San Marino, a Country on a Cliff

San Marino, a Country on a Cliff

The world's smallest and oldest republic, as San Marino dubs itself, is landlocked entirely by Italy. It consists of three ancient castles perched high on cliffs of sheer rock rising implausibly out of the flatlands of north of Urbino, and a tangled knot of cobblestone streets below, lined with tourist boutiques, cheesy hotels and restaurants, and gun shops. The 45-minute drive from Rimini is easily justified, however, by the castle-top view of the countryside far below. The 1,000-meter-plus (3,300 feet and more) precipices will make jaws drop and acrophobes quiver.

San Marino was founded in the 4th century AD by a stonecutter named Marino who settled with a small community of Christians, escaping persecution by pagan emperor Diocletian. Over the millennia, largely because of the logistical nightmares associated with attacking a fortified rock, San Marino was more or less left alone by Italy's various conquerors, and continues to this day to be an independent country (population 26,000), supported almost entirely by its 3-million-visitors-per-year tourist industry.

San Marino's headline attractions are its tre castelli -- medieval architectural wonders that appear on every coat of arms in the city. Starting in the center of town, walk a few hundred yards past the trinket shops, along a paved cliff-top ridge, from the 10th-century Rocca della Guaita to the 13th-century Rocca della Cesta (which contains a museum of ancient weapons that's worthwhile mostly for the views from its terraces and turrets), and finally to the 14th-century Rocca Montale (closed to the public), the most remote of the castles. Every step of the way affords spectacular views of Romagna and the Adriatic; it is said that on a clear day you can see Croatia. The walks make for a good day's exercise but are by no means arduous. Even if you arrive after visiting hours, they're supremely worthwhile.[. 0549/882670. www.museidistato.sm. Rocca della Guaita and Rocca della Cesta: EUR 4.50. Sept. 21-Mar. 19, daily 8:50-5; Mar. 20-Sept. 20, daily 8-8

A must-see is the Piazza della Libertà, whose Palazzo Pubblico is guarded by soldiers in green uniforms. As you'll notice by peering into the shops along the old town's winding streets, the republic is famous for crossbows -- and more: shopping for fireworks, firearms, and other items illegal for sale elsewhere is another popular tourist activity.

Visiting San Marino in winter -- off-season -- increases the appeal of the experience, as tourist establishments shut down and you more or less have the castles to yourself. In August, every inch of walkway on the rock is mobbed with sightseers. To get to San Marino by car, take highway SS72 west from Rimini. From Borgo Maggiore, at the base of the rock, a cable car will whisk you up to the castles and town. Alternatively, you can drive all the way up the winding road; public parking is available in the town itself. Don't worry about changing money, showing passports, and the like (although the tourist office will stamp your passport for EUR 1); San Marino is, for all practical purposes, Italy -- except, that is, for its majestic perch, its gun laws, and its reported 99% national voter turnout rate.