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Thing to see in North Sardinia: Olbia | 4th part

We arrive at the fourth part of our little travel guide on things to do and see in North Sardinia! While in the previous article we talked about the history of Sardinia from the Nuraghic to the Middle Ages, in this article we will talk about of Olbia, the gateway to Northern Sardinia.

Olbia is today an important touristic and economic center in North Sardinia with 60,000 people, a number of people that grew considerably between 1964 and 1981. Olbia is the fourth largest town in Sardinia.

Olbia (from Greek ολβιος) has seen different periods: from the Phoenician to the Roman the city became a commercial center but also a important military naval base; from the Vandalic-Byzantine period to the Judical and Catalan-Aragonese period; from the Savoia period at present.

The testimony of these periods are the main attractions to visit in Olbia.

We can starts with the Basilica of San Simplicio, Romanic church built in honor of the martyr San Simplicio; then we proceed with the church of San Paolo, in baroque style with high bell tower and majolica dome. Others interesting buildings are Palazzo Colonna (the Olbia Commune) and Villa Clorinda now the house of San Vincenzo Nuns.

If you are interested in archeology, Olbia offers directly inside the town the opportunity to visit the Punic-Roman Necropolis under the Basilica of San Simplicio, the Punic walls in via Torino, the Roman aqueduct (Sa Rughittula, via Canova, via Nanni), remains of the Roman forum or the naval archaeological museum while outside the city it is possible to reach several archaeological sites of the Nuraghic age as Nuraghe Riu Mulinu in Cabu Abbas, the sacred hole of Sa Testa and Tombe dei Giganti under the medieval castle of Pedres.

If you love the nature instead you can visit the river park of Padrongianus (with paths to do on foot, birdwatching, kayak), the green park Fausto Noce, the marine protected area of ​​Tavolara (by boat) or beautiful beaches (white and crystalline sand) of the Olbia Coast, from the famous Pittulongu (the beach of Olbia People) to Bados beach.

For those who love the evening,try the typical walk in the center with stalls of various kinds and events every night, open shops and much more or go to the famous Porto Rotondo, a favorite destination for lovers of the international jet set.