SUNWHEELS.COM

Ancona is located in central Italy, on the Adriatic coast. Ancona is situated in the region of Le Marche, which is known as the 'new Tuscany'. Le Marche is inland, away from the beach resorts and busy ports of the Adriatic coastline. It is renowned for its unspoilt beauty and excellent cuisine.

Ancona is mostly known as a modern port, not a tourist town, but it also has an appealing historic town on a hill. From the 11th-century duomo you can enjoy a wonderful sea view. The art gallery (Pinacoteca Communale), situated in a historic palazzo, contains works by artists including Titian. Ancona is also the home of the region's archeological museum, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale delle Marche, with exhibits including impressive Roman bronze statues. Your holiday options also include the beach; you can take a bus from the railway station to stretches of beach outside town.

Ancona is a busy commercial and fishing port. Other industries include shipbuilding, petroleum refining, and the manufacture of sugar, sailcloth, paper, chemicals, machinery, and musical instruments. Greek merchants from Syracuse founded Ancona about 390 BC. Ancona later became a Roman colony. It was used as a Roman naval station during the Illyrian War in 178 BC, and Julius Caesar captured it after he crossed the Rubicon in 49 BC. Trajan later enlarged the harbour, and it became an important Roman trade port and naval base.

The train station in Ancona is situated a fair way from the centre of town. The busy Via 29 Settembre runs between the train station and the port; there are several buses plying this route.

The Tourist Information centre in Ancona is located at:
Via Thaon de Revel 4
Ancona
tel: 3 49 38

Situated in downtown Ancona, round the corner from Viale della Vittoria, the main thoroughfare, the Grand Hotel Passetto offers easy access to beaches, museums and the port, with regular ferries to Greece, Turkey and Croatia. The amenities of this old-fashioned four-star hotel include a swimming pool, a well-equipped health centre and comfortable air-conditioned rooms.

Grand Hotel Passetto, Via Thaon De Revel 1, Ancona (00 39 071 31307; www.hotelpassetto.it).

When in Ancona, one should sample some local cuisine. 'Brodetto' is the most typical and, as the name suggests, is a type of soup made from left over fish and unwanted scraps that couldn't be sold in the market. Traditionally, it was the daily meal for many workers in the ports.

A typical local drink to try in Ancona is 'Turchetto'. This is a strong drink served up in a glass. Ask for it 'al vetro'. It consists of a dose of strong bitter Italian coffee lungo added to which are black rum and a touch of lemon juice.

The electrical current in Ancona is the same as in all Italy - 220 volts, 50 cycles alternating current (AC); wall outlets take Continental-type plugs, with two or three round prongs.