The Piceno - nicest part of Le Marche
Unknown fascinating Italy - the Southern Marche
The Marche are surrounded by very famous neighbors: Tuscany, Abruzzo, Umbria,Lazio and Emilia Romagna. Nevertheless, it is a region that has so far been able to evade mass tourism. The area offers a variety of art and natural treasures and makes your visitors rave about it, because it offers a breathtakingly beautiful landscape that presents itself like a carpet of flowers, vineyards and olive groves and extends from the coast to the high mountains - The harmony between man and nature is still palpable here, the traditions are alive, the cultural delights are endless and surprising and the regional cuisine with the excellent wines is reminiscent of the land of milk and honey.
Day 1: Benvenuti nelle Marche
Pick up by the tour guide at the airport in Ancona-Falconara. Approx. 1 hour drive to the hotel. Arrival at the 4 * Hotel Villa Picena near Ascoli Piceno or alternatively 4 * Hotel Roma in Grottammare (during the June trip). After a break or for a first look around, take a dinner with Marchigian specialties in the hotel restaurant. You will be enchanted by the culinary delights.
Day 2: 100 towers and fine drops
In the morning you will get to know the "City of 100 Towers", Ascoli Piceno, the jewel of all Marchigian places. The Piazza del Popolo is one of the most beautiful squares in Italy. After a guided tour of the most impressive monuments and buildings, most of which date back to the time of the Romans, you have the opportunity to have an aperitif in the famous Art Nouveau café Meletti, in which Rossini is said to have already composed and where many films were shot. Don't miss out on enjoying a specialty that is only available in this province: the Anisetta. You will then have lunch in Offida, the town of lace makers and Rosso Piceno Superiore in the wonderfully equipped tasting rooms of one of the most renowned wineries of the southern Marche, Ciu Ciu. The corresponding wines are served with the menu. In this small town with its medieval architecture, which is as varied as it is impressive, you will get to know one of the most impressive monuments of the southern Marche, the Church of Santa Maria della Rocca. You don't have to be a passionate churchgoer to be fascinated by the history and the building. After this varied day, return to the hotel to enjoy another delicious dinner.
Day 3: Italian temptations
San Benedetto del Tronto with the longest palm tree corso in Europe is not only ideal for a short breather, it also has one of the largest markets in the Marche. You can find everything from model clothes to cooking utensils - and of course shoes. The fish market is also worthwhile. Lunch of your choice. Either return to the hotel or free time in San Benedetto.
An olive oil tasting awaits you in the late afternoon. To do this, drive to Valmir to one of the world's 200 best olive oil producers. You will certainly learn some interesting details about olives themselves and how they are used. Nearby you will have dinner in an agriturismo (Vecchio Gelso) in Ortezzano with many delicacies from the Marchigian cuisine. Return to the hotel.
Day 4: The mysterious mountains of the Sibillins
In the morning you drive into the "Monti Azzurri", as the Sibillini Mountains are affectionately called. It goes to the Fiastrasee. You will enjoy wonderful panoramas on the way and get to know a completely unexpected view of the side of the Sibillins facing Umbria. After a short walk along this idyllic lake you will be served an incomparable lunch! Incidentally, the owner of the restaurant is a truffle seeker. It can therefore be expected that summer truffles will also be added to lunch!
On the way back, a stopover could be made in the beautiful medieval town of Sarnano.
Day 5: marvels
This morning you will first reach Potenza Picena. The most beautiful villa complex of the Marche awaits you here, the Villa Buonaccorsi. Here you will first take a tour of the villa and the unique garden with a special guide. After this surely beautiful experience, the astonishment is not yet over, because it goes to Genga, to the caves of Frasassi, which are among the largest in the world. Before you visit these magnificent caves, it is almost a must to have a snack here. Then you enter a wonder world. Forget everything you have ever seen about stalactite caves, because the dimensions here are astonishing: even the Milan Cathedral would fit into the first “hall”, height 173 m! Immerse yourself in an enchanted world from a distance of 1.5 km. Duration about 70 minutes. Return to the hotel in the late afternoon and a culinary dinner.
Day 6: superlatives
In the morning you will drive to Fermo, an impressive city steeped in history, rich in palazzi and villas, whose roots go back to the time of the Romans. Here you can visit the cisterns, a Roman-style water system that is still intact today, 1900 years after its creation, and was the second largest in the Roman Empire, one of the most beautiful theaters in the Marche, and one of the oldest and most famous libraries in Italy with the art gallery, in which even a Rubens is not missing! Finally, the position of the cathedral on the Girfalco is an experience. A delicious little lunch will end your stay in Fermo. After this impressive visit, you will visit the second most important pilgrimage site of the Catholic Christians after Rome: Loreto. The basilica with the Holy House of Mary, surrounded by one of the largest marble reliefs in Italy (600m2), on which the greatest artists of Italy such as Sangallo were involved, and the chapels of different nations. Return to the hotel. You will then have a big farewell dinner at the hotel.
Day 7: An Arrivederci in the land of harmony
In the morning you set off for home with a suitcase full of experiences and hopefully great memories. Transfer to the airport. On the return flight in the afternoon, a small tour in the morning can be made.
© ulla kastner
Min. Number of participants 2, max. 15
Travel data:
June 12-18, 2022
October 03-09, 2022
Services included:
6 x HB in Colli del Tronto in Villa Picena or in Grottammare in Hotel Roma
1 x including dinner in Ortezzano, Vecchio Gelso
1 x lunch in Offida including the wines, etc.
1 x lunch at the Frasassi caves
1 x lunch in Fermo
1 x lunch at the Fiastra lake
Entrances
All tastings
Guided tour of the villa and park of Villa Buonaccorsi
City tour in Ascoli Piceno
Permanent German tour guide
Local transfers in a minibus
Not included
getting there
Not specified lunch
Beverages unless otherwise stated
Tips
RRV
Price per person in a double room € 1,260.00 from 10 participants
For fewer participants:
Price per person in a double room € 1,980.00 from 2 participants
Price per person in a double room € 1,650.00 from 4 participants
Price per person in a double room € 1,498.00 from 6 participants
Double room for single use € + € 175.00
