Day trip to Gradara during our Christmas break

#gradara #marchetourism #destinationmarche #christmaswithfamily #marchewithfamily #visititaly

Gradara, in the Pesaro-Urbino Province. A quick click taken while driving there, maybe not the best one but it gives the idea of a medieval fortress!

We always had in mind to pay a visit to the winner of “Borgo dei Borghi 2018” (an award given by the famous Italian TV program, called Alle Falde del Kilimangiaro, to the best village among a selection of 20) and we finally managed during the Christmas holiday.

Surprisingly not a bad timing at all! Between the 24th Nov and the 6th Jan 2018 Gradara was transformed into the “Christmas Castle” with a rich programme of events for families with young children (guided tours, fairy tales, markets and lovely decorations all around to make it very magical.

We went by car and the journey was pretty easy, you need to take the toll road I am afraid but it is the quickest way! Either exit at A14 Cattolica (if you are coming from north) and then take SS16 towards Pesaro (you will get further directions along the way to reach Gradara Castello/Mancini Plaza) or exit at A14 Pesaro (if you are coming from south) and then take SS16 towards Rimini, once at Colombarone follow the directions to Gradara Castello/Mancini Plaza. The cheapest car park is at the top of the hill, so don’t get tempted to park at the first car park sign unless you feel sporty and want to walk up to the castle for 20 mins (potentially more if you have young kids and a pram)!! It is called “Parcheggio Cipressi” and it costs only 4 euros for the all day.

If you don’t have a car please check this link https://www.gradara.org/en/ for further information on public transports, the website is very useful also to check what to visit, the opening times, current events, guided tours and much more.

Legend has it that the castle was the scene of the famous and tragic love story of Paolo and Francesca, caught in each other’s arms and killed by Gianciotto, Francesca’s husband. This love story became famous thanks to Dante Alighieri and his Divine Comedy (Canto V). Therefore we decided to visit the Castle and its rooms full of historical and artistic heritage! I recommend a guided tour booked in advance but you can always join a group when you arrive. During Christmas they had tours specifically organised for families, shame we missed them as we always sleep longer during holiday time!! I am sure they were good fun…a court jester was leading them :)

We also had direct access at the end of the castle tour into the Museum, with its unique collection of antic objects and historical documents. My kids enjoyed the armours and armies of course!

Make sure you get the ticket (unfortunately it is not free of charge but it can be bought in combination with the castle entry, kids ) for the 300mt. panoramic walk, along the ancient Ramparts Walk (Camminamenti di Ronda). They are safe to do with children and don’t take too long so they won’t get bored! You can really enjoy the amazing view of the hills and the coast…..even more if on a winter day you have a sunny and blue sky.

The beginning of the walk…you can see the castle on the right side of the path

…and the sea on the left side

We also liked the shops (although for tourists so a bit overpriced) and the little Christmas market along the tiny streets. We bought a lovely table lamp from a local artisan that fits perfectly our desk in the new house! Happy mummy :)

We ended our lovely day out with a nice meal, several options and all of them very busy at lunch time! Just to say outside the village on the way to the car park you have a friendly pizzeria, which always makes all the family happy (at least in my case!). Luckily we found space in a restaurant with an amazing view, great interior design and an interesting A La Carte Menu celebrating the local ingredients. Mastin Vecchio https://www.ristorantigradara.it/mastin-vecchio/it/index/ a restaurant to be marked in your list! I was a bit concerned a the start as I thought it would be not suitable for the kids but I have to be honest the staff was super child friendly and offered children options straight away. One of my boys (Luca), that is always very fussy with food, managed to finish all his pasta dish and made my day! Evviva le tagliatelle al ragu’ (Bolognese sauce in English)!!

Romantic table with a view…unfortunately not ours!

Our table……the hungry family 🙂

Bye for now Gradara! Really hope to be back in Summer (first week of August) for the Magic Castle! Once upon a time and still now…..promising music, fantasy, art and a sprinkle of magic for all ages.