Travel – Adrian Matei's blog

Over two decades of traveling through Italy, I’ve seen the country evolve through a tourist’s eyes. While most flock to the West Coast, the Adriatic side offers a deep dive into history that is often less crowded but just as breathtaking. My experiences here are personal and subjective, focusing on the layers of art, music, and architecture that define the region.

Venice: La Serenissima

Venice is the undeniable crown jewel of the coast. Yes, it is crowded, but it remains a “must-see.” Beyond the iconic Piazza San Marco and the Doge’s Palace, I recommend preparing your senses before you arrive. To truly understand the Venetian soul, listen to the works of Antonio Vivaldi, the 18th-century maestro who shaped European music.

I also suggest studying the paintings of Canaletto. While Titian is the city’s most famous painter, Canaletto’s detailed 18th-century vistas allow you to compare the lagoon of 300 years ago with the city you see today.

Canaletto –*The Entrance to the Grand Canal, Venice*, 1730

Chioggia: The “Little Venice”

Just 25 kilometers south lies Chioggia. Often called “Little Venice,” this quieter town offers a similar canal-side charm without the massive crowds. You can visit St. Andrew’s Church; its bell tower (11th–12th century) is considered the oldest clock tower in the world. The town also inspired the 18th-century playwright Carlo Goldoni, who captured the local spirit in his famous comedies.

Chioggia – oldest clock tower in the world

Ravenna: A Mosaic of Empires

Emperor Justinian on a mosaic in San Vitale church

Further south, Ravenna serves as a stunning bridge between Western and Eastern Christianity. Once the capital of the Western Roman Empire and later ruled by the Byzantines under Justinian, the city is a treasure trove of 5th to 7th-century art. The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia and the Basilica of San Vitale (548 AD) left the deepest impression on me; their mosaics are simply luminous. Don’t miss the Orthodox Baptistery or the Arian Baptistery, the latter built under the Ostrogoth King Theodoric the Great. It is staggering to realize these vibrant glass mosaics have survived for over 1,500 years.

Crossing the Rubicon

Between Ravenna and Rimini, you will cross the Rubicon River. This is the site where Julius Caesar uttered the immortal words “alea iacta est” (the die is cast), before sparking a civil war. Interestingly, the river’s exact location was lost to time for centuries and was only officially identified (formerly known as the Fiumicino) in 1933.

San Marino & Rimini: From Fortresses to Film

A short detour inland takes you to San Marino, one of the world’s oldest and smallest republics. The Guaita fortress atop Monte Titano looks like something out of a fairytale.

Back on the coast, Rimini is famous for summer beaches. I visited it in winter. This allowed me to focus on its Roman roots. You can still walk across the 2,000-year-old Bridge of Tiberius or view the Arch of Augustus. For cinema lovers, Rimini is the birthplace of Federico Fellini. Unfortunately, the Fellini Museum was not opened yet during my visit.

Pesaro: The Home of Rossini

Finally, visit Pesaro, a refined, smaller version of Rimini. As a fan of Rossini’s opera overtures, I highly recommend the Rossini National Museum, located in the very house where the composer was born.

Travel Tips

Arrival: The easiest gateways are the Venice Marco Polo Airport or Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport.
Getting Around: While trains are efficient, I have rented a car for many of my Italian trips. It offers the freedom to find these hidden historical gems at your own pace.

The East Coast of Italy is more than just a coastline; it is a timeline. From the ancient Roman stones of Rimini to the shimmering Byzantine mosaics of Ravenna and the operatic echoes of Pesaro, this region offers a quieter, more contemplative beauty than the bustling west. Italy is a country that is constantly changing, but here, the layers of the past remain remarkably vivid.

From the cities where I ran this year, it was my first time in Helsinki. To my surprise, Helsinki is not a classical European city with an old center and historic buildings. Initially, I thought that Suomenlinna Island offered military protection to the city of Helsinki until I learned that the fortress on the island had been developed before the city.

Before becoming the capital of Finland in 1812, Helsinki had 3000 inhabitants at the beginning of the XIX century. The country gained its independence from Russia in 1917.

Helsinki has monuments reminding people of its time as a Russian gubernia. Compared with the rest of Europe, Finland was occupied before 1917. It had no influence later, while in the former communist countries (part of the European Union today), the Soviet occupation happened after World War II. Finland had the Winter War with the Soviet Union, so keeping these monuments is surprising.

The Helsinki Cathedral is a Lutheran church built in 1852 during the Russian leadership. It is built in the shape of a Greek cross, and the pediment rests on six Corinthian pillars. In front of the church is the statue of Alexander II, the Russian Tsar.

At the same time, another symbol of Helsinki is the Uspenski Cathedral, a Christian Orthodox cathedral built in 1868. It is the largest Greek Orthodox church in Northern Europe.

For me, the most impressive church in the city is Temppeliaukio Church, or Church of the Rock, which dates from 1969. The interior was excavated and built directly out of solid rock, and natural light enters through the skylight surrounding the center copper dome. I liked this combination of modern architecture and rocks, reminiscence of the ancient Christian churches.

Compared to other significant European cities, Helsinki has few cars and people on the streets. It has low pollution and an excellent life index. In the harbor, a typical Scandinavian marketplace has served customers since 1889. Here, you can find a lot of food, mostly fish but also sweets and beverages, and many shops with traditional products on sale.

Of course, there are many blocks and buildings like in any European city, but I couldn’t find any relevant or interesting images to post here.

The next stop is on Somenlinna islands, once a solid military fortress and now a place for tourists. Suomenlinna is now one of Helsinki’s most popular tourist attractions and a popular picnicking spot for the city’s inhabitants. The island is reachable on a 15-minute boat trip from Helsinki, and you can use a regular tram or bus ticket to travel. The island has many houses and museums on the island’s history, as well as a military museum. I would say that the entire island is a museum of life in the XIX century. From here you have lovely views of the sea and Helsinki.

In the above picture, you can see a ferry going from Helsinki to Tallinn. The trip takes about two hours. During weekends, the ferry is full of people traveling from Helsinki to Tallinn to buy cheaper alcohol. In Finland, beer costs around 8 EUR in restaurants and 3-4 EUR in supermarkets.

Helsinki has many parks. One of them is Sibelius Park, a memorial to the great Finnish composer. In the center of the park is a Sibelius monument, reminding of the organ pipes. It consists of more than 600 hollow steel pipes welded together in a wave-like pattern. The park is closed and in restoration until the end of 2024.

Helsinki is different from other cities due to its many islands, lakes, and trees, which make it look like a vast area of wild nature. The city is beautiful, and late spring and summer are perfect times to visit it.

Lakes and trees are a common view in Helsinki

Based on the above, I recommend Helsinki as a lovely city to visit during a two-to-three-day city break.

Tag: Travel

Italy’s East Coast – from Venice to Rimini

Helsinki