The name takes us back to a fairytale of sailors. L'Island of the Platani it is the city's pedestrian avenue, the promenade par excellence during the summer evenings, but also on Sunday afternoons in winter. From piazza Matteotti to viale Roma in front of the station, there is a succession of lights and colors: bars, restaurants, cafes, shops and boutiques enliven the course.
It is the place dedicated to Shopping: clothes, shoes, bags, design objects and furniture, here the fashion victims will find bread for their teeth. But even the laziest will find refreshment, and in the shade of the tall plane trees they can sip an iced drink in one of the many bars, enjoying the walk.
The coffee and the croissant are taken at Great Bar, while the aperitif at Café Madrid.
And if you have a bicycle (the hotels provide a good number of them for their customers) you can try your hand at an excellent and healthy ride, all on the plain, along one of the main arteries of Bellaria: viale Panzini. From the level crossing in via Pascoli, instead of going down to the sea, turn left, and, when the sun is setting, and the heat has dropped, take a nice walk towards the Cagnona area. You left? Well, now count on your left three level crossings, and on the fourth turn. You see it immediately: a grove surrounds it, but it stands tall and imposing with its characteristic brick red color.
It is the Red House of Alfredo Panzini, summer cottage of the family, very dear to the writer. Here, Alfredo spent every summer, from 1906 to 1938, dedicating himself to literature, receiving literary friends, but also taking care of the family farms. Currently the house is owned by the Municipality of Bellaria since 2004, and in December 2006, after restoration works, it is open to the public. It hosts exhibitions and conferences, and it can happen in summer evenings to attend public readings and conferences of contemporary literature in the evocative setting of the villa's park. A nice service offered by the Municipality allows you to play civil marriages in the Red House.
