A sustainable success story in San Ginesio, Italy

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How do you get there: The nearest airports are Ancona (91 km), served by low-cost airlines including easyJet from Gatwick and Ryanair from Stansted; and Perugia (95 km), with flights from Stansted with Ryanair and from Heathrow with British Airways. For train travel, the nearest station is Tolentino (17 km away), which is one stop from Rome. Then take the bus to the Porta Picena stop in San Ginesio.

Travel around: Public transport is limited to relatively infrequent bus services (none on Sundays), so the easiest option is to rent a car and explore the network of small mountain villages and quiet coastal towns. Torre di Palme is a particularly beautiful example of the historic hilltops in the area. It combines cobbled streets and numerous honey-colored churches with expansive Adriatic views, so don’t be surprised if you see confetti fluttering in the wind or newlyweds posing for photos.

There are also over 100km of cycle paths in the region, with plans to add new signposted routes to the area’s lakes and waterfalls and a circular route around the medieval walls of San Ginesio. But keep in mind that the terrain is hilly, so check the gradient before you go.

What to eat: It wouldn’t be Italy without good food, and the Marche region is no exception. The epicurean dish is vincisgrassi, a lasagna-like dish with slow-cooked pork ragu and layers of pasta. A variant swaps pasta for polenta, a much-loved staple in the north but reaches as far as this central region, which is cooked and layered with the meat sauce.

Other favorites to look out for are stuffed, fried olives; ciauscolo, a soft, spreadable salami sausage with a garlicky kick; and cremini, a vanilla cream baked into a sweet dumpling.

For locally run restaurants that take their traditional dishes seriously, try Il Ristoro del Borgo in the heart of San Ginesio, Ristorante Isolina or the stone-built Osteria Il Sigillo in the neighboring village of Camporotondo di Fiastrone.

More information: Find out about The best tourist villages from UN Tourism and discover more about it San Ginesio.