Ravenna is a city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, also known as the city of mosaics. Ravenna served as capital of the Western Roman Empire so if you’re a history lover, this beautiful place is ideal for you.
During 4 days in Ravenna we explored plenty of history, food, culture and surrounding areas. The location means that Ravenna offers great connections to explore towns such as Cervia, Commaccio and Marina di Ravenna.
WHAT TO DO IN AND AROUND RAVENNA
Ravenna
Mosaic Tour in Ravenna – The city is filled with stunning Christian mosaic artwork, spread across the city in churches (many of which are on Unesco’s World Heritage list), museums and hidden spots around town. Even the street signs are made of mosaics so you can imagine the significance it has on the city. A mosaic tour is a must.
The Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna is one of the most important monuments in Italy and is also filled with mosaics. The church is truly a masterpiece and definitely worth a visit.
Recommended restaurants in Ravenna
Authentic Italian: Ca’ de Ven, via Corrado Ricci 24.
Atmosphere: Pop-Up Darsena, via Luciano Cavalcoli 11.
Visit Comacchio – Comacchio is the little Venice of the Emilia-Romagna region. It’s a peaceful and beautiful old lagoon city with so much history. Take a walk through a maze of canals and explore the range of pastel coloured buildings, cross the little bridges and admire the peaceful reflections. Due to its geographic location Commacio has historically been very popular for eel and has a long standing tradition of marinating their eel. Make sure you try this specialty when visiting Comacchio.
Recommended restaurant in Comacchio for Eel: Locanda del Delta, Via Agatopisto 33, Comacchio.
Visit Cervia – Cervia is a luxury resort town located only 30 minutes by car from Ravenna. The town is very lively, colourful and trendy. A lot of people in Cervia get around by bicycles. Whether you take a tour around the pinewood forest or the seafront, Cervia is a beautiful town worth exploring by bike. Make sure you also have an aperitivo by the canal and dinner on the beach.
Recommended restaurants in Cervia:
Beach views, amazing atmosphere and delicious seafood: Saretina 152, Lungomare Grazia Deledda, 152, 48015 Cervia.
Authentic Italian food: Officine del Sale, Via Evangelisti, 2, Cervia.
Visit Marina Di Ravenna
Marina di Ravenna is the oldest tourist seaside resort on the Ravenna coast. Marina di Ravenna is another place close to Ravenna to visit for some beach time. This place is also known for its mussles, Cotsza Di Marina Di ravenna
Recommended beach club: Singita, Viale delle Nazioni, 242b. Spiaggia 26, Marina di Ravenna
WHAT TO EAT IN ROMAGNA
As with any Italian region, Ravenna and the surrounding cities are filled with delicious food. The most PDO products in Italy comes from Emilia Romagna so that says something about the quality.
Piadina
Piadina is a thin white Italian flatbread. They are filled with various different ingredients of your choice, most popularly Mozzarella and Prosciutto. Piadina is also commonly served on its own with olive oil before or alongside your meal at restaurants. Piadina is a staple in Ravenna.
Cappelletti
In short, Cappelletti are hat shaped pasta dumplings which are similar to Tortelloni. The filling depends on the region in Romagna but they are traditional, delicious and worth a taste.
Pancetta
Pancetta is cured bacon, Italian style. It’s a popular option for aperetivo. The meat is fatty, salty and cut into thin slices, simply mouth watering!
Ragu
Ragu is a famous meat based sauce with tomato, served with pasta. Outside of Italy it’s most commonly known as Bolognese (which Italians say is incorrect!). It originated from Emilia-Romagna, so where else would you go for this traditional Italian dish?
Gelato
You can’t visit Italy without having a proper gelato. The texture of gelato in Italy is silkier and softer than your normal ice cream. Most importantly the flavours are incredible. My favourite combination is pistachio and hazelnut chocolate.
I hope this guide to Ravenna was useful. If you have any questions or comments please let me know. I was invited to explore Ravenna by the Ravenna Tourism Board. As always all opinions remain my own.
