Art and history are in abundance in Ravenna in Italy, an impressive city best known for its exquisite mosaics, foodie culture and Byzantine architecture.

Ravenna, positioned in-between San Marino and Bologna in the northern Italian province of Emilia Romagna is a various area of seaside cities and historic cities near the Adriatic Riviera.

Base your self in this suave metropolis and spend a while exploring the historic squares, extremely embellished church buildings and complex mosaics. There are additionally loads of day journey choices, do you have to want to enterprise out of town.

Here’s my information to find out how to spend 48 hours in Ravenna in Italy:

Visit Dante’s Tomb

Literature lovers merely should go to the burial place of an icon of the writing world. Author of The Divine Comedy has his last resting place in Ravenna after being the stays have been moved, hidden and fought over.

These bones have a relatively off-beat historical past that features a battle with Florence for the stays and a Pope intervention in 1519.

These days the understated mausoleum could be a tad tough to search out. It’s positioned down a small and unceremonious aspect avenue close to the Basilica di San Francesco.

Explore the Basilica and Mosaics

Mosaics in Ravenna
Mosaics in Ravenna

There is a large variety of historic websites and fantastically preserved in Ravenna. Many delicate early Christian mosaics have additionally survived the ruins of historical past and will be discovered in buildings throughout the city.

Whilst overtly spiritual structure maybe isn’t the wildest vacation outing, magnificent websites corresponding to Baptistery of Neon and the Basilica of San Vitale ought to assist persuade you in any other case.

This extraordinary Basilica is a marvellous instance of early Christian Byzantine artwork and structure in Europe. Whilst the surface could seem just a little drab, the inside is bursting with dazzling mosaics.

Ravenna can also be laden with fifth and Sixth-century mosaics, in addition to new choices by native artists. Several of the road indicators are created by native artists utilizing mosaics. It’s a stunning nod to the City’s heritage.

Three of the important mosaic stops on a Ravenna journey are the Basilica di San Vitale, Galla Placidia Mausoleum and Basilica di Sant’Apollinare Nuovo. These are dwelling to among the greatest mosaics in Ravenna.

UNESCO has even weighed in and slapped on an official seal of approval for Ravenna’s mosaic artwork that’s contained in early Christian buildings.

Visit a conventional seaside resort

Beach in Ravenna
Ravenna seashore with strains of sunbeds

You’re by no means too removed from a glowing shoreline in Ravenna with 9 seaside resorts on the coast to discover. A standard Italian seaside resort is really one thing to behold. Across the seashore, you’ll discover rows and rows of uniformly lined sunbeds and parasols. They stretch out for miles throughout the sandy shores.

If you took a refreshing dip in the ocean how on earth would you ever relocate your sunbed? I severely don’t know?

The seashores additionally come to life at night time with many resorts having seashore golf equipment and eating places immediately on the sand. You can have dinner on the seashore on the seaside resort of Saretina on the Saretina 152 Restaurant.

There’s nothing fairly like feasting upon recent fish dishes along with your toes in the sand and the soothing sounds of the ocean.

Other close by seaside resorts embody Marina di Ravenna, Lido di Dante and Lido di Classe.

Unwind with an Italian Aperitif

The Italian equal to ‘happy hour’ is an Aperitif. It’s a pre-dinner drink has developed right into a culinary spotlight with native cocktails and a number of scrumptious finger meals. With every bar attempting to up the Aperitif stakes.

As aperitifs have grow to be ever extra elaborate, costs have risen to match. Whilst you may baulk on the value of a late afternoon Aperol

Spritz, at the least it comes with a plate of snacks, or entry to a buffet.

Piazza del Popolo in Ravenna is a stunning little sq. to indulge in an Aperitif and a spot of individuals watching. Who doesn’t love a languid late afternoon drink while casting one’s eye over a well-dressed Italian crowd?

Other advisable Aperitif joints embody Casa Spadoni in Ravenna and any of the waterside bars on the canal port at Catalina in Cervia.

Spot wild flamingos on the Comacchio lagoons

Ravenna Flamingos
Ravenna flamingos

At the Comacchio lagoons, you’ll discover a vary of motorcycle paths, boat journeys and footpaths the place you possibly can discover a very distinctive eco-system that’s dwelling to a big inhabitants of untamed Flamingos

Pink Flamingos migrate to the wetland reserve salt flats to nest and might usually be noticed in Spring and late summer time right here.

You can take a ship journey across the Comacchio lagoon to catch a glimpse of those lovely birds or try to spot them while biking round on bumpy trails. Whilst biking and chicken recognizing sound like a pleasant hipster exercise, it’s not with out its difficulties.

The temperatures in summer time are sweltering across the lagoon. Cycling in this type of warmth shouldn’t be for the faint-hearted and definitely not for the simply sunburnt.

The trails even have uneven terrain which opens up the opportunity of you biking straight into the lagoon. Make certain to maintain your eyes on the path and never in your cellphone, attempting to take a flamingo selfie.

Discover the canals of Comacchio

Ravenna Canal
Ravenna canal

Visit the floating city of Comacchio and discover the intensive maze of canals related by a collection of bridges. You could be forgiven if you happen to thought you had wandered right into a small-scale Venice, there are putting similarities.

The city is discovered on the jap coast of Emilia Romagna area and is simply north of Ravenna.

Inside the historic centre, there’s a variety of museums that doc the historical past of the realm and the various human settlements all through the ages. The Ancient Delta Museum is especially spectacular because it homes your complete cargo of a Roman ship found close to Comacchio.

Make certain to additionally wander alongside the Canale Maggiore and swing by the numerous vital architectural monuments. Some of those embody Cathedral of San Cassiano, the Loggia del Grano and the Ponte dei Trepponti.

The Ponte dei Trepponti, in explicit, is a good spot for pictures, or to easily bask in the spectacular structure round you.

Where to remain

The Residence La Reunion is a 4-star boutique resort providing spacious suites with fashionable furnishings, air-con and Wi-Fi. Other helpful resort facilities embody laundry services, free newspapers and excursions and ticket help.

It’s ideally positioned for exploring the historic centre as The UNESCO websites of San Vitale and Galla Placidia are simply 350 yards away.

Getting to Bologna

Bologna is the closest airport for Ravenna and has daily flights from the UK and most main European airports. There’s quite a lot of airport transfers from Bologna airport to Ravenna together with low-cost shuttle, taxi and prepare.

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