Arcevia is located on a hill with the charming name of Monte Cischiano, an extension of the lowlands of the pre-Apennine chain on the Umbria-Marche Region slopes. Its 13th/16th century town walls that still retain a number of towers and four gates are formidable but easily accessible at places.

The most interesting buildings of the old town are: the baroque collegiate church of St. Medardo, which contains masterpieces by Luca Signorelli, works by Della Robbia, Gian Battista Salvi and Claudio Ridolfi; the Misa theatre, an architectural gem built between 1840 and 1845 inside the Palazzo dei Priori and the Church of St. Agatha; the Cultural Centre of San Francesco, housed within the former Franciscan convent where the Renaissance cloister and the magnificent church are located. The State Archaeological Museum of Arcevia has an important collection of archaeological finds from the area surrounding Arcevia. There are splendid funerary remains in the Gallic necropolis of Montefortino (4th / 3rd century BC).

The nine castles of Arcevia (Avacelli, Castiglioni, Caudino, Loretello, Montale, Nidastore, Palazzo, Piticchio and San Pietro) are among the main attractions: these are walled towns based on a fourteenth fifteenth century plan, which have preserved their typical features right up to the present day.