Cattolica, known as the Queen of the Adriatic, is a seaside town in the province of Rimini on the border with Le Marche and Emilia Romagna. Currently it is a popular destination for holidays where relaxation, sports and entertainment rule!
The Town Centre
The centre of Cattolica is rich in shops, trendy boutiques, cafes, ice cream parlors and restaurants. The main squares are Piazza Roosevelt with the City Hall, Piazza della Repubblica with its Multipurpose Cultural Centre, that includes the library and the local theatre 'Teatro della Regina', Piazza I Maggio, the heart of city life. The latter is known as the Square of the Dancing Fountains, offering suggestive shows day and night.
The Theatre and the Queen's Museum
Teatro della Regina is the first theatre designed and newly built in Italy after the world war. It is the typical 'Italian style' theatre with a classic horseshoe plan consisting of a gallery and three tiers of boxes. The Museum is set in two floors: on the first floor there's the Archaeology Section with findings from the Bronze Age, while the second floor has a Seamanship Section, with precious pieces such as models of boats of various sizes and from different historical periods. During the summer there are free guided tours also in foreign languages.
Beaches
Beaches in Cattolica have been awarded with the Blue Flag for their quality and they're equipped with excellent facilities offering really innovative services for both adults and kids: pools along the beach, Jacuzzi, gyms, water games, water slides, children's club, Internet corner and much more. Here in the evening you'll have the possibility to sip a drink by the sea, enjoy shows and amazing fish dinners! This is my selection of bathing facilities that should not be missed: I delfini Beach Village, Regina Beach, Bagni Stella Marina, Beach 96 and La Spiaggia Malù.
Sports and fun
The Romagna region has always been focused on fun; clubs, discos, pubs, beach parties...in short, a real hoot :) - For those who love music and nightlife, Cattolica is actually the ideal location being at a close distance to the most popular clubs and discos, including the famous Baia Imperiale in Gabicce Mare, at only 1 km from the city centre. For sports lovers, in addition to various activities offered by the bathing facilities such as windsurfing, canoeing, beach volleyball, tennis, boat trips etc, there are also several circuits for mini-bikes and Go-Karts. Do not forget the Misano racetrack, an annual stop of the MotoGP. There's also a wide choice of facilities dedicated to golf and horse riding, such as the Riviera Golf Resort and Riviera Horses, both located in San Giovanni in Marignano, just a few minutes from Cattolica. No lack of kid-friendly activities, thanks to the presence of theme parks, including Le Navi, Acquafan, Oltremare di Riccione, Mirabilandia, Fiabilandia and Italia in Miniatura.
The Aquarium of Cattolica
It's the most important Aquarium of the Adriatic sea with more than 3000 specimens of 400 different species. Main attractions are sharks, otters, penguins, giant turtles, jellyfish and piranhas.
The aquarium offers four different paths: blue, yellow, green and purple, each one with a different attraction.
Shopping in Cattolica
Doing shopping in Cattolica is a must! Viale Dante and Viale Carducci are full of shops, boutiques, bazaars and markets open till late at night. Cattolica is known for its elegant clothes and shoe shops, antiques workshops but also for its open-air market, where every Saturday you can get many bargains! Near Cattolica there are also big brand outlet stores. To finish our shopping tour, the area of the port and of the new dock offer bars and stalls not to be missed!
Events
The city offers many opportunities to have fun and socialise: events, shows, concerts, festivals, exhibitions, fairs etc. By the end of April and beginning of May the Flower Show takes place, an important fair of flowers and ornamental plants that for decades has been attracting visitors from all over Italy. For the occasion Cattolica turns into an open-air nursery with colourful flowers and plants of all kinds. In July we celebrate the famous Pink Night, the whole Romagna coast dresses in pink, even bars, restaurants and shops. Dances at the beach, fireworks and midnight swims are also organised. During the summer there are many concerts at the Arena della Regina with singers and musicians renowned at a national and international level. As for sports events, there are real competitions in many fields such as sailing, football, tennis, basketball, cycling, golf, volleyball, athletics, horse riding, dance, sport fishing, windsurfing and much more. Wine and food lovers cannot miss the festival Fiera degli Antichi Sapori di Terra e di Mare, dedicated to ancient flavours of land and sea products and the "Rustida".
