The MARINA
Fellini Park, situated just next to the Grand Hotel, is the very heart of
seaside Rimini. This is where the first bathing establishment was set up in
1843, commissioned by the Baldini Counts and Dr. Claudio Tintori.
This
health-conscious vocation developed thanks to the well known professors
Paolo Mantegazza and Augusto Murri and in 1872, a new bathing establishment
was built named Kursaal (it was destroyed in 1948).
The layout of the city
began to change with the construction of a new road, now called Viale
Principe Amedeo, to connect the old city center to the marina.
The twentieth century saw a move to a more elite tourism and 1908 was a
particularly symbolic date as it marked the opening of the Grand Hotel, a
strong source of inspiration for Fellini.
Before becoming
the European holiday capital, over the years Rimini was an extremely
important port. Nowadays, the port’s 'pile trestle' is the most popular
place for Riminese to take a walk. It evokes pleasant memories and is the
kingdom of sailors and fishermen, watched over by the lighthouse and
ploughed by the ‘poveracciaie’ (boats equipped for clam fishing).
From dawn
to dusk, throughout the day the port gives visitors the sensation of diving
into the sea and affords spectacular panoramic views dotted by the thousands
of colors of the bathing establishments that have made our beach famous
throughout the world. On the left side of the port is the new wet dock
'Marina di Rimini', a great masterpiece that opened in 2002 and can host up
to 680 boats.
Overlooking the Rimini marina are ultramodern
hotels, some of them 'signed' by great international architects. Running
parallel to the promenade is Via Vespucci with its bars and fashion
boutiques. The entire Marina Centro area is famous for its bars where young
people meet for an aperitif, its trendy pubs and disco bars and its
restaurants serving truly memorable menus featuring local produce and in
particular, the staple diet or in other words fish, which is cooked on the
characteristic grills or in excellent soups.