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Are you planning your next trip and you can’t choose where to go in Italy? What about Ravenna?
Discover the city of the famous Mosaics.
Ravenna is the meeting point between eastern & western cultures.
Ravenna is in my heart not only because it’s my hometown, but also because it has many historical sites, mosaics and our food is genuine and tasteful.
I will explain you in this travel guide how to visit Ravenna with my hassle-free tips.
How to get to Ravenna…
Bologna Airport is the closest one. It’s about 1-hour drive from Ravenna. Also, it’s very easy to reach the city by train. Bologna is currently implementing a monorail from/to the airport and the main station, Bologna Centrale. Have a look if it’s working. If yes, in 7 minutes you will be at the main train station. If not, jump on the transfer ( €6) from the airport to the train station and from there catch a train. ( Fare starts from €7.35).
Hassle-free tip: Buy your transfer ticket online.
I will help you to visit Ravenna as a local in this travel guide.
PLAN AHEAD how many museums and landmarks YOU WOULD LIKE TO VISIT…
You can visit Ravenna as a day trip from cities nearby. Otherwise, I will suggest you 3 full days. That will be enough to visit the city. However, if you wish to see also the famous “Riviera Romagnola” and enjoy the beach then maybe a week.
History: Discover the extraordinary mosaics of ravenna
Ravenna is a meeting point between eastern & western cultures. Known worldwide for the mosaics. Ravenna, also, has been Capital for three times:
1’ Western Roman Empire, 2’ Ostrogothic Kingdom, 3’ Byzantine Empire.
In Ravenna, you can find many monuments and churches, which 8 of them, since 1996 are UNESCO’s sites. You can buy a combo ticket for just € 10.50 per adults.
Hassle-free tip: Plan ahead, check which tickets office is the closest to you (there are 3 of them), the opening hours & useful advice.
Visit Ravenna with me…
MY FAVORITE MONUMENTS:
- Mausoleum of Galla Placidia: from outside looks like a very simple and poor chapel, but inside you find one of the most beautiful Mosaics, Garden of Even.
- Dante’s Tomb: Dante originally from Florence, being forced to exile, is the father of the Italian language.
Museums:
As you can imagine, Ravenna has several museums. I will tell you more about the most unusual ones…
- The house of marionettes: Owned by Monticelli Family for five generations. Here you can also attend a traditional Emilia Romagna’s puppet shows.
- Little Museum of dolls and other toys: Originally was a private collection of Graziella Gardini Pasini. Some of her dolls and toys are dated back to 1860.
Festivals & exhibitions:
Ravenna has many different Festivals and exhibitions. The most famous are:
- Ravenna Festival: Founded in 1990 by Riccardo Muti’s wife (He’s one of the most successful Orchestra directors of the world.) It mainly takes place in June & July with an outstanding programme of music, theatre and dance performances. However, there are many events all year round.
- “Mosaico di Notte”: Mosaics by night, during summertime some of the monuments will have an additional evening opening, twice a week.
- Ravenna Nightmare Film Festival: International festival of horror movies.
VISIT RAVENNA AS A LOCAL & discover My favourite places…
Old Town:
Ravenna has a very elegant city centre.
The pedestrian path is made of Cobblestone. Most of the recent buildings have pastel (peachy and sand beach hue) facades. If not, you can still admire the old reddish bricks.
The old town is tiny and you can easily walk or rent a bike.
I love to start visiting the old town, always, from, Porta Adriana, down to Corso Cavour (one of the main street), Piazza del Popolo and from here, I really follow the flow. There are couple of streets that I particularly like:
- Via della Tesoriera Vecchia, there is a beautiful mural dedicated to Italy.
- In Via Giuseppe Pasolini you cand admire Dante’s mural and drink the best chocolate(see below),
- Via Mentana, decorated with hanging umbrellas;
Last but not least, you will find a lot of Space Invaders in Ravenna.
Markets & shops:
There is a mosaics shop that caught my attention, Barbara Liverani Studio because there is a massive duck shape cover by yellow mosaics in the window. The artist creates also jewellery. I found, an amazing pair of earrings made of baroque pearls and old Corals (as Coral is protected, she assured me that the Corals was from an old necklace of her mum that she decided to break it and create something else from it).
Founded in 1888 “La Butega ad Giorgioni”, in Romagnolo dialect means the shop of Giorgioni, is probably the oldest shop in Ravenna. Here you can find spice and herbs and many other natural remedies.
If you visit Ravenna on Wednesday or Saturday, you can visit in the morning the pedlars’ markets, in Piazza Zaccagnini (close by the Stadium). Also, every third weekend of the month there is an Antiques and craft market.
Food:
This is going to be my personal selections of places as local. I do not get any fee if you go there or not. Most of the places listed below are open from breakfast to dinner. Therefore keep it in mind.
Breakfast:
I will say, every “BAR”, coffee shops have great coffee and good selections of pastries. If it’s my turn to decide where to go, my choices will be:
- Fricandò (Just outside of Porta Adriana). Freshly made pastries and excellent coffee served in an old-style coffee shop. They also serve lunch and dinner.
- Pasticceria Ferrari, food is great, the service and the room bring you back to decades ago. Via Mario Gordini, 11
Lunch/Dinner:
Whenever I plan to go back to visit my family, I make sure to book asap my favourite place.
La Rustica is a small family-run restaurant in the middle of the city centre. The owners are very friendly, the ambient is cosy and very welcoming.
Here, you will find a great selection of typical dishes from Romagna. Fresh, tasteful and authentic.
We never been disappointed.
If you are planning to go, please, do not wait, book it asap. They have a very limited seats, I don’t want you to miss the best meal in Ravenna.
Hot Chocolate:
I’m a big fan of Italian hot chocolate, which is almost impossible to find it in London. If you fancy one, all you have to do is going back where Dante’s mural is and look for Caffetteria Guidarello.
Ice cream:
If it’s ice cream time… Definitely go to Papilla. You will find flavors never seen before.
Aperitif:
- Cabiria: is one of the most crowded bar, full of locals. Good cocktails and a nice selection of wine.
- I Fanti: I love the location and the exposed bricks. A bit quieter even if in the city centre with good drinks. Via Manfredo Fanti, 9A
- Cà de ven, which means wine’s house in dialect. Very popular and well known by locals and tourists.
Nightlife:
Lively vibes embrace all the wine and cocktails bars in the city centre especially during the weekend.
There is a new location for the nightlife in Ravenna, La Darsena pop up, which is the district behind the train station, close by Theodoric’s Mausoleum. You can find several cocktails bar here and not only.
What to eat?
La Rustica has a very satisfying menu, there you can find everything.
Do not forget to try our amazing Piadina.
Hassle-free tip: if you are Vegetarian, be aware our regular Piadina is made with lard. In your case, they will use olive oil instead. If you are gluten intolerant ask if they have any Piadina made with other types of flour.
Where to stay:
As you probably know, Ravenna is my hometown. Anyhow, I will definitely suggest you to stay the closest as possible to the old town.
Day trips from Ravenna:
From Ravenna, you can easily reach different locations. It depends on what you are looking for. If you would like to go to the beach, go to Marina di Ravenna or Milano Marittima. Mirabilandia is one of the most famous theme parks in Italy. Many Medieval towns are nearby like Brisighella or San Leo. If you would like to discover a little Venice then go to Comacchio… To be honest, there is so much to see in Emilia Romagna, I suggest you to drive and follow the flow. If you don’t have a car, there are nice places to visit by train too. Just to name a few… Cesenatico, Ferrara or Rimini…
I hope you will find this guide helpful and don’t forget to write me if you have any questions :)
Well written article and beautiful pictures posted along with the blog. I am sure this will help people travel Italy in a better way. Thank you for sharing!❤
Thank you Akshay, for leaving this kind comment. If you will be travelling to Ravenna, do not hesitate to contact me. I will give you some other tips 🙂
Italy is definitely on my bucket list for travel, such a chic city. Love it
Please, if you will travel to Ravenna or nearby feel free to contact me. 🙂
Ahhh! Italy is one of my dream destinations! My husband and I took off a year to travel. We ended up coming home at 4 months, we were so burnt out. So we didn’t make it to Italy! Hopefully in the near future!
Oh, how come did you go home at the 4th Month? I hope nothing major.
I’m sure you will have other occasions to visit Italy
It looks like a beautiful destination! I’d love to visit Italy again and see more areas
I hope one day you will be able to visit Italy again. The World has so many beautiful destinations.
Wow! I could go here just for a hot chocolate! Haha.
Looks like a beautiful place to visit! Great tips!
Thank you very much :D.
Looks like such a beautiful place to visit. I hope I get to visit italy again one day!
Looks wonderful!
Ravena is so beautiful. I love it even though I have not been there.
I hope we will soon resume travelling. If you will plan to go to Italy, think about Ravenna 🙂
I visited Italy 3 years ago with my mom, and absolutely loved it! The food, the culture and all the beautiful cobblestone streets. Reading your post took me down memory lane and reminded my tummy of all the delicious gelato I consumed :). I wasn’t able to visit Ravenna, but I wish I did! I definitely want to visit the Pedlar’s Market, the Shop of Giorgioni, and all the yummy food places you listed. (P.S. The hot chocolate looked amazing!)
I’m glad you had great time and my post took your memory back.
I miss too eating an artisan ice-cream!
I hope you will have the opportunity to go back to Italy and visit Ravenna.
(P.S. That hot chocolate is just perfect and the whipped cream is homemade by the owner) Yummy
I’m BLOWN away by how informative and insightful this post is 🙏🏽🙌🏽. I adore Italy! My husband and I ventured there for a month last year and we miss it so much! You have SO many amazing recommendations & tips, here! Definitely can tell how much time went into this article. I haven’t been to Ravenna yet — but definitely want to do when we return to Italy!
✨Morgs*
Hi Morgs, thank you for your kind words.
Ravenna is my hometown and I always speak about it with love.
I think I didn’t appreciate the city as much as I do since I expat to London.
If you will go to Ravenna or nearby, please contact me and I will definitely give you more tips 🙂
This was a really in-depth and well written post! I’ve never been to Italy before, but it is definitely on my bucket list. Your post made me wish I could there even more!
Thank you, it took me couple of days to write this post. I wanted to be helpful and describe it as much as I could.
Local guides are always the best. 🙂
If you will be travelling to Italy or Ravenna contact me, I can advise you 🙂
Looks beautiful! I would love to visit Ravenna and it sounds like there is so much to do there! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Ashley for finding the time to read it.
It means a lot to me.
Wow, it seems like a city filled with culture!! I especially like that it’s close to Mirabilandia! I’ve always wanted to go there!
Well, then sounds the perfect trip for you! Mirabilandia is funny. I used to work there for 3 years!
And during my childhood, I did the membership so several years! I have a lot of memories there.
You have me very intrigued about Ravenna. I hope I get to visit Italy again, and include Ravenna in the trip. I’d love to see a photo of the inside of Mausoleum of Galla Placidia – you’ve piqued my interest!
Thank you for your mindful comment! Gala Placidia will definitely blow your mind!
All the time I visit buildings that stand since centuries I feel so amazed!
This post is amazing! I’d never heard of Ravenna before and you’ve made me want to go! I love the photos too!
Thank you Jasmine! This is exactly what I was trying to do!
Ravenna isn’t one of the main touristic city yet, I hope it will become!
Ciao Sara, non conoscevo il tuo blog e mi è piaciuto tantissimo sia per i contenuti che per il layout, complimenti! Molto utile questa guida su Ravenna. La terrò in considerazione quando potremo tornare a muoverci per l’Italia :D, grazie!
Ciao cara,
Che bello quando qualcuno scopre il tuo blog! Fa sentire bene… Immagino anche a te!
Grazie, mi hai fatto partire la giornata con più positività 🙂
Molto gentile, faccio del mio meglio, da non esperta a “coltivarlo”!
Un abbraccio! Xx
Ravenna looks amazing! I love your photos of the city centre, Old Town. The museums that you mentioned sound very interesting and unique! The hot chocolate at Caffetteria Guidarello looks amazing, one of my favorite beverages.
Hey, thank you for stopping by and read my post about Ravenna!
Definitely, the hot chocolate is worth it!
Ravenna has an interesting history and beautiful monuments!
I often travel in Italy and when I lived in Sweden we mostly drove down so I’ve passed Ravenna many times but never visited. I think it’ss mostly been because it seemed like such a big city and I preferred smaller towns or villages. But larger cities have their advantages of course. It looks beautiful! I probably should try to visit when it’s possible.
Hey Susanne,
I hope you will visit Ravenna one day.
I totally understand you, I love smaller villages too… Like Borghi.
Ravenna’s Old town is tiny. Worth the stop!
By the way, drove down from Sweden! WOW! That is impressive!
Hahaha, the drive down was awful! I still can’t stand Germany because of the bad memories of having to drive through and be in horrible queues on the autobahn. As soon as we entered Switzerland or Austria it was fine though.
Incredible comprehensive post about Italy, I’ve always wanted to go to Italy and I’m sure we will eventually. I’ll have to bookmark for later!
Thank you for saving this post in your bookmarks.
It means a lot to me!
Hey Sarah,
You are very kind!
I can’t wait to collaborate with you.
Xx
I love Ravenna, city of art, good cuisine and beautiful places. Thanks for sharing pictures of unusual city Places.
Very interesting article 😊
Thank you, Laura. I still have the feeling that Ravenna is unknown even with all the history that we have.
I hope this post will be helpful.
Ravenna is one of the most underrated cities in Italy. I do agree with you in recommending this tour, actually I always bring my foreigners friends to this beautiful city! Good job
Thank you Vicky, your comment means a lot to me.
Ravenna is unique and should have much more visitors.
(Italy in general, deserves to be visited more)
Even if I live in Italy I don’t know Ravenna well. Your travel guide is also perfect for us Italians, I save it!
Thank you Daniela, your comment made my day.
I hope my travel guide will be helpful to you.
Ravenna is known for its mosaics, and for sure it’s many years that I wish to go visit them. But reading this post makes clear that there are so many details that makes this town even more wonderful.
Thank you Martina!
I really appreciate your comment!
Ravenna has beautiful Mosaics, true, but much more than just that! 😉
I hope you will visit Ravenna sooner than later.
È da una vita che dico che voglio andare a Ravenna… Quest’anno magari riesco a farci un salto! ☺
Ciao Mery, spero per te che questo periodo si sblocchi presto e che tu possa tornare a viaggiare 🙂