Apennines

San Marino is the third smallest country in Europe and probably the oldest existing republic in the world. It was founded in 301. The symbol of this small state is the three towers, which can be found at the three highest points of the country. The highest one, La Cesta (also known as Fratta), stands on the top of Monte Titano. Follow this article for all important information you need before your visit of Monte Titano including practical info, a map and my personal experience.

Important information for visiting the highest point of San Marino – Monte Titano

Short description of the ascent: Short easy walk
Essential equipment: Nothing special, it's a short walk
Best time to visit: All year round
Guided tour: Yes, available with a local guide in San Marino
Fees or restrictions: Yes, you have to pay an entrance fee to reach the highest point. Check out the current price and opening times
Camping allowed: No
Nearest accommodation: Grand Hotel San Marino
Height of the peak: 739 m
Hiking distance: 418 m 
Time to ascend to Monte Titano: 0 hours 11 minutes 
Elevation to reach: 32 m 
Difficulty level: * (6 stars maximum)
Personal rating of the mountain: *** (6 stars maximum) 
Beer on the peak: San Marino Bionda **** (6 stars maximum) 

Map of the route to Monte Titano

My story of reaching Monte Titano with personal tips

I visited Monte Titano as a part of my project European Peaks during which I reached the highest point of every European country and this was a cool trip! I visited it together with other ministates Vatican and Monaco and it was a fun cultural experience! In my opinion, San Marino was the most interesting visit of all the “dwarf countries”. Let’s see why.

Bad timing

Surprisingly, we had no problem finding a place to park near the highest point, although various guides note that finding a parking spot in San Marino is often a big problem. We left our car at parking lot 7 which is nearest to the highest point of the country – Monte Titano.

We walked up towards the highest of the three San Marino towers, La Cesta, where you can find the highest point of the country. After an eight-minute hike we reached the gates of the tower. Closed on New Year’s Eve. The tower is closed only three days a year and we chose one of these days. No! We went here for nothing. Now we understand why the parking lot was so empty. Well, tomorrow is a day too.

New Year’s swim

Instead of visiting Monte Titano we decided for an alternative plan – a New Year’s swim in the nearby sea. The Adriatic sea was cold but very refreshing. Just the Italians wearing thick jackets couldn’t believe their eyes.

We woke up early the following day and drove from the beach back to Monte Titano. It was freezing and foggy. Nothing Italians are used to. Final balance: icy roads and several cars in the ditches. Fortunately, we avoided any accident. Soon we were parking again on parking lot 7. We arrived very early, so it was free again.

Fairy tale mountain Monte Titano

We started to hike up towards the tower La Cesta when the fog started to be thinner and thinner. When we reached the peak we were above the clouds. The trip paid off. We felt like in a fairy tale. One big isle with a picturesque castle emerging from a sea of ​​thick clouds. Beautiful view. This time the tower was even open so we could finally reach Monte Titano.

My tips for climbing the mountain Monte Titano:

• Avoid the following three days when visiting San Marino: January 1st, November 2nd, and December 25th. The tower La Cesta is closed on these days.
• Arrive to San Marino early in the morning. The parking lots are full soon.

Vatican is the only country in Europe where the highest point is not named so it is simply called Vatican Hill these days. It is nothing to be surprised about. The Vatican has no real mountain. But of course there is a highest point so I had to visit it too if I wanted to visit the highest point of every European country. Vatican Hill is located in the Vatican Gardens and you might think it will be the easiest highest point to reach but it is a surprisingly difficult task. If you want to reach it you need to book a guided tour months in advance due to its popularity. In this article, I will give you all necessary practical tips you need before your visit as well as my own experience from Vatican Hill.

Important information for reaching Vatican Hill

Short description of the ascent of Vatican Hill: Guided tour which must be booked ahead
Essential equipment: No special equipment necessary
Best time to visit: All year around
Fees or restrictions: Yes, you have to pay a ticket for the guided tour. Check the current price
Camping allowed: No
Nearest accommodation: Best reviewed accommodation nearby Vatican - St. Peter Manor
Height of the peak: 75 m
Distance to the top: 3,05 km (the whole guided tour)
Time to ascend to Vatican Hill: 1 hour 40 minutes (the whole guided tour)
Elevation climbed: 86 m (the whole guided tour)
Water availability on the mountain: Yes, there are cafes and shops on the guided tour
Difficulty level: * (6 stars maximum) 
Personal rating of the mountain: ** (6 stars maximum) 
Beer on the peak: Birra Roma Bionda **** (6 stars maximum) 
Short description of the ascent of Vatican Hill: Guided tour which must be booked ahead
Essential equipment: No special equipment necessary
Best time to visit: All year around
Fees or restrictions: Yes, you have to pay a ticket for the guided tour. Check the current price
Camping allowed: No
Height of the peak: 75 m
Distance to the top: 3,05 km (the whole guided tour)
Time to ascend to Vatican Hill: 1 hour 40 minutes (the whole guided tour)
Elevation climbed: 86 m (the whole guided tour)
Water availability on the mountain: Yes, there are cafes and shops on the guided tour
Difficulty level: * (6 stars maximum) 
Personal rating of the mountain: ** (6 stars maximum) 
Beer on the peak: Birra Roma Bionda **** (6 stars maximum) 

Map of Vatican Hill’s location

My story of reaching Vatican Hill with personal tips

I visited Vatican hill as a part of my project European Peaks during which I reached the highest point of every European country and this was a cool trip! I booked a week to stay in Italy and I also visited the highest point of Monaco and San Marino. These “dwarf” countries are so special!

Visit of European ministates

This time I traveled with my girlfriend Joanne and two good friends from Sweden, Chilean Emiliano and his Swedish girlfriend Anna. Our journey began in Rome, a city which is regarded by many people as the most beautiful city in the world. I had never visited Rome before so I was very curious about it. We selected our accommodation as close as possible to the Vatican in order to visit the highest point of the country early in the morning. This is the best way to avoid the crowds of tourists that are famous for Rome.

Tickets to Vatican gardens

It was the right decision. We could see the walls of the Vatican and the famous St. Peter’s Basilica right from our window . It is the largest church in the world. It is 211 meters long and 27 meters wide.

The next day I let my friends sleep and I got up early to welcome the sun at St. Peter’s Basilica. I wanted to take the shortest way but I was still sleepy so I went in the opposite direction. In the end I circled the entire Vatican. I vainly hoped that the Vatican had several entrances. When I finally found the St. Peter’s square the sun just started to rise. It was beautiful and the square was completely empty. I was the only tourist there. I took a panorama picture of the square and came back to our accommodation to pick up my friends for a pre-booked tour of the Vatican Gardens.

Getting the tickets to Vatican gardens was the biggest challenge to reach the Vatican’s highest point. It must be ordered months ahead because they are sold out very quickly. The advantage of the ticket is that a visit to the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums are included. This time “climbing” will be accompanied by a rich cultural program.

Thanks to the confusing morning I knew this time exactly where we should go for the tour, so we got there in time. We skipped a kilometer long line with our pre-purchased ticket and we went looking for our guide.

Exciting pope stories on Vatican Hill

Unlike the other highest points, the visit of the highest point of Vatican was not physically demanding. On the other hand one must be patient. Before we reached the Vatican Hill we had to listen to many histories of different popes. Our guide turned out to be a big fan of all the popes, telling us both her personal anecdotes as well as passed on stories about thirteen of them. Her tour took over two hours. When we got to the “peak”, I was glad to have a secret escape for a while to take some photos and to take a break from the pope stories.

A visit to the gardens was worth it anyway. The Vatican gardens are charming. The Pope is a happy man that he can stroll through such natural and calm beauty every day in the middle of a busy city.

Unbelievable view over Rome

Although the highest point of the Vatican is in the gardens, some also regard the viewpoint of St. Peter’s Cathedral as the highest point. Of course we could not miss it. We planned it for the next day, again in the early morning to avoid queues. Opening hours from 7 am saved us again from crowds and we basically had the whole viewpoint of Rome for ourselves. The view from the dome of the cathedral is truly monumental. Those who visit Rome should have this place on top of their must-see list.

After a four-day visit of Rome, I was thinking if it was really the most beautiful city in the world. From a historical point of view, it probably has the most interesting monuments I have ever seen. I agree with that. I wasn’t impressed though with the overall picture of the city. The main disadvantage of Rome is the excessive tourism. From lunch time on, the city is overcrowded. If you want to visit any museums or viewpoints you have to spend a long time in queues. Although I was glad that my expedition provided me with this cultural bonus, I was looking forward to the mountains again.

My tips for visiting Rome and Vatican Hill:

• Get up early and visit the main sights before other tourists wake up.
• The most beautiful view in Rome is from St. Peter’s Cathedral and from the Altar of the Fatherland.
• Many tickets can be purchased in advance on the internet. For example, if you want to avoid a several hours long queue for Colosseum tickets, buy them online.
• Nearest recommended accommodation: St. Peter Manor