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San Marino
Microstate in Southern Europe

San Marino

San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy.

Plan a trip to San Marino→From Perugia (PG)

Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two microstates within the Italian Peninsula, the other being Vatican City. San Marino is the fifth-smallest country in the world, with a land area of just over 61 square kilometres (24 sq mi) and a population of 34,042 as of 2025 which in 2026 dropped to 33,559. Its capital, the City of San Marino, sits atop Monte Titano, while its largest settlement is Dogana, in the municipality of Serravalle. San Marino claims to have been founded in AD 301 and to be the oldest extant sovereign state, and the oldest constitutional republic. It is named after Saint Marinus, a legendary stonemason from the Roman island of Rab, who is said to have fled persecution under Emperor Diocletian to have established a monastic community on Monte Titano, where he built a small chapel. The country has a rare constitutional structure: the Grand and General Council, a democratically elected legislature, selects two heads of state, the Captains Regent, every six months. They are chosen from opposing political parties, and serve concurrently with equal powers and preside over several institutions of state, including the Grand and General Council. Only the Federal Council of Switzerland follows this same structure, except with some modifications due to its immensely larger size.

Get in

Getting to San Marino

San Marino is only accessible through Italy. There are no border controls when travelling between Italy and San Marino, so it's safe to say that you need a Schengen visa to enter (if you are required to get one, that is). If you want a passport stamp, you can obtain one for €5 from the

See

Worth seeing

San Marino’s main attractions are the three towers, which feature on the national flag. Only the

  1. 01
    Guaita Tower
  2. 02
    Cesta Tower

    They are small castles at the top of Mount Titano, offering excellent views over San Marino and Italy as well as the Adriatic Sea.

  3. 03
    Basilica di San Marino

    A neoclassical style Catholic church dedicated to the founder and patron saint of San Marino, Saint Marinus.

  4. 04
    Piazza della Libertà

    This small square offers expansive views and is flanked on both sides by two government buildings, including the Palazzo Pubblico, the town hall.

  5. 05
    State Museum
Do

Things to do

Football: this tiny state somehow fields a men's national team, playing at San Marino Stadium in Serravalle. 16 clubs play in its Championship. Parco naturale del Monte Titano has several hiking trails. To find them, go to the Cesta tower and walk through the gateway to the right of the museum entrance. Biking is also popular and at “San Marino Experience” you can rent an ebike.

  1. 01
    San Marino Adventures

    Activities including suspended trails, rock climbing, and ziplines.

Eat

Where to eat

Italian dishes, like pasta, pizza, gelato (Italian ice-cream), and whatever you eat in Italy. Restaurants are easy to find, and some offer tables with great views. Supermarkets in San Marino are few and far-between, although the following can help in this area: Conad, Azzurro Shopping Center, V M Moretti 23, Serravalle. Sma Supermercati. Via del Passetto 113, Fiorentino = =

  1. 01
    Pizzeria Smaller

    Impeccable, very nice place, excellent cuisine.

  2. 02
    Ristorante Buca San Francesco Srl

    Delicious Milanese cutlet and french fries, with decent portions.

  3. 03
    La Bettola

    Great venue for small snacks or juicy sandwiches.

  4. 04
    La Spizzata

    Very good pizza, soft with many different varieties, possibility of whole pizza or by the slice.

  5. 05
    L'Angela Veste Piada

    Beautifully filled and delicious cassoni.

How locals move

Getting around San Marino the local way

  • Get inThe City of San Marino has limited parking, so why not leave your car in nearby Borgo Maggiore and take the cable car up to the city?
  • Get inThere is plenty of parking near the cable car station.
  • Get aroundIt starts at the western end of Contrada Omerelli and ends a short distance from the Borgo Maggiore cable car station.

From Wikivoyage: San Marino, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.