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Emilia Romagna bucket list: Top 40 things to do in Emilia Romagna
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Emilia Romagna bucket list: Top 40 things to do in Emilia Romagna

Jo Mackay
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Emilia Romagna is one of Italy’s 20 regions. It extends from the Apennine Mountain range in the south to the Po River in the north and across to the Adriatic coast in the west. An incredbly fertile region, its reputation as a gastronomic hub precedes it. However, it’s also one of Italy’s most important economic and cultural hubs too. All this means that there truly is a wealth of things to see and do in Emilia Romagna. So here’s our bucket list with the top 30 things that we think you should definitely be trying to tick off on your next visit!

  1. Visit a balsamic vinegar acetaia in the area around Modena.
  2. Visit the oldest university in the world in Bologna (and within it the Teatro Anatomico).
  3. Enjoy a walk around the Porto Canale Leonardesco, a picturesque canal port that was designed by Leonardo da Vinci back in 1502.
  4. Spend the day at one of Emilia Romagna’s unmissable beaches on the Riviera Romagnola.
  5. Sample some delicious Parmigiano Reggiano cheese which is produced in the Parma-Reggio region.
  6. Make a splash at the Aquafan water park in Riccione.
  7. Visit Comacchio, affectionately known as the ‘mini’ Venice of Emilia Romagna since it’s made up of 13 islands, linked by a canal network and bridges.
  8. Get a taste for Pa`rma ham, produced in the hills surrounding the town of Parma.
  9. Enjoy a wine tasting – Emilia Romagna is home to sparkling Lambrusco wines among others.
  10. Watch a performance at one of Emilia Romagna’s 51 theatres such as the Teatro Farnese and Teatro Regio in Parma, the Teatro Municipale in Reggio Emilia or the tiny Teatro Verdi in Busseto.
  11. Discover the Renaissance town of Ferrara.
  12. Visit the 50 castles scattered around Emilia Romagna that were once home to the Farnese, Visconti, Malatesta, Este and Gonzaga families.
  13. Visit the Etruscan salt flats at Cervia.
  14. Go skiing on Monte Cimone, the highest mountain in the northern Apennines.
  15. Take a stroll though the Parco Ducale in Parma.
  16. Climb Bologna’s leaning tower – Torre Asinelli – and marvel at the smaller leaning town that stands adjacent to it – Torre Garisenda.
  17. Go hiking in one of Emilia Romagna’s 5 regional parks.
  18. Try to escape from the Labirinto della Masone, a bamboo maze.
  19. Visit all 15 of Emilia Romagna’s borghi piu belli. In alphabetical order, these are Bagnara di Romagna, Bobbio, Brisighella, Castell’ Arquato, Compiano, Dozza, Fiumalbo, Gualtieri, Montechiarugolo, Montefiore Conca, Montegridolfo, San Giovanni in Marignano, San Leo, Verucchio and Vigoleno.
  20. Enjoy the nightlife in Rimini, Riccione and Cattolica.
  21. Shop until you drop at the Fidenza Outlet Mall.
  22. Spend the day at Oltramare, home to numerous birds and animals as well as the largest dolphin lagoon in Europe.
  23. Discover the thrills of the rides at either the Mirabilandia or Fiabilandia amusement parks.
  24. Discover the Roman remains in Rimini.
  25. Visit the Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna, Ferrara and the Po Delta, one of 58 sites in Italy awarded UNESCO World Heritage status.
  26. Marvel at the the 12th-century cathedral in Modena, along with the Torre Civica and Piazza Grande, another of Italy’s UNESCO World Heritage sites.
  27. Visit the Ancient Beech Forests in the Casentinesi forests in Emilia Romagna, part of a UNESCO multi-region, multi-country site which covers 12 different European countries in total. 
  28. Navigate the 161 km of waterways that make up the Po River within the region.
  29. Visit FICO World Eataly in Bologna.
  30. Tempt your tastebuds at the Carpigiani Gelato Museum, the only museum in the world dedicated to educating visitors about Italy’s best loved treat, gelato!
  31. Learn about the history of some of the world’s most famous car manufacturers – Ferrari, Maserati, Ducati and Lamborghini – at Emilia Romagna’s motor museums. These include the Enzo Ferrari Museum and the Museo Automobili Lamborghini.
  32. Enjoy the 4km walk from the centre of Bologna through the 666 arches of the Portico San Luca to the San Luca monastery.
  33. Witness Italy in Miniature (Italia in Miniatura) in Viserba just north of Rimini.
  34. Visit the 15th century Malatesta Novello Library in Cesena. Its 400,000 books have been included on UNESCO’s ‘Memory of the World’ register.
  35. Marvel at the Cattedrale and Baptistry di Parma.
  36. Pay your respects at Dante’s tomb in Ravenna.
  37. Learn about the history of motorcycle racing at the Ducati Museum in Bologna.
  38. Attend a Formula One race at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari (more often referred to as Imola).
  39. Admire the exhibits at the Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche (MIC) in Faenza.
  40. Discover the hidden canals of Bologna.

We hope that our list of the top things to see and do in Emilia Romagna has inspired you to explore Emilia Romagna for yourselves!

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