Ravenna City Guide

HOW TO REACH THE DISTRICT OF RAVENNA

The district of Ravennna lies in the north east of Italy, some 80 km (50 miles) from Bologna, the regional capital of Emilia Romagna

By plane
The Guglielmo Marconi international airport at Bologna is some 90 km (56 miles) from Ravenna. From the airport you can get to Ravenna by car (all motorway) or by train, a journey which takes between 1 and 2 hours. Other airports, including Forlì, only 30 km (19 miles) from Ravenna and Rimini , 60 km (37 miles) to the south are specialized in low-cost flights(*).
The major airports in Milan (Linate and Malpensa) are about 4 hours down the motorway, while Rome airport (Leonardo da Vinci ) can be reached in 5 hours and Venice (Marco Polo) in about two hours.
(*) from May to September there is a shuttle-bus service between Forli airport and Ravenna.

By car/caoch
The quickest way to get to the district of Ravenna is by car. For those coming down from Venice the quickest route is the "Romea" 309 trunk road linking the two towns, with turn-offs for Padua and Ferrara. Heading south along the Romea road you cross the Po Delta and the Ferrara coastal region, encountering the Romanesque Pomposa Abbey and reach Ravenna . Alternatively you may prefer to travel from Padua to Ferrara - a splendid Renaissance city- and then reach the Via Romea along a modern dual carriage way.
From Ravenna you may travel to Rome in 4 hours' drive, through Umbria, Assisi and Perugia using the E55 dual carriage way that begins at Ravenna and crosses through the Forlì and Cesena Apennines. This dual carriage road also enables you to reach Arezzo , in the west of Tuscany ,in less than 3 hours.
To reach Florence you may follow two different routes. You either take the A14 "Adriatica" motorway that joins the A1"del Sole" motorway near Bologna and then head south for Florence along the same motorway (2 hours' drive), or you may cross the Apenninnes following the ancient/old Faenza-Firenze route, a journey which is wonderfully picturesque and which will take you less than 3 hours.
From the south , following the Adriatic coast along the 16 trunk road, Ravenna is within 1 hour's drive of Rimini and less than 2 hours of the Republic of San Marino.

WHEN BEST TO VISIT RAVENNA

Autumn is surely the best season to come and visit Ravenna: from early September to mid October the climate is still warm and pleasant (20-23 C°), monuments are not crowded and you can enjoy strolling in the streets, drinking and dining outdoors in one of the many cafes' and restaurants of the pedestrian zone.

In Winter the climate is quite rigid (3-4 C°) although it very rarely snows. During this season the fog becomes quite a distinctive feature of the landscape and towns in the Po plain: in the early morning or evening Ravenna' s churches may be shrouded in mist, and this may create a unique atmosfere contrasting sharply with the magic and sparkle of their brilliant golden mosaics.
Spring, in particular the whole month of March, is a very suitable period for your visit to Ravenna, the climate becomes milder (15 C°) and you may fully enjoy the art treasures of Ravenna since very few tourists are around.

From mid April to mid May, the climate is very pleasant, but Ravenna's monuments are often crowded with dozens of Italian school groups every day, queues at most churches' entrances may often occur and the whole town centre is thronged with people. We therefore suggest you avoid this period - which however slightly varies depending on the Easter holidays- and postpone your visit to June, another month when touring in and around Ravenna may be very pleasant and the weather is nice and warm (23 C°) July.

In Summer, particularly in July and August, it may be quite hot and sultry (28-32 C°) during the day but when the sun goes down Ravenna offers a rich programme of cultural events which are not to be missed, like the concerts of the Ravenna Festival. Every Friday night you may also visit the Church of San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia and stroll or shop along the streets of the historic centre till midnight.

WHERE TO EAT AND SLEEP

Not only the mosaics, but also the traditional cuisine belongs to Ravenna’s history and mirrors part of its character. Every place in Italy has its own typical dishes. So does Ravenna: among the most popular specialities are the cappelletti (home-made pasta stuffed with cheese), traditionally served in a meat-broth, followed by boiled or grilled meat and vegetables. The soft fresh “squacquerone” cheese matches perfectly with the “piadina”, a local type of bread. Ravenna belongs to the Romagna region, a land of remarkable wines. The most esteemed wines are the white d.o.c.g. Albana di Romagna and the red d.o.c. Sangiovese di Romagna. All this and much more is on the daily menu in Ravenna’s restaurants. We will be glad to recommend you some places that will make your tour also highly enjoyable. Groups will find a welcoming atmosphere at Ristorante Marchesini (http://ristorantimarchesini.com), in the heart of Ravenna’s historic centre.
You will find excellent accommodation in the centre of Ravenna, from four star hotels to B&B’s. Ravenna is just a few miles away from the sandy beaches of the Adriatic and its many hotels in lively seaside resorts. If you prefer more peaceful surroundings why not choose for farmhouse accommodation in the green hills between Romagna and Tuscany, also an ideal solution to move between Ravenna, Faenza, Bologna and even Florence. We will be glad to supply you with more information.
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