Ancona Travel Guide

  Duomo
by toonsarah
  • Duomo
      Duomo
    by toonsarah
  • Main altar
      Main altar
    by toonsarah
  • Single room
      Single room
    by toonsarah
  • My tagliata di manzo
      My tagliata di manzo
    by toonsarah
  • Ancona's central station
      Ancona's central station
    by toonsarah

Pro

Pinat profile photo

 Feels like home 


Con

Calcio profile photo

 The stadium out in nowhere 


In a nutshell

AngeloRecchi profile photo

 Worth to visit and to live in if you like the nature and the simple things. Don't expect to find a heavy crowded nightlife. 

 

Explore Ancona

Things to Do  

Duomo: the Cathedral of San Ciriaco – exterior

Duomo: the Cathedral of San Ciriaco – exterior, Ancona

 toonsarah Says:  Our main target when exploring the old town of Ancona was to reach, and visit, the Duomo that sits proudly on its highest point, Colle Guasco. It is built in an attractive stone and looked especially good in the late afternoon sun. We spent quite some time here, soaking up... 

Duomo: the Cathedral of San Ciriaco – interior

Duomo: the Cathedral of San Ciriaco – interior, Ancona

 toonsarah Says:  As I said in my previous tip, the cathedral retains its sense of history, compounded by the fact that you can easily see elements from the various periods. This is especially true of the interior – we even spotted an amonite fossil in the floor! It is certainly well worth... 

Fontana del Calamo

Fontana del Calamo, Ancona

 toonsarah Says:  We ate that evening in the Corso Guiseppe Mazzini (see my restaurant review), but even if you’re not there for that reason it’s worth detouring up this street from nearby Piazza Roma to see the Fontana del Calamo. This is a 16th century fountain (1560) designed by architect... 

Passetto

Passetto, Ancona

 toonsarah Says:  Our first stop on our mini tour of Ancona was in the neighbourhood known as Passetto. Here, high above the blue Adriatic, is the gleaming white Monumento ai Caduti – the Monument to the Fallen of the First World War. This was designed in the 1920s by Guido Cirilli in the... 

San Domenico and Piazza del Papa

San Domenico and Piazza del Papa, Ancona

 toonsarah Says:  As we approached the stone arch on Via Giacomo Matteotti that would lead us into the old town, we saw on our left the wide space of the Piazza del Papa, named for the statue of Pope Clement XII that presides over it from the steps at one end. At the top of these steps,... 

San Francesco delle Scale

San Francesco delle Scale, Ancona

 toonsarah Says:  On our walk up through the old town we passed this striking church, although unfortunately we didn’t feel that we had the time to go inside as we were keen to reach the cathedral while the lovely afternoon light still held. Having read more about it on my return, however, I... 

Palazzo Senato

Palazzo Senato, Ancona

 toonsarah Says:  The Palazzo Senato, on the Piazza of the same name, was one of my favourite buildings in Ancona. Its proportions are very elegant and the arched Romanesque windows are framed with quite delicate carvings.It dates originally from the 13th century, when a palazzo was built... 

San Ciriaco Cathedral

San Ciriaco Cathedral, Ancona

 Airpunk Says:  This cathedral has a long history dating back to a roman temple, built on top of a hill overlooking the whole area. It is said that the first chirstian church was built in the 4th century, destroyed and replaced in the late 9th century by a new building and replaced again in... 

Hotels  

G Hotel

 1 Review and 29 Opinions  We stayed at the G Hotel for one night only for a stopover while driving from Milan to the South of... 

Fortino Napoleonico

 1 Review and 13 Opinions  If you want to sleep just in front of the sea, I can reccommend Hotel Emilia or Hotel Fortino... 

Restaurants  

Bonta delle Marche: Good local produce

Bonta delle Marche: Good local produce, Ancona

 toonsarah Says:  We had planned to eat in one of the places in the Piazza del Papa as Ingrid had read that it was a popular area of the city in the evenings. But most of the establishments seemed to be more orientated towards drinkers than eaters (maybe it was a bit early?) and the one... 

Osteria in Ancona: Stocafisso - Stockfish - Seafood yum yum

Osteria in Ancona: Stocafisso - Stockfish - Seafood yum yum, Ancona

 iris2002 Says:  Special Stocafisso recipe : Recipe2 pounds stockfish 2 tablespoons capers, if salt cured, rinse and soak in water for 30 minutes 2 anchovy filets 1 celery stalk 1 medium onion 1 carrot 2 cloves garlic 4 large sage leaves salt, to taste red pepper flakes, to taste 1/2 cup... 

cant remember: fish by the sea

cant remember: fish by the sea, Ancona

 BIGBB Says:  i can remember being asked for lunch one day whilst swiimimg on the mian pier there was a lift that took one to the beach or sea front you could see the strange tented restaurant clearly on the right side of the beach the food was marvelous fresh and scrumptous however i... 

Transportation  

Flying to Ancona

Flying to Ancona, Ancona

 toonsarah Says:  On my most recent visit to Marche I flew with Lufthansa from London Heathrow via Munich. Although, to say "with Lufthansa" is not entirely accurate, as the second leg, Munich to Ancona, is operated by their partner Air Dolomiti, in a small twin prop plane. You will think... 

Ancona Falconara Airport, very convenient

Ancona Falconara Airport, very convenient, Ancona

 Trekki Says:  Ancona Falconara is an excellent airport with very convenient access to SS76, the two lane road leading west to Fabriano (Marche) and Umbria, Perugia, Foligno, etc. It is small, so don’t expect an infrastructure like of the huge airports of Milano, Roma, Bologna, Napoli. But... 

Getting around by bus

Getting around by bus, Ancona

 toonsarah Says:  To get around Ancona we used what seemed to be an efficient bus service, although we only used the one route. The helpful guy on reception in the Hotel Dorico had told us that this bus, rather oddly numbered 1/4, would take us to the sea at the end of the Vialle delle... 

Leaving on the train to Milano

Leaving on the train to Milano, Ancona

 toonsarah Says:  I arrived in Ancona by car with Ingrid, but left the next day by train for Milano. The station is on the south west side of town, right by the sea a mile or so from the ferry port. The main entrance is on Via Flaminia, to the side (south) of the tracks. Here you will find... 

From Ancona airport to the town

From Ancona airport to the town, Ancona

 lotharscheer Says:  The bus stop at the airport is between the arrival and the departure building, get the ticket, € 1,90 at the newsagent in the departure building. City Bus  J run's about every hour via Falconara Marittima train station (for going north) and Ancona train station (in Ancona... 

What to Pack  

Women--forget about looking fashionable

Women--forget about looking fashionable, Ancona

 32301 Says:  Everyone is going to look better than you...I don't know how these women do it. Everyone I saw looked great, tryed but had Iknown I would have just taken some sneakers and jeans.September weather Even tho I walked all day I gained 5 lbs in 2 weeks. The food is incredible... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Absolute beauty and unforgettable experiences

Absolute beauty and unforgettable experiences, Ancona

 FinElina Says:  If you're tired of lying on the beach or visiting the typical monuments, head for Frasassi stalactite caves (Grotte di Frasassi) , outside Ancona. The route in the caves is about one or two kilometers long and definitely worth seeing and feeling.The climate in the cavescan... 

Favorites  

Historical centre

Historical centre, Ancona

 2 Reviews   Probably the best way to explore Ancona, and certainly its old town, is on foot. This is unfortunately not that easy for anyone with walking difficulties, as the hills can be quite steep in places and there are steps in others, those same steps mean that it is only on foot that you can access some... 

The harbour

The harbour, Ancona

 5 Reviews  Once the ferry sails out of the harbor, you can discover large warehouses, north-east to the city (first photo). The second and the third photo show the landscape that shows when the ferry tacks south-east. The promontory of Monte Conero is rocky and protects well the bay from southerly winds. The... 

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Map of Ancona