The flag of San Marino.
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San Marino has its own flag
Even though San Marino doesn’t have its own language or currency (locals speak Italian and use euros), it does have its own flag. With a white band on top and a light blue band on the bottom, the flag has the national coat of arms at its center, which features three towers on three peaks. The towers represent the castles built on Mount Titano, the country’s highest point.
You can drive there in less than two hours from Bologna
Since San Marino doesn’t have an airport or train service, it’s easiest to fly into one of the closest major cities—Florence or Bologna—and drive from there. It’s just a little over 110 miles east of Florence and nearly 90 miles southeast of Bologna, making it an easy day trip from many points in Emilia-Romagna or Tuscany. However, if you’d like to spend the night there, San Marino does have several dozen hotels located throughout the country, most of which are centered in the capital City of San Marino on Mount Titano.
A San Marino tower at sunset
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It has a UNESCO World Heritage site
San Marino’s Historic Center and Mount Titano were named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. As the only surviving city-state in Italy, the medieval city center still has its fortification towers and walls, plus a neo-classical basilica, convents from the 14th and 16th centuries, and an 18th-century theater that are still in use today.
Just over 33,500 people live in San Marino
According to a July 2017 estimate from the CIA, San Marino’s population is 33,537, which means that the number of international tourists arriving in the microstate each year more than double the number of locals.
There’s no border control
You won’t need your passport to enter San Marino from Italy, but if you do want a stamp you can visit the local tourism office and ask for one for €5 to commemorate your visit.
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Source link : https://www.afar.com/magazine/this-tiny-country-is-europes-fastest-growing-destination
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Publish date : 2018-11-09 08:00:00
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