I walked the entire length of a country in less than 5 hours

What San Marino lacks in size, it more than makes up for in steepness — a fact I discovered on a recent trip to hike the length of this micro-country.

At just over 60 square kilometres, San Marino stands as one of the world’s smallest nations.

It also earns its title as one of the oldest surviving sovereign states, founded in 301AD.  

Having once rollerbladed the length of another microstate, Liechtenstein, I decided that tackling San Marino on foot could be a fun idea, and my friend, Jane, was instantly up for the challenge too.

San Marino lies west of Bologna, Italy, a city served by daily flights from London with British Airways and Ryanair. From Bologna, it’s then about an hour by train to Rimini, which is 20 minutes from the San Marino border.

We squeezed in a little sightseeing in Rimini — home to Italy’s oldest Roman arch, the Arch of Augustus — before boarding a bus to Hotel Main Street, which came in at just over £60 a night on Booking.com and included breakfast. 

Foolishly, we arrived having not had dinner, and there was little in the way of food within walking distance.

As a result, we found ourselves at a slightly bizarre spot called Amici Fun Station: a petrol station that doubles as a bar and restaurant.

There, we made do with an assortment of Italian snacks and drinks before retreating for the night.

The next morning, we set out at 8am, crossing the border into San Marino just after daylight.

Near the border, San Marino has a more industrial feel, with factories and shopping outlets — helped along by its tax-free status — but the further we walked, the more the highways gave way to park trails and quieter roads, gently winding past olive groves and farmland.

On our walk across the country, we were keen to reach its heart — the historic centre, best known for its postcard-perfect old town perched high on the 739m peak, Monte Titano, with sweeping views over the surrounding countryside. 

Three medieval towers sit dramatically along the ridgeline, serving as magnificent lookout points. 

In 2008, the historic centre of San Marino was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, recognised as a rare example of a medieval city-state that has preserved both its independence and civic traditions since the Middle Ages.

Admittedly, January isn’t the ideal season for hiking in San Marino, but we were more than content with the crisp 8°C air — and thankfully, the rain stayed at bay. 

The only trouble was the thick fog, which hung low throughout the day despite the sun’s best efforts to burn through it. 

At times it was difficult to see the road ahead, and when we reached the historic centre, which took around three hours, we had no idea what structures were looming above us.

Reaching the top of Monte Titano, means tackling steep, narrow, often stone-paved streets that twist their way up the mountain, particularly when moving between the town centre and the three defensive towers. 

The climb is undeniably demanding, but the city is thoughtfully punctuated with cafés, restaurants, and scenic viewpoints — perfect excuses to pause, catch your breath, and take in the views. 

Unfortunately, there were no views to speak of the day Jane and I ascended, so we determinedly plodded on until we reached the summit.

Given the gloomy weather, we had the medieval city almost entirely to ourselves, with only a smattering of other tourists about. 

After reaching our destination, we visited each of the towers. Two of them — Guaita, the first, and Cesta, the second — are accessible for €11, with the ticket also granting entry to several museums and palazzos across the city. 

The third tower, Montale, built as a strategic lookout in the 14th century, is smaller and can only be viewed from the outside.

After a welcome rest from the uphill slog and navigating a maze of turrets and ancient walkways, we began our descent, with another couple of hours still ahead of us to reach the far end of San Marino.

For the final stretch of our country crossing, I’d found a restaurant near the border that looked authentic and low-key, with a bowl of truffle tagliatelle admittedly catching my eye in the Google photos. 

Thankfully, the walking after the halfway point was less arduous, though the mizzle — the Scottish phrase for that fine mix of drizzle and mist — encouraged us to pick up the pace in pursuit of pasta.

After some fairly off-piste wandering through leaf-lined tracks and boggy roadways, we finally reached the end of our trek, only to be met with a crushing realisation: there appeared to be no restaurant at all. 

Panicked that I’d led us to a fictional destination, we pressed on a little further. Then, emerging from the mist around a bend in the road, a slightly dishevelled sign came into view, announcing Ristorante La Locanda.

Relief never tasted so good. If you decide to embark on your own crossing of San Marino, I’d wholeheartedly recommend seeking out this homely eatery. Run by a husband-and-wife team, it has a warmly authentic feel and serves a delicious array of local dishes at astonishingly reasonable prices.

Jane and I celebrated our country crossing with truffle tagliatelle, ravioli, a caprese salad, and a bottle of wine — all for just €45. To top it off, Diego, the owner, treated us to hazelnut meringue, fruit cake, and shots of fruit liqueur on the house, adding to the celebratory spirit.

As they say, all in a day’s work — but walking the length of San Marino proved a richly rewarding endeavour: rolling countryside, medieval monuments, and, fittingly, a memorable meal to bring it all to a close.

Yotel London City offers reasonably priced rooms and is close to the Stansted Express at Liverpool Street station, where trains run to Stansted Airport. Flights to Bologna run daily from Stansted with Ryanair.

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