A Travel Guide to Emilia Romagna, Italy
Emilia Romagna is the most bordered region of Italy. It lies towards the north of Italy with the River Po to its north and the Apennine mountains to its south and is almost completely sandwiched by its surrounding six regions but for the beautiful stretch of the Adriatic Sea that lies to its east. The capital of the region is Bologna.
Bologna is a beautiful city laced with imposing piazzas and porticos including the Fountain of Neptune that stands aloft with cherubs and a sense of indulgence with the column surrounding female statues below. It is rich with Baroque and Renaissance architecture and prehistoric remains of the once fascinating culture of the Etruscans can be found at the Civic Archaelological Museum of Bologna in Piazza Maggiore. There are also medieval towers and the Torre degli Asinelli, whose 500 steps to the top will lead you to a fascinating overview of the region’s capital. Bologna is famous for being the first university to house a museum - eighty years before that of Oxford’s. It hosts the museum - the Museo di Palazzo Poggio which displays many interesting exhibitions. Bologna is also famous for its cuisine and notably its global dish of Bolognese meat dish where you can sample it in its authentic style at many of the dining establishments as well as other gastronomical delights.
Emilia Romagna possesses a hundred miles of the Adriatic Coast that contains nearly a hundred beaches that have been awarded the Blue Flag which is the award for the most eco-friendly beaches with high levels of cleanliness and appropriate facilities. The three prominent shoreline beach towns with this award are Ferrara, Forli-Cesena and the very popular resort of Rimini. The temperatures start becoming very pleasant as early as April but it is the end of May through to August that brings the heat into the mid-twenties to the sizzling thirties (°C). Ideal for the most ardent of sun bathers and for those who like warm waters the Adriatic Sea boasts a summer time temperature of mid-twenties. This also attracts many aqua-related activities such as surfing and water skiing but most of all sailing and there are opportunities to charter boats too.
Ferrara is not the home of the Ferrari motorcar. It is built in Emilia Romagna in Maranello located almost centre of the region near Modena. Also near Modena are the other car factories of Lamborghini and Maserati. They also all host their own museums. Modena has its own attractions too and besides the shore there are also two national parks, 14 regional parks and 11 regional reserves – ideal for hiking, biking, and even caving. There are also hot springs located in the region, canoeing on the River Po and its Po Delta Wetlands which are also ideal for the bird lover with over 400 species discovered.
There is a wide variety of self catering holiday accommodation in Emilia Romagna ranging from apartments located in the urban areas to typical quaint Italian style homes in the country or within view of the Adriatic shoreline.
