We arrived in the Republic of San Marino in the dark of night having spent the better part of the day exploring Padua. This amazing independent country within the larger country of Italy was only meant as a stop over on our way to The Marche, but to my surprise, I discovered it to be much, much more interesting in its own right.

*The long and winding road leading to Monte Titano before things really got zigzaggy*

The route to the city of San Marino, the capitol of the Republic, was not as curvy and slow through the Italian hills as we feared, so driving was relaxed until we arrived. Entering the country, a customs sign warned of dos and do nots in San Marino with a traffic cop stationed to catch speeders (a definite do not). That was the only indication you weren’t in Italy any longer.

Once we got to the base of Monte Titano, it was a zigzaggy drive skyward until we arrived at the Grand Hotel. As it was dark, there was not much to see until the next morning.

We had a great hotel with a huge room at very reasonable rates. After check in, we stopped in the lobby for an evening nightcap (of course). It was a bit chilly, and we weren’t prepared for chilly, so we only walked briefly outside the hotel to check things out.

I walked out onto the balcony the next morning to see rolling hills of the San Marino countryside off to the horizon. We were near the top of Monte Titano and the view was breathtaking, the air crisp and fresh.

*View of the outlying area from our hotel room balcony in the morning*

Gitty had much to do on the computer so she enjoyed her time in the room. As we had late checkout, I opted to explore the city of San Marino. I climbed several flights of stairs on a bullwark in order to reach the city proper, which was all pedestrian zone.

I spent several pleasant hours roaming through the streets of San Marino.

*Falesia Second Tower seen from Guiata Tower*

The main attractions in San Marino included two well preserved castles, a basillica, a palace, restaurants and shops. I only spent half a day there, but loved wandering around, visiting Guaita Tower, and eating a delicious pizza before we packed up the car and headed on to The Marche.