San Marino

San Marino is one of the smallest countries in the world. It is completely surrounded by Italy but managed to retain sovereignty over the centuries. It is the oldest state as it was founded in the III century. Most of the countries, however, have been formed only during the last century.

There are several small villages on the territory, but the most interesting part is mount Monte Titano, which is a major tourist destination. San Marino is particularly popular with Russian tourists that come here from the coast, especially from Rimini.

The main source of government revenue is tourism. Everything here is made for tourists. Every year San Marino is visited by more then 3 mln of them. That's quite a lot for such a small area, consider this fact if you're there in high season. The country has kept the spirit of the Middle Ages, it's the main feature of San Marino. Like many other micro states, San Marino has good revenue from selling souvenirs, coins, and especially stamps. What's interesting, food is cheaper here than in Italy.

You can reach the top by car, but there's not much place for parking. Much more interesting is to go up by a cable car. The top of the mountain provides beautiful views of the coastline, plenty of shops and cafes, as well as renovated complex of defensive towers and walls. The views are fantastic, take a look at the pictures.

Useful links:
Tourist website of San Marino
Museums of San Marino

Getting there: The nearest airport is in Rimini (25 km), the nearest railway station is also Rimini (27 km). Then go by bus, which runs every hour (4 euros, 45-50 minutes to go). A bus stop can be found near the train station next to Burger King, look for a sign of San Marino. Taxi from Rimini will cost about 50 euros. Here you can check out the schedule of trains to the Rimini station.