If you like Italian cuisine and the concept of “eating your way through” a place, then here is your next road trip or train journey abroad: Emilia-Romagna. This region begins just southeast of Milan and the Lombardy region and runs across the northern edge of Tuscany all the way to the Adriatic Sea. Along that east-west axis ran the ancient Roman-built Via Emilia, which today connects several destinations that many of us associate with a particular food or dish. And each city has a perfectly walkable historic center for burning off some calories.
Italy contains more protected food products (designated by the protected geographical indication—known as PGI in English and IGP in Italian—or the protected designation of origin, known as PDO in English and DOP in Italian) than any other EU nation, surpassing 300 and growing—and Emilia-Romagna has the largest share of any region with 47. Parma ham? Modena’s balsamic vinegar? Bolognese sauce? We followed our stomachs and spent nearly two weeks riding the rails from city to city.
Parma
Our first stop was a three-night Airbnb rental a short walk from the train station at the edge of the historic center. Both city and province are named Parma, known for Parma ham and Parmesan cheese. UNESCO lists it as a Creative City of Gastronomy.
But the center itself offers some glorious Romanesque buildings, including the fresco-filled, 12th-century cathedral and the pink-marble baptistery. Attend a classical concert at the 19th-century opera house, Teatro Regio. Inside the redoubtable brick Palazzo della Pilotta is the impressive National Gallery and an archaeology museum.
What to eat? Try tortelli d'erbetta, pasta filled with herbs and ricotta, or cappelletti, little stuffed pasta hats in broth. For a snack or an in-room DIY charcuterie board, visit Salumeria Garibaldi to buy prosciutto di Parma (aged 18 months? 40 months? Both?) and culatello di Zibello, an even rarer cured ham made only with the rear muscle of the haunch.
Modena
The home of the protected balsamic vinegar has a historic center with a UNESCO-honored, 12th-century, Romanesque cathedral and its 200-step bell tower with a great view. A block away, the early 20th-century Mercato Albinelli, a historic covered market, is a must, not just to see the wide variety of fresh produce, cheese, wines, and meats the locals enjoy, but also to get an easy lunch with several vendors serving fresh local dishes. Auto fans can’t miss the Enzo Ferrari Museum (or also the factory and F1-focused museum five miles south of the city), and opera fans will enjoy Luciano Pavarotti’s Home Museum.
But also include a side trip into the countryside. Hire a car or guide to drive to where the flatlands suddenly fold up into hills worthy of Tuscany, where the vineyards begin. The area is famous for bubbly Lambrusco. The estate winery Opera 02 maintains a sleek modern boutique hotel and makes an excellent fancy lunch on its outdoor terrace overlooking wine country. It produces fine Lambrusco as well as small-batch traditional balsamic vinegar.
A visit to Spilamberto’s Traditional Balsamic Vinegar Museum, also a short drive outside Modena, is highly recommended. Many locals make it themselves according to tradition. And the museum sells the real deal—not the cheaper “condiment” style (blended with red wine vinegar) that most of us are used to in the United States. A pure 100ml (3.34 oz.) bottle starts at $63.30 and can be carried on a plane.
Bologna
Home of the oldest university in Europe, Bologna is also the UNESCO-honored City of Porticoes. One can traverse most of the historic center sheltered from rain or sun on covered sidewalks, including the entire two-mile walk up to San Luca Basilica with its sweeping view of Bologna on one side and the verdant hills on the other.The largest city on this route, it’s a rich destination for wanderers with its wealth of eateries, wine bars, historic churches, and museums. Climb 498 steps to the top of the 319-foot Asinelli Tower, one of the city’s two leaning towers. The “Heaven and Hell” fresco alone makes a visit to Basilica of San Petronio in Piazza Maggiore worth your while.
The eponymous foods? What we call bologna (baloney) is mortadella, carved in plate-size, paper-thin slices at a deli and often containing pistachios. But tagliatelle alla Bolognese, the meat-based ragu, is the traditional meal. Learn how to make it yourself at Il Salotto di Penelope. Barbara and Pietro taught us how to make Bolognese and fresh pasta and to stuff cappelletti without any fancy machines or devices. At the end of class, you dine on what you’ve created. Highly recommended!
Rimini
Popular with Italian beachgoers, Rimini is also the start of the historical Emilia-Romagna Road. Ponte di Tiberio, a 2,000-year-old Roman bridge, is where the Via Emilia begins. Federico Fellini fans will love the native son’s museum, set in a historic castle/prison and an old cinema where the legendary director saw his first films.Seafood is the center of the menu; consider the renovated, colorfully painted, and often mural-covered homes of Borgo San Giuliano, a former fishing village just across the historic bridge. You’ll find a nice collection of great restaurants. Locals go to the seaside for cocktails, and out on the point there, you can look back over the water to watch the sun set behind the city.
Ravenna
Considering its one-hour journey from either Bologna or Rimini, we felt Ravenna was much more than a day trip. Eight separate sites—two baptistries, two mausoleums, a chapel, and three basilicas—are listed together for their impressively preserved colorful mosaics dating back to the fifth and sixth centuries. The tomb of poet Dante Alighieri, exiled by his home city of Florence, stands there and witnesses a reading from the Divine Comedy each evening. The story of the battle for those bones is worthy of contracting a guide for a walking tour.Consider booking a two-hour mosaic-making workshop at Barbara Liverani Studio. It isn’t just a creative learning experience, but also a load of fun and an opportunity to make your own souvenir. Barbara is a fabulous character, and our time there was a trip highlight for sure.
Ferrara
Honored by UNESCO for its role in the Italian Renaissance, Ferrara can also be a relaxed stay for a night or two. Tour it by bicycle—there are no hills, and no cars are allowed in the old city. While the Ferrara Cathedral is often closed during a current renovation period, the detailed white marble façades alone are worth seeing. Down an alley is the oldest wine bar in the world, Al Brindisi, where Polish astronomer Copernicus once roomed upstairs as a student.
Dine at Michelin-honored Trattoria da Noemi. The late Noemi opened a tavern here in 1958; today, her daughter runs a fantastic restaurant with her own two sons. Try the local specialty salama da sugo, a sauce made with slow-cooked sausage served over potato puree or pasticcio di maccheroni, a baked pasta dish.
If You Go
Fly: Unless you are on a non-stop direct flight to Milan, you are likely connecting in Europe, perhaps Frankfurt or another large hub. As you search for the best flights, consider the smaller airports at your destination. Rather than Milan Malpensa (MXP), which is another 1 1/2 hours northwest of the city by train, choose Milan Linate (LIN), on the city’s east side, less than 30 minutes by shuttle bus to Milan’s Central Station. Bologna (BLQ) also has a small, convenient international airport connected to the city by the electric Marconi Express monorail, a seven-minute ride.Train: All central stations (stazione centrale) are within walking distance of each city’s historic center. Tickets can be bought in advance for the pricier express trains, but regional lines are quite cheap, run frequently, and with short distances, don’t add much time to the ride. We bought everything same-day from ticket vending machines at the station or Trenitalia online, and took the unreserved second-class seats for nearly half the price. Times between each city ranged from 20 minutes to about an hour, and everything was on time or very close.
For more information about the Via Emilia, see EmiliaRomagnaTurismo.it/en/via-emilia
The writer was partially hosted by Emilia-Romagna Turismo.
