Ancona

[2BACRUISER]

Ancona, not found it any of med guide books so have booked a ships walking tour but it's only a couple of hours so what to do for the rest of the day.? 🤔

 

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, 2BACRUISER said:

Ancona, not found it any of med guide books so have booked a ships walking tour but it's only a couple of hours so what to do for the rest of the day.? 🤔

 

 

I'm not sure what you'll be shown on your walking tour, but when I was there last year, I put together a self-guided tour that more than occupied a half day, including a nice visit to the (regional and stuffed) archaeological museum, the arch of Trajan, the cathedral at the top of the hill, and various other bits of Roman ruins around the town, including an amphitheater. (Some of the ruins are in very poor states and with little or no access. In fact, I read a local article before I left about how little Ancona is doing to protect its Roman heritage...)  All very easily doable on foot; there is a TI near the port entrance.

 

In the afternoon we arranged a tour through Tours by Locals to visit a nearby Roman site (Suasa) -- nicely excavated site but with limited hours and probably not interesting unless you are a hopeless seeker after Roman sites...

 

Some people go to Urbino, but that is a full-day trip.

[bennybear]

We enjoyed the ducal Palace in Urbino.    We also liked Gubbio,  but you would need to have a car or tour booked.   

[euro cruiser]

This map is only in Italian but it gives you a sense of what's available, and the general layout:  http://www.comune.ancona.gov.it/ankonline/cultura/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/10/Mappa-Italiano-2015-ultimissima-11.pdf

[iancal]

We spent a few days in the area prior to catching the ferry to Split.  If  you have had enough of cities and ruins you could rent a car and have a day out in the country.  Stop for lunch in some small town.  The area is quite beautiful.

Edited May 10, 2019 by iancal

[2BACRUISER]

Well we did Ancona. 

Saturday 18^th May Ancona 10am – 7pm

Not really sure why Marella use Ancona, it’s a busy port with lots of ferry traffic and ship repair going on (Regent of the Seas Splendour was in dry dock being refurbed) and not a lot else. We had pre-booked a walking tour with Tui which was nothing to write home about. There is a very plain gothic cathedral, an amphitheatre  and a nice square but that’s about it. We also got shown a public loo but although I was busting for a pee I didn’t use as was a feet in the slot squat and pee in a hole type and it was filthy. It started to rain so we bolted back to the ship for the aforementioned pee and spent the rest of the day in the Coffee port reading and when the sun came out later on the pool deck. Doesn’t merit a full day here.  VFM- No not in our opinion.  Next time would take a trip outside Ancona to a winery or other resort?

 

[lisiamc]

Ancona has some charm, and some nice restaurants with excellent seafood.  Most bars and restaurants will have normal toilets rather than the squatty variety.  I think 2BACRUISER was very unlucky in the toilet lottery!  As Cruisemom42 says, Trajan’s Arch is well worth a look if you like Roman things.  The local wines are impressive if you choose carefully.  Umani Ronchi is a local vineyard with outstanding Marchigiani wines, and is a good choice for a wine-tasting excursion, although you would need a transportation.