Ancona is the capital of the Marche region, a working port city built on a promontory jutting into the Adriatic. It lacks the instant charm of its smaller neighbors, but rewards those who look past the port infrastructure: a fine Romanesque cathedral on the hill, a well-preserved old town, and the Conero Riviera — some of the Adriatic's best coastline — right on its doorstep.
The Cattedrale di San Ciriaco crowns Monte Guasco above the harbor with sweeping views up and down the coast. The old town below has the Piazza del Plebiscito, the Renaissance Loggia dei Mercanti, and the Pinacoteca Civica with works by Titian and Lorenzo Lotto. The port handles ferries to Croatia, Greece, and Turkey, making Ancona a practical transit point as well as a destination.
The real draw is south of the city: the Parco del Conero, where limestone cliffs drop into clear water at beaches like Portonovo, Sirolo, and Numana. The local wines — Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (crisp and excellent with fish) and Rosso Conero — are among Italy's best-value bottles.