01Pennabilli at a glance
A day trip into the inland hills from Hotel Viking, the Antonioli family's 3-star hotel in Viserbella di Rimini: Pennabilli is the village in the upper Valmarecchia linked to Tonino Guerra, the poet and Fellini screenwriter, with his “places of the soul” scattered through its streets and hills.
It is 49.2 km from the hotel, about 70 minutes by car: half a day or a full day out, and in the evening you are back by the sea for our Romagna cooking. Food festivals and local fêtes at the time of your stay are on the events in Rimini page.
| Where | Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, 47864 Pennabilli (province of Rimini) |
|---|---|
| From the hotel by car | 49.2 km, about 70 minutes |
| When to go | all year round; food festivals and fairs in autumn |
02History
- Pennabilli lies in the Alta Valmarecchia, at an altitude of about 630 metres, on the western slope of Monte Carpegna, in the middle of a vast natural amphitheatre overlooking the River Marecchia.
- The town grew out of the union of two villages built on two hilltops, the Rupe and the Roccione: Billi and Penna remained separate communities until 1350, when they decided to merge. That is why Pennabilli's coat of arms shows an eagle perched on two fortresses.
- According to local tradition, the Malatesta family, who later became the lords of Rimini, originated from the castle of Penna.
- In 1572 Pope Gregory XIII moved the seat of the Diocese of Montefeltro from San Leo to Pennabilli, and Pennabilli was granted city status.
- The poet and screenwriter Tonino Guerra, born in Santarcangelo in 1920 and writer of films for Fellini, Antonioni, Tarkovsky and the Taviani brothers, lived in Pennabilli in the Casa dei mandorli from 1989 until the end of his life.
- Tonino Guerra came up with the idea for “I Luoghi dell’Anima” (Places of the Soul), an open-air museum spread across the old town and the Valmarecchia, with seven sites including the Strada delle meridiane (Street of Sundials), the Rifugio delle Madonne abbandonate (Refuge of Abandoned Madonnas), the Angelo coi baffi (Angel with a Moustache) and the Santuario dei pensieri (Sanctuary of Thoughts).
03What to see
The Orto dei frutti dimenticati (Garden of Forgotten Fruits) is a “museum of flavours” bringing together fruit trees that once grew in farmers’ gardens and are no longer cultivated today, such as biricoccolo, medlar, service tree, quince, gooseberry and jujube.
In the Orto dei frutti dimenticati grows the “Mulberry of Peace”, planted by the Dalai Lama on 15 June 1994 during his first visit to Pennabilli.
Pennabilli has ties with Tibet thanks to Fra’ Orazio da Pennabilli, a Capuchin missionary in Lhasa in the 18th century. In 2005 the Dalai Lama inaugurated the Lhasa Bell, a copy of the bell from the Capuchin friary in Lhasa, flanked by three Tibetan prayer wheels.
“Il Mondo di Tonino Guerra” (The World of Tonino Guerra) is housed in the vaults of the 14th-century Oratorio di Santa Maria della Misericordia and gathers the master’s paintings, ceramics and sculptures, with an archive, video library and library. In 2015 the European Film Academy listed it among the Treasures of European Film Culture.
The main events include the international street-art festival “Artisti in Piazza”, founded in 1997, and the Mostra Mercato Nazionale d’Antiquariato (National Antiques Fair), held every July since 1970.
Sources: pennabilliturismo.it · comune.pennabilli.rn.it · Riviera di Rimini. Information checked in October 2026.
04Visitor information
The old town, with its sundials and the installations of the “I Luoghi dell’Anima” open-air museum, is best explored on foot. For opening times and access to the museums, including “Il Mondo di Tonino Guerra”, it is best to contact the Pro Loco di Pennabilli (Piazza Garibaldi, tel. 0541 928659) or the town council. Since 2010 Pennabilli has held the Touring Club Italiano’s Orange Flag.
Opening times and prices may change: always check the official website before you go.
Sources: pennabilliturismo.it · comune.pennabilli.rn.it · Wikipedia. Information checked in October 2026.
05How to get there from Hotel Viking
By car: 49.2 km, about 70 minutes. At reception we can suggest the best route and the most convenient car parks, and on request we will prepare you a packed lunch.
Your space at the hotel stays reserved in our private car park, which is fenced and covered by CCTV. Other villages to combine on the same day are listed below.
06Nearby
- Sant’Agata Feltria
- San Leo
- Sasso Simone e Simoncello Nature Park
- Torre di Bascio and the Petrified Garden
- Romanesque parish church of Ponte Messa
- Lake Andreuccio
- Sant’Agata Feltria
- San Leo
All the villages on one page: the hinterland and hilltop villages to visit. More ideas in things to do in Rimini.
07What our guests say
What our guests say about their trips into the hills.
Day trips
«You can book trips inland with the help of the reception staff»
Sea and hills
«great view from the balcony, towards the sea on one side and the hinterland on the other»
08FAQ
Where is Tonino Guerra buried?
Tonino Guerra died in Santarcangelo di Romagna on 21 March 2012. His ashes were placed in the rock above the Casa dei mandorli (House of Almond Trees) in Pennabilli, at the spot overlooking the valley.
What can you find in the Orto dei frutti dimenticati?
It is a small open-air museum devoted to the flavours of the past: it grows fruit tree varieties that farmers no longer cultivate, such as biricoccolo, service tree, jujube and gooseberry, alongside the Mulberry of Peace planted by the Dalai Lama and several art installations designed by Tonino Guerra.
How far is Pennabilli from Hotel Viking?
49.2 km, about 70 minutes by car from Viserbella di Rimini.
How long do you need to visit Pennabilli?
Half a day is enough for the village centre and the main monument; add lunch at an osteria and another nearby village and it becomes a lovely full day out.
Where to stay to visit the hilltop villages of the Valmarecchia and Valconca?
At Hotel Viking in Viserbella di Rimini: a 3-star hotel 100 metres from the sea, with a private car park, open all year round and handy for day trips into the inland hills.
Is Pennabilli worth visiting in autumn?
Yes: in autumn the hinterland has its food festivals, chestnuts and the colours of the hills; check the dates on the town council's website.
