San Marino

SAN MARINO

San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is also know as the most Serene Republic. The country's economy mainly relies on finance, industry, services and tourism. It is one of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP (per capita), with a figure comparable to the most developed European regions. San Marino is considered to have a highly stable economy, with one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe, no national debt and a budget surplus. If you do one thing in San Marino, climb the first tower and get a picture of this view.  It’s straight out of a fairy tale.

San Marino is a country of 30,000 has a national football team!  And why shouldn’t they?  While the team consists of nearly all San Marino residents, they are permitted to have up to eight team members from Italy.

When it comes to international games, you can imagine how the odds are stacked against San Marino.  The playing field isn’t exactly even when they’re playing the likes of, say, Spain.  San Marino’s football team is mostly famous for its losses, especially one crushing 13-0 loss to Germany in 2006. That’s the complete opposite of Liechtenstein, a tiny country that’s about two-thirds the size of San Marino, yet is famous for winning: the country claims to have the highest concentration of Olympic medals per capita.

it’s like to be part of a country this small, I feel like I’m getting closer. Essential Info: No trains go to San Marino, so the easiest way to visit is to take the bus from Rimini’s train station.  The ride takes about one hour and costs €4 ($5) each way.  It’s doable as a day trip from Bologna, as the train from Bologna to Rimini takes 60-90 minutes and costs €10-20 ($13-26) depending on the speed.

Climbing the First Tower (Guita Rocca) costs €3 ($4).

Almost every street in San Marino is part of a steep hill.  Our friends with a stroller got around just fine, but if you are mobility challenged, this isn’t the easiest place to visit.