Le-Marche.Net

Italy's once secret gem Le Marche is now fast competing with Toscana and Umbria as both a holiday destination and also the perfect spot for investing in a second home abroad.

If you have never heard of Le Marche (or the Marches as the region is sometimes translated in English) don't worry - even many Italians have only the vaguest knowledge of the area. Often overlooked by foreign holiday makers who have traditionally headed for the more obvious artistic centres of Florence and Siena in Tuscany or the capital city Rome, it has recently been discovered thanks in no small part to the advent of Ryanair's adoption of both Ancona airport in the north of Le Marche and Pescara airport (actually in Abruzzo but nonetheless well placed to visit the southern provinces of the region). Suddenly visiting an area which had previously required a flight to Rome followed by a 3 hour across the country was now only short hop away from Stansted Airport!

Finally on the map, the last few years have seen numerous British TV shows featuring Le Marche, as well as a proliferation of magazine articles from both the UK and the US lauding its charms, so much so that the more cynical reader might begin to question the hype...So what's so special about the Marche Region?

Le Marche is divided into five provinces which are themselves very different in terms of landscape and traditions - Pesaro & Urbino in the North, followed by Ancona, Macerata, the recently created Fermo, with Ascoli Piceno furthest South bordering with Abruzzo.

It really isn't hard to see just why the region of Le Marche seduces its visitors so easily. It boasts countless medieval hilltop villages - Amandola, Montedinove, San Ginesio, Sarnano, Monte San Martino - pick a name on a map at random and you're sure to be charmed by any village you choose to visit.

The palm trees, chalets and seaside resorts along its kilometres of safe, sandy beaches are perfect for family holidays along the Adriatic coast whilst moving inland the Sibillini Mountains form part of the stunningly beautiful and unspoilt territory of the National Park, an area of 70,000 hectares. And for lovers of Italian art there's Urbino (the birthplace of Raphael) and the Ducal Palace housing Piero della Francesco's The Flagellation of Christ - an essential day trip.

Not surprisingly Le Marche saw a massive boom in the real estate market with foreign buyers almost panic buying several years ago. Although those heady days of snapping up silly bargains with foolproof property development potential are long gone, the region remains a sound opportunity for foreign buyers looking for a long term investment in a property that they intend to use and enjoy as a vacation and/or permanent home in a stunningly beautiful part of the world.