Olbia has a long history to tell. The city, framed by an evocative landscape drawn by the coastlines of Capo Ceraso and Golfo Aranci and the opposite island of Tavolara, has seen the alternation of different peoples and cultures in the territory with intense and continuous frequentation from the Neolithic to the modern age. Its is an ancient history of openness and contact, of meeting and exchange, and the city represents today, as in the past, a key gateway for the entire island. The outer Gulf of Olbia, rich in natural landings and rocks outcropping from shallow waters, seems to embrace sailors arriving at the most sheltered natural harbor in northern Sardinia and, for this reason, frequented since ancient times. The Greek place name Olbìa, i.e., the happy one, reflects the wonderful location of the site, endowed with a natural harbor, a perennial water table, shallow water and marshy areas, and a backland plain protected by hills. Therefore, it is not surprising the uninterrupted use of the area.
The economy is continuously expanding due to the development of activities related to beach, cultural and nature tourism, steadily increasing port and airport traffic, trade and services. The port of Olbia is now included in the main international cruise circuits and the Costa Smeralda airport is connected to major Italian and foreign cities. In 2000, the degree program in “Tourism Economics and Business” was activated with the aim of developing entrepreneurial ambitions and skills capable of seizing the opportunities offered by the area.
(Letizia Fraschini – archaeologist)
