Use Bologna as your base and reach Modena, Parma, Ferrara and Ravenna by train, all in under ninety minutes.
Emilia-Romagna is the home of Parmigiano Reggiano, prosciutto, balsamic vinegar, fresh pasta and Ferrari. Bologna sits in the middle of the region, on the main rail line between Florence and Milan, which makes it an ideal base. Stay three to five nights and go out each day by regional train.
Bologna has a famous nickname: the fat, the learned and the red, for its food, its university and its terracotta rooftops. Walk under the 40 kilometres of porticoes, climb the Asinelli Tower for the view and eat tagliatelle al ragù and tortellini in broth in a trattoria. Piazza Maggiore is the place to start and end the day.
About 30 minutes
A small city known for traditional balsamic vinegar, produced by the same families for generations. Visit the UNESCO-listed Romanesque cathedral and the covered food market, Mercato Albinelli. Car fans can visit the Ferrari museums in Modena and nearby Maranello.
About 1 hour
The home of Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma. Tour a cheese dairy or ham producer, then see the pink-and-white Baptistery and the cathedral. Parma is elegant and easy to walk, and its food is among the best in Italy.
About 30 minutes
A walled Renaissance city that is easy to see by bicycle. Ride or walk on top of the city walls, which are several kilometres long, and visit the moated Castello Estense. Try cappellacci di zucca, pasta filled with pumpkin.
About 1 hour 15 minutes
Ravenna has eight UNESCO-listed early Christian and Byzantine monuments covered in gold-and-blue mosaics, including the Basilica of San Vitale. It is also the place where the poet Dante is buried. It is the most rewarding of the four trips for art and history.
Tip: many shops and restaurants close on Sunday evening or Monday, and museums vary, so check opening times before you go.