Travel in Emilia Romagna (Bologna)

Type "Bologna" in the search window in the upper right and you'll get lots of information. Since the Emilia Romagna region is not all that well known by that name, you'll do better typing in the names of specific towns or cities, e.g. Ravenna. There aren't any major tourist sights in Bologna, which is one of the reasons RS doesn't include it in his books. That said, Italians generally regard Bologna to be the place with the best food in the country, and that's saying something! Here are some photos of our trip to Bologna in May 2008 in case you're interested. Happy travels.

Thank you so much! Your pictures are beautiful

Ravenna is a beautiful place, definitely worth a couple of days. Plenty of very good hotels, too. I found lots to see in Bologna, but it's a city that doesn't depend on tourism and so you have to look at other sources for guidance (Lonely Planet is a good source). Modena is the home of great balsamic vinegars, and great food as well. Ferrara is a pretty town between Ravenna and Bologna. If you have the time, this would be a great region to take a cooking class or two.

Definitely Ravenna. San Marino is right down the road also. I'm not crazy about bologna but if you're in the area for 10 days then it's worth a look.

Also, forgot to mention, for something definetly off the beaten path you could go to Pomposa Abbey. It's a bit of a drive from Ravenna but worth seeing IMO.

My husband and I spent 2 nights in Bolgna fall 2010. We LOVED the fact that there weren't hoards of tourists (like Florence) and wish we had spent 3 nights just for the food! We took a fantastic 1 day cooking class from a woman Carmelita and I count that as 1 of my favorite travel days of all time. It was nice to wander the streets without running from sight to sight and just be able to sit in a cafe without an agenda.

My husband and I spent 2 nights in Bolgna fall 2010. We LOVED the fact that there weren't hoards of tourists (like Florence) and wish we had spent 3 nights just for the food! We took a fantastic 1 day cooking class from a woman Carmelita and I count that as 1 of my favorite travel days of all time. It was nice to wander the streets without running from sight to sight and just be able to sit in a cafe without an agenda.

Debbie, There is plenty to see and do in the Emilia Romagna area. Parma is a lovely town as well as the others mentioned in previous posts. Piazza Duomo has a beautiful 11th century duomo and 12th century baptistery. There are several other churches and museums worth visiting. In the countryside around Parma, you can tour parmigiano and prosciutto factories. There are several castles including Torrechiara which hosts many music events throughout the summer. Parma's official tourism website is great, including links to information about everything mentioned. Www.turismo.comune.parma.it. If you need the information in English, click the British flag icon. There is a link on the Parma website for the Emilia Romagna website which also has an English option. Clothing shops are plentiful, you can rent bikes from the city, and there are good restaurants from which to choose. Modena is home to balsamic vinegar and several high end car manufacturers and I believe there is a racetrack in Imola if you are interested in fast expensive cars. While the RS guidebooks don't mention ER, other books do and give details of the things I have listed. If you have any other specific questions, feel free to ask! May should be a beautiful time to visit!