Hill towns of Le Marche and Beautiful Books of Le Marche

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Hill towns of the Marches
The frank guide to towns, sights and where to eat, drink and shop, with advice on how not to end up disappointed, fed up and frustrated.

Welcome to the Marche, between the Apennines and the Adriatic, where the hills swoop surreally up and down, where the people are honest, hard-working and polite, where crime is rare, where the olive and vine are fruitful, where hill-towns are ennobled by spacious piazzas, proud fortresses, dignified churches and imposing defensive walls. Why aren’t they better known? Well, Tuscany it’s not. We’re not talking about world class master pieces. It’s the ensemble which counts, the mellow brick against the blue sky. Moreover, not many people speak English and there are few concessions to non-Italian customs – though tins of baked beans have been spotted for sale in the south of the region. Read a short piece by Anne Treneman, the [London] Times parliamentary sketch-writer in The Times travel section of 15.11.2008, to get an idea of what to expect.

This site aims to give you clues to enjoying the area, whether you have come as a tourist or longer-term resident. We foreigners rely on each other for tips and wrinkles, so even if you know a lot, you may find something helpful here.