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A route to help you explore the far northern corner of Italy's Marche region, lands once ruled over by Urbino's Montefeltro family. The tour should take around a day and starts from Urbino,
perhaps Italy's most alluring renaissance town. It takes in the impregnable fortress at San Leo and wanders through the wild mountain scenery of Monte Carpegna. There is also the chance of a detour out of Italy to
the Republic of San Marino. Roads are winding and slow but the rewards are worth it - don't rush it. Use your free Touring Club Italia (TCI) 1:250,000 map of the Marche.
Start at Urbino heading north-west for Sassocorvaro where you should pause to admire the castle in the centre of the village. It was built for the powerful local Ubaldini family by the celebrated renaissance military architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini. If it is open don't miss a tour inside. Now head west to
Macerata Feltria. Stop here to look around the medieval part of the small town with the imposing ruins of its walls or drop into the thermal baths.
A short detour from here on the way to San Leo will take you to the welcoming spa town of Montegrimano set in yet more splendid hill country.
Now head north-west to arrive at San Leo, one of the Marche's not to be missed sights. From here you could make a detour out of the Marche - and Italy - to
visit the tiny Republic of San Marino
but you might be shocked to see the mass tourism machine in all its awful glory. San Marino seems only to exist to sell its stamps and souvenirs to day trippers from nearby Rimini.
Better perhaps to stay in the Marche and head south-west for Pennabilli on the flanks of Monte Carpegna. An appealing old town with plenty of activity in the summer. Makes a great base for exploring the surrounding mountains.
Now climb up to the village of Carpegna to admire the views and try the prosciutto crudo, or raw cured ham for which the place is famous -
stronger and less insipid than the Parma ham which one finds outside Italy. From here head south-east for Urbania before returning to Urbino.
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Six itineraries 
Marche Voyager is backed by the