For many, autumn is the season of colors and destinations finally less crowded, but there are also those who don’t want to let go of summer and head off in October precisely to chase its last sunny days. The Guardian has selected five destinations in Europe and Turkey where summer seems to last a little longer, and among them is Senigallia, in the Marche region.
The starting point is certainly the Velvet Beach, miles of fine, golden sand facing the Adriatic Riviera that, from May to September, disappear beneath the umbrellas and loungers of the beach clubs. Italians adore it and many return there every summer for decades.
According to the Guardian, however, the city’s charm goes far beyond the sea and autumn is the best time to discover it: fewer crowds, temperatures still pleasant, and a dining scene that follows the rhythm of the season.
Autumn flavors in Senigallia, “Gourmet City”
In Italy, Senigallia is known also as the “city of five stars” in reference to the Michelin stars earned by its two best-known restaurants, led by chefs born here who for decades push each other to excel. One of the towns with the most Michelin stars per capita, where generally it’s difficult to eat badly, even without spending haute cuisine sums.
The Guardian also notes a readily available curiosity: the cheese pizza, a tall and fluffy leavened pastry, similar to a savory panettone, enriched with a generous amount of Parmigiano and Pecorino, to be enjoyed with cured meats or simply on its own, accompanied by a glass of wine. Traditionally prepared for Easter, but some ovens bake it from October to May.
Autumn also brings to market stalls chestnuts, persimmons, grapes, and pomegranates, along with pumpkins, leafy vegetables and radicchio. Most notably, it is the season of new olive oil, to taste in the town center shops and at the New Olive Oil Festival. The festival will run from November 12 to 15, 2026 in Scapezzano, a hillside hamlet about five kilometers from the coast.
Walks Between River, Hills and Sea
With all this food you’ll feel like moving a bit and the surroundings of Senigallia are well-suited to gentle hikes. To reach Scapezzano, for example, you can leave the car and walk up along the Strada di Fontenuovo. It’s a quiet lane that, in about an hour, brings you to the village and, if your legs aren’t up to the return trip, you can take the bus.
If you prefer to stay on the flat, there’s the Herons’ Path, which follows the course of the Misa River through the Holm oaks. In autumn their canopies blaze with yellow and red and the route becomes even more evocative.
The walk that The Guardian most recommends, however, starts right from the sea, at the Rotonda a Mare. It is the elegant 1930s building suspended over the water, today turned into an exhibition space. From there you move inland along quiet lanes, toward the villages of Gabriella and Montignano, then come back down toward the sea. The best part arrives at the end: a sunset stroll on the Velvet Beach, finally free of umbrellas and loungers, and all yours.
