Hello fellow travellers,
We are trying to decide whether to spend two nights in Bologna when we arrive there from France or whether we should carry on and spend two nights in Ravenna.
We know Bologna is considered the Food Capital of Italy but wondered if any of you have advice for us!
Thanks very much,
Jaz
Bologna would be preferable. Bologna is famous for their food, but the regions outside Turin are supposed to also be as special.
We came into Ravenna last June, and took a bus through a very commercial port into the center city Didn't care to stay any longer than needed to get on the train.
Hi Jaz, it depends on what you’re wanting to do in the city.
Bologna - for a food tour or cooking class. If you would rather be in a city environment but still have some beautiful historical sites. My husband and I stayed here for two nights.
Ravenna - for a small town feel. Gorgeous, glittery mosaics in seven churches, a nice mosaic museum, etc. The town is flat and easy to walk around. It’s the kind of ambiance in the evening for a relaxing dinner or strolling with a gelato. I stayed two nights there in 2018 in the center of the town; I wasn’t in the area by the port that David mentioned.
Thanks very much David and Jean. We will think about your suggestions!
Jaz
I’ve visited both. Bologna is BIG city, Ravenna small city. Totally different ambiance. Visiting Ravenna to see the mosaics and avoiding a congested city would be my choice. I don’t feel that if you’re visiting Italy, it’s necessary to go to Bologna to get great food. For me the food and visit to Parma were more enjoyable than Bologna.
It sounds like David arrived at Ravenna’s port on a cruise ship and went from the port to the train station, missing the whole purpose of going to Ravenna: the stunning mosaics. Ravenna is an UNESCO world heritage site because of the mosaics, and make a visit to this pleasant little city worthwhile.
https://notaboutthemiles.com/ravenna-mosaics-how-to-see-in-one-day/
We stayed at Palazzo Bezzi, a very nice modern 4* hotel very close to the train station, and also easy walking distance to see the mosaics that are located within the city.
https://palazzobezzi.it/?lang=en
We will be in Bologna for 4 nights later this week, and we will take a full day for a daytrip to Ravenna to see the mosaics again, probably with a guide this time so we can really learn more about them.
This will be a return to Bologna as well; we were there for 5 days last September. Bologna is considered a “foodie heaven” because the area, including Parma and Modena, produces the iconic Italian ingredients such as Parmagiano Reggiano and top quality balsamic vinegar. But we have found restaurants as good or better than Bologna’s in other areas of Italy. On our current trip, we had our nicest dinner at a small wine bar in the town of Barletta, near Bari. All very fresh local ingredients, beautifully presented. We will try to find a place like that when we are in Bologna.
I like both Bologna and Ravenna a lot. The port at Ravenna is northeast of the train station; Google marks the area in between the two as "Area Industriale", which does sound distinctly unenticing. The historic center of town and nearly all the mosaic sites are west of the train station; you wouldn't see the best of Ravenna on the way from the port to the train station.
Edited to add: The area around the train station in Bologna is not the most attractive part of town, which is very typical in Europe; there are cheap stores, fast-food joints and a large bus concentration point. If you choose Bologna, pick a hotel between the train station and the core of the historic center. That will probably put you at least a 10-minute walk from Bologna Centrale.
I have been to both cities and I say stay in Bolonga--and it's not even a difficult decision.
I really liked Bolonga--the food, the history, the people and it was not overly crowded when I was there in 2019.
I was not impressed with Ravenna.
Hi again,
Thanks for the very helpful information. We understand that most of you like both cities for different regions.
We really appreciate you taking the time.
Happy Travels!
Jaz
We spent 3 nights in Ravenna before a trip to Tuscany in July. We loved it for the mosaics, food and history. We stayed in a RS B&B near the Roman gate. It’s more of a small town appeal IMO if you stay in the old section. We did walk along the river to a brewery though which was gorgeous at sunset.
