10 Best Things to Do with Kids in Cesenatico

The Pantani Space is a museum dedicated to Marco Pantani is next to the railway station. It's an interactive space where you can see photos and items narrating the exploits of the cycling champion. The rooms are named after the large mountains that now feature in the history of cycling thanks to the achievements of the Pirata (Pirate). These include Mortirolo, Alpe d’Huez and Bocchetta.

The memories, testimonies and multimedia retellings will transport you back in time so you can discover the human and sporting story behind this great cyclist. If you'd like a souvenir, inside the exhibition space is a little shop selling gadgets and t-shirts. The proceeds are donated to charities.

Along the banks of Porto Canale (Port Canal) is the Moretti House Museum, a place dedicated to literature and reading, a meeting point for readers and writers of books. Casa Moretti (Moretti House Museum) is home to the library and archive of the Crepuscular writer of the same name.

Born and raised in the town, Moretti wrote poetry, short stories and novels. The original furnishings inside provide an interesting glimpse into the last century. Entry is free and there are guided tours for small groups. Casa Moretti is part of the Case-Museo dei poeti e degli scrittori di Romagna (House Museums of the poets and writers of Romagna circuit) and frequently hosts conferences, gatherings and other cultural and literary initiatives.

Parco Acquatico Atlantica Cesenatico is a family-friendly waterpark between Ponente Park and Porto Canale. Featuring dozens of rides, waterslides, and themed areas for toddlers, it’s one of the most popular destinations to visit on a hot summer day in Cesenatico.

Some of the most popular attractions at Parco Acquatico include 6 swimming pools, a wave pool, a lazy river, and waterslides. Come early to snag the best spots on its sundeck, which has plenty of umbrellas and sunbeds. Feeling peckish? Stop by La Tonnara to enjoy seafood dishes for lunch.

To cross Porto Canale (Port Canal) on a unique vessel, climb onboard Traghetto Mirko (Mirko Ferry), a barge that's only for pedestrians. Its beginnings stretch back the late 20th century, when a shopkeeper who owned a house on one bank and a shop on the other built a boat with a platform to facilitate the loading of goods and the transportation of people.

The initiative was so popular among his fellow countrymen that it remained in service. Though time has passed, the name Mirko has stuck.

By the shore stands the Monumento alle Spose dei Marinai (Brides of the Sailors Monument), remembering the women who would watch the horizon as they waited for their husbands to return from fishing at sea.

This modern bronze sculpture was created by Quinto Pagliarani and depicts a woman with two children. It captures the touching moment when the boys point to where they've spotted their father's sails.

Parco di Levante (Levante Park) boasts broad lawns, patches of Mediterranean foliage and ponds that provide the ideal habitat for various animal species, including mallards, turtles and moorhens. You can lose yourself in a green oasis of thickets and paths just a stone's throw from the beach.

Children can have fun in the play parks, and you can enjoy a snack at the picnic tables set up for holidaymakers. It's a large space that also includes cycle paths and a cafe that sells ice creams.

In past centuries, the Fortress in Cesenatico was a structure of significant strategic importance, but was destroyed by retreating German troops during the second world war. To get to the excavation area, you need to walk along the banks of Porto Canale (Port Canal). As soon as you leave the city centre, you'll end up on the edge of the archaeological park, home to the remains of the wall and base.

The complex consisted of a keep, a 3-part wall and an inner courtyard. Nothing is left of the fortress except a few walls, but the setting is still alive with the evocative charm of bygone days.

When holidaying in Cesenatico, you can go on a long walk or bike ride to Gatteo Mare by following a cycle path that's about 4.5 km long. The beach has silky-soft sand and clean and shallow waters that are great for splashing about in, making it popular with families.

For the safety of swimmers, first aid stations have been set up and a large team of lifeguards is on hand for carrying out sea rescues. In the evening, the historic centre is almost exclusively reserved for pedestrians so they can walk and enjoy themselves in a safe environment, far from any danger.

On the sandy coast that stretches as far as the eye can see with beach umbrellas, stands the unusual and somewhat conspicuous Grattacielo di Cesenatico (Skyscraper of Cesenatico). It stands 118 metres tall and dominates the urban landscape of little buildings and resorts.

When it was built in the late 20th century, it had no equal in Europe in terms of its height. At the time it was a hotel, and was so famous and popular with tourists and locals that it was known simply as the Grattacielo (Skyscraper), even though its actual name is Condominio Marinella II. It's no longer open to the public, as it’s now used for residential flats.

A walk or bike ride in the countryside around Cesenatico is the perfect opportunity to visit the remains of the Fornace Romana di Ca’ Turchi (the Roman Kilns of Ca' Turchi). It's a sheltered archaeological excavation area that's always accessible. The remains of 2 kilns have been preserved, which were probably used to make statues, given that different fragments of sculptures have been found nearby.

You can still see the areas where the materials were fired. The research carried out in this area has led to theories that there were also houses next to the buildings used for manufacturing.