San Marino was the least visited country in Europe by overnight tourists in 2016 according to the UN. Here are 10 reasons why you should still visit this tiny country.

#1: Easy to travel to

San Marino is only a 20 minute drive from Rimini in the middle of Italy. It is possible to fly to many of Italy’s nearby airports and take a bus or car to San Marino itself. We chose to go by rental car and drove from Rome through Tuscany. Great views, slow curvy roads and sunshine all day. What more could one ask for?

#2: The oldest republic in the world

There are many ways to define the age of a country and a different one wins as the oldest depending on which criteria you choose to follow. If you use the most conservative ones (same name/area/people/rule/constitution etc. for the whole duration) San Marino is the oldest republic in the world. In many ways it also looks very old, with castles, stone buildings and narrow streets. There are even archery tournaments here, although we never figured out if this was a tourist gimmick or a really serious sport.

#3: Amazing views

Compared to San Marino the surrounding area is relatively flat. This provides splendid views from Mount Titano, the tall mountain where the capital is located. It is possible to see all the way to the Mediterranean from here. Mount Titano rises 749 meters above sea level and the mountainside on the east drops almost straight down more than 200 meters.

#4: «Everything» is within walking distance

Most of the things to do and see are in the capital, which for all practical purposes is Mount Titano. Although the mountain is tall it is not particularly long. More or less everything can therefore be reached within walking distance, but be prepared to climb some stairs.

#5: Sunrise and sunset

The great views from the mountain top also brings some amazing sunrises and sunsets every day. The sunsets we used in the hyperlapse movie we made this summar was shot in San Marino, as well as the cover photo:

#6: Cheap shopping

Micronations need some kind of income. Many of them become tax havens and this is partly the case for San Marino as well. Therefore many of the more taxed goods such as alcohol and luxury items are cheaper here than in Italy, causing a fair amount of Italians to take a day trip here to shop for vodka and designer handbags.

#7: UNESCO’s World Heritage

The historic centre and Mount Titano are listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites list and is of course a wonderful sight. It feels a bit like walking around a museum where all the exhibits are in use.

#8: For those that like elevators

OK, we do not know if being an elevator enthusiast is a thing, but if that is the case: You are going to love San Marino. As we stepped outside the car we had to take an elevator 9 stories up. As we exited that elevator there was a new elevator leading to another elevator again. Finally arriving at the top we were greeted with an endless set of stairs… At least one of the elevators has a glass window to enjoy the view.

#9: People are nice

People in San Marino are very nice. There is not a lot of pressure to buy souvenirs, scams appear absent, things are cosy and people are genuinely nice and happy. Who doesn’t like that?

#10: It is a micronation

Our experience with micronations (and we’ve seen a few by now) is that they usually feature less crime, less stress and have some weird characteristics not commonly found elsewhere. San Marino is no exception and this makes the journey here very different from a typical trip to Italy.

So, why are so few people visiting San Marino? There are actually 2 million tourists visiting San Marino every year; however, all but 60 000 are day trippers. Although a lot can be done and seen here during daytime this country changes at night when the tourists disappear and the sun sets. You get the whole country to yourself, can relax and enjoy the scenery.

Have you been to San Marino? What do you think about the micronation?