozy, and beautiful here that it almost makes you want to grow old sooner.

People in Rimini mostly live in low-rise houses.

Only occasionally do taller buildings break through, but they’re all very decent.

Closer to the center, Rimini starts to look like a typical Italian city, just a small one.

Nice: the road is paved with tiles, and the sidewalk with asphalt.

The city center:

The number of sights in Rimini is zero point zero. You can’t seriously come here to look at the Arch of Augustus, can you?

Or maybe Rimini is worth visiting for a stroll across the Bridge of Tiberius?

So why come here at all? Maybe to lie on the beach and swim in the sea?

Oh, sure. In October.

No, that’s not why people come to Rimini. The thing is, thirty minutes from the city there’s a separate country that few people have heard of. It’s called San Marino, a dwarf state surrounded by Italy on all sides. That’s where we’re going now.