The Marche are Italy in miniature: Apennine mountains, hills combed with vineyards, two hundred kilometres of Adriatic shore and a density of historic villages few regions can match. Urbino — UNESCO-listed since 1998 — was one of the capitals of the Renaissance under Federico da Montefeltro and saw Raphael born in 1483; Recanati will forever be the poet Leopardi's town; the Conero headland offers the only high, wild stretch of coast on the central Adriatic.
It's a region rarely talked about, and locals don't seem to mind: more of it left for those who come.
The provinces of Marche
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The best of Marche
The places worth the trip on their own, picked by our editors.
The top 5 places in Marche
Our editors' ranking: the area's most important places, drawn from the individual town guides. See the national rankings →
1
🌋 Nature & views Frasassi Caves
📍 Genga
A massive karst cave system discovered in 1971, with subterranean chambers large enough to hold the Milan Cathedral.
2
🏰 Castles & palaces Palazzo Ducale e Galleria Nazionale delle Marche
📍 Urbino
A Renaissance masterpiece commissioned by Federico da Montefeltro, dominating Urbino and housing the National Gallery.
3
🏖️ Beaches & sea Due Sorelle Beach
📍 Sirolo
The twin sea stacks beneath Mount Conero: the Adriatic's icon beach, reached only by sea.