30+ things to do in and around Urbino Italy

Urbino and Northern Le Marche

Have you heard about Urbino or Le Marche but you are not sure that there will be enough to keep you happy for a whole holiday?

Are you looking for an unspoilt part of Italy, but you want to be sure to have enough beautiful things to see and do during your holidays?

Most people think of Urbino just as a good destination for a daytrip from their Umbria or Tuscany holiday rental or b&b, but Urbino (and Northern Le Marche) is much more than that! 

Northern Le Marche, the area around Urbino, is the perfect holiday destination

It features amazing art, Medieval and Renaissance architecture, hidden churches and monasteries, gorgeous unspoilt and clean countryside, beautiful landscapes, stunning hilltop-towns, artisans that use traditional techniques, interesting archaeological sites, natural parks, breathtaking coastal areas and much more.

Here are some of my favourite things to do in the Urbino area in Northern Le Marche (all less than one hour drive from Urbino, Italy and of course from Locanda della Valle Nuova).

• Discover the Urbino oratories (private places of worship belonging to old confraternities) and admire the Salimbeni frescoes in the Oratorio di San Giovanni. (And do not miss the Ducal Palace with its art treasures!)
• Buy unusual “aubergine” colour terracotta in Fratterosa
• Forage with us at Valle Nuova to discover the seasonal wild herbs, berries, fruits, fungi and flowers
• Enjoy Opera at its best at the Rossini Opera Festival
• Go discover one of the biggest underground “rooms” in Europe at Frasassi caves
• Silently sit somewhere in the countryside and hope to see some of the wild animals that populate our hills
• Taste the artisan beers produced in Apecchio, Città della Birra
• Visit a huge everyday-use-pottery collection at Urbania Ducal Palace and the beautiful little town itself and meet majolica artisans in Urbania, ancient Castel Durante
• Attend a concert or other production in one of the local squares, in a park or in one of the many XIX century theatres
• On your way to Mondavio, stop at some of the nicest and most unknown hilltop-towns in the area: Sorbolongo, Orciano and Barchi
• Discover little treasures at one of the Antique Markets that take place almost every Sunday in the area
• Admire the rough beauty of the Furlo Gorge
• Roam the Urbino narrow streets and squares by night
• Climb up to some of the nine Medieval Castelli di Arcevia
• Enjoy the tiny Romanesque church of San Vincenzo al Furlo
• Get acquainted with the past and present of papermaking in Fabriano
• Listen to Pasquale Rotondi‘s story, a real “monument man” and visit the tortoise shaped Rocca di Sassocorvaro, one of the hideaways that he chose for the art treasures that he saved during ww2
• Sample a cheese that has been sealed in a turf cave for months without any oxygen: dop Pecorino di Fossa
• Walk up Monte Catria and admire the Marchigiana cows and Catria horses
• Let Early Music take you back to the Urbino Renaissance at the Urbino Early music festival
• Take a food and wine tour with our friend Marco to discover the 16 doc and docg wines of Le Marche (and a lot more!)
• Breath peace and culture at Fonte Avellana Monastery
• Find out the relationship between Paolo Uccello “Profanazione dell’ostia” and the oldest existing Torah Ark in the world
• Understand why Pergola municipality claimed the Bronzi Dorati (Glided bronze Roman statues) back from Ancona archeological museum
• Let white truffle “perfume” make you salivate at Acqualagna Truffle Festival
• Admire the colour of the Urbino bricks at sunset
• Take a walk  to become acquainted with the area and enjoy the beautiful landscapes
• See that the Adriatic sea is not all parasols and deckchairs at Monte San Bartolo or Conero National Park
• Stroll around Parco del Cardeto in Ancona perched on a cliff high on the sea, including the Campo degli Ebrei, Jewish graveyard from 1428 to 1863
• Admire some beautifully preserved Roman mosaics at Domus del Mito Roman domus in Sant’Angelo in Vado
• Take a glimpse of San Marino Republic while driving to the stunning San Leo
• Stay at Valle Nuova (our green Agriturismo accommodation just a few km from Urbino) and help us decide which is the best of our home-made liqueurs!