Hill towns of the Marche

You start on the hill of Torre di Palme, where the medieval village survives whole above the Adriatic. Wander lanes of brick and geraniums, step into Santa Maria a Mare, and stop at the lookout for the coast. Then on to Offida.

At Offida, head for the western tip of the spur and Santa Maria della Rocca, the great brick church with its frescoed crypt. Then admire the Palazzo Comunale and its arcade. A glass of Offida Pecorino suits a lunch stop; after that, on to Sarnano.

You settle in at Sarnano, a red-brick old town below the Sibillini mountains. Climb to Piazza Alta and the Romanesque church of Santa Maria, then see the paintings by Vittore Crivelli in the town gallery. Stay the night here, perhaps with a visit to the spa.

The second day opens at San Ginesio, a town that looks out over the Sibillini, with a view running from Conero to Gran Sasso. Follow the medieval walls to Porta Picena and admire the terracotta work of the Collegiata from outside; its interior is closed. Then on to Treia.

Treia stands on a long sandstone ridge overlooking the entire valley. Visit the Teatro Comunale for its historic curtain and the archaeological museum in San Francesco, then stroll Piazza della Repubblica. Have lunch with the region's ciauscolo before driving on to Cingoli.

You settle in at Cingoli, a walled town with a belvedere above the Marche. Walk round the walls, with the sea on one side and forest on the other, and look into the Gothic Collegiata di Sant'Esuperanzio. Stay the night here, the view reaching to the Adriatic.

Arcevia, once called Rocca Contrada, stands where the Marche hills meet the first Apennine ridges. See the Signorelli altarpieces and Della Robbia ceramics in the Collegiata di San Medardo, and the Gothic Palazzo Comunale with its tower. Then on to Corinaldo.

Walk the long ring of walls at Corinaldo, then climb La Piaggia to the polenta well. Taste Verdicchio from the surrounding hills with lunch. If you are here in October, the town stages a Halloween festival. Then on to Mondavio.

You settle in at Mondavio, below its Rocca roveresca, the fortress that never saw a siege. Explore the eight-sided keep and the armoury museum, then wander the small old centre on foot. Stay the night here or nearby, with the Teatro Apollo and San Francesco close at hand.

The trip ends at Gradara, a hill town near the Adriatic. Walk the walkways of its double ring of walls, tour the Rocca where Paolo and Francesca are said to have died, and browse the local ceramics and majolica. Then the road leads back to Ancona.