If you ask German-speaking sailors about the Italian Adriatic, the answer is almost always the same: Trieste, Lignano, Venice, maybe Chioggia. But that's about it. After all, most skippers have a name, sometimes even a face, for the northern Italian Adriatic.
The central Adriatic coast between Ravenna and the Gargano peninsula is a completely different story: for most people, it is a blank spot on the nautical map. Older skippers may remember that Rimini made tourism history as the most important "Teutonic grill" on the Adriatic back in the 1960s.
In this nautically rather unknown region, the Italian Marina Partner Network (MPN) has taken three marinas under its wing to operate and market them in German-speaking countries: the marinas Marinara, Marina dei Cesari and Marina Sveva.
Attract visitors to the Adriatic with mooring prices
Well aware that even with a five-star full-service marina on a relatively uniform coastline with (almost) no offshore islands, it is difficult to compete with the nearby Croatian islands, customers have to be enticed with other arguments - i.e. with favourable berth prices and an attractive tourist offer in the hinterland, which is available all year round and can be booked directly in the marinas.
The Managing Director of MPN Marinas, Enrico Bertacchi, realises that Italy has a lot of catching up to do on the international market and that more foreign boaters need to be inspired:
"We can score points with art and culture, the wine, the food and, of course, the dolce vita itself. Because the hinterland is so attractive, we had the idea of bringing the region and what it has to offer to the marinas."
However, this is only possible with attractive mooring fees. In August, MPN announced that boat owners from German-speaking countries would receive a 30 per cent discount on all annual contracts and daily berths in MPN marinas in 2017. That's quite something. To show what else is possible, MPN organised an information trip.
Starting point: Ravenna
The starting point was the Marinara marina in Marina di Ravenna. It is located 60 nautical miles south of Venice. Two 2.3 km long concrete breakwaters secure the access to the marina with its 1000 berths, which is also the access to the commercial harbour of Ravenna via the Canale Candiano. However, the city can only be reached by public transport, as the almost 11 km long canal, which ends at the eastern edge of the city, is closed to pleasure craft.
A visit to Ravenna is a must and cannot be completed in one day. The Piazza del Popolo, built in the 15th century following the example of the Piazza San Marco in Venice, the mosaics in the Basilica of San Vitale, the tomb of Dante Alighieri: Eight historical sites in the city alone have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After sightseeing, you can relax again in the Porto turistico, which is located right next to its namesake, the small seaside resort of Marinara. A kilometre-long sandy beach begins immediately south of the harbour. The nearest international airport, Bologna, is an hour's drive away.
San Marino
Also just an hour's drive from Ravenna is San Marino, the oldest and one of the smallest republics in the world. Founded in 301, the historic old town is enthroned on the 766 metre-high Monte Titano, surrounded by postcard-perfect hilly countryside. Three imposing castles, fortified towers and the city walls characterise the medieval image of San Marino, which today attracts around two million visitors a year.
Fano
The Marina dei Cesari, also a full-service marina with 420 berths for boats up to 40 metres in length, is located 50 nautical miles to the south-east near the small town of Fano. The integration of the harbour into the town has been a great success: the breakwater has been converted into a pedestrian promenade. A special attraction is the "Dinner under the stars", which is held on the promenade. The international airports of Rimini and Ancona are both around 50 kilometres away.
Fano has 60,000 inhabitants and is primarily known for its extensive beaches. But the historic city centre also has a lot to offer: The Teatro della Fortuna is famous, the remains from Roman times are worth seeing: the Arco d'Augusto city gate and the "underworld" of Fano, the catacombs, where you can admire Roman relics.
Urbino
Urbino, just 50 kilometres from Fano, is not only a tourist magnet because it is the birthplace of the painter Raphael. The historic centre resembles an open-air museum and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 15th century still seems to be alive in the steep alleyways and you wouldn't be surprised to come across Duke Federico da Montefeltro. His palazzo, whose construction began in 1468, is considered the most important secular Renaissance building in Italy and is home to the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, one of the most important Renaissance art collections in the world. Stroll up and down the stairs through Urbino, admire the cathedral and the city walls and can hardly get enough of it.
Passo del Furlo
Just under an hour's drive from Fano is the Passo del Furlo, a national park in the Pesaro-Urbino region. Alessandro Benvenuti runs the La Cerca farm in this wild and romantic area. Under this name, he not only sells specialities with white and black truffles, he also invites interested visitors to go truffle hunting. In the steep terrain above a rushing stream, the truffle dog Lolla is let loose and finds truffles just a little later. It happened too quickly for me, and I also felt that he had sniffed out too many of the precious mushrooms for the duration of the search. A lucky coincidence? No matter! The freshly grated truffles tasted delicious.
Marina Sveva
Marina Sveva, 135 nautical miles south-east of Fano, is the southernmost MPN marina on the Adriatic. This is also a full-service marina with 450 berths, of which only around 200 are rented out. Non-Italian guests have also played virtually no role in the marina to date. Of course, this is partly due to its location: even from the far south of Germany, it is around 1000 kilometres away. The nearest airport, Pescara, is around 80 kilometres away.
Tremiti Islands
The Tremiti Islands, around 30 nautical miles east of the marina, are particularly interesting and popular. They are often used as a stopover on a trip to southern Croatia. From here it is another 60 nm to Vis. Marina Sveva is located on the edge of a holiday area in the municipality of Montenero di Bisaccia and is surrounded by the endless beaches of the Costa Verde. The next town worth visiting is Vasto, which is perched on a cliff above the sea. Main attractions: the Castello Caldoresco and the Palazzo d'Avalos.
MPN operates three more marinas in the Tyrrhenian Sea: Porto di Cecina (Tuscany), Marina di Santa Marinella (Lazio/Rome) and Capo d'Orlando (Sicily) from July 2017. The discount described for 2017 also applies to these marinas.
- Further information about MPN and the MPN marinas: www.mpnmarinas.eu
