Emilia Romagna

Emilia Romagna is considered one of the most important regions, not just in Italy, for its gastronomy and wine making traditions, but it is much more than that. Emilia Romagna is also history with the oldest university in Europe, Bologna, or Ferrara, awarded World Heritage Site by Unesco for its beauty and cultural importance, and Modena for its cathedral, the Torre della Ghirlandina and Piazza Grande.

The name Emilia Romagna comes from the Via Emilia road, which the Romans used for the transportation of wine between its cities and this is a region that is bursting with tourist attractions with, perhaps, the most famous of these the Ferrari museum (Museo Ferrari) in Modena. The Museum was opened in 1990 and is a must visit for any car enthusiast and, as well as cars, it also displays trophies and photographs of Ferrari’ s cars and drivers.

But Emilia Romagna is also the Italia in miniature (Italy in miniature) a must see if visiting with children, an amusement park with over 200 small scale reproductions of Italy’s most significant monuments, from Pisa’s leaning tower to the Coliseum and San Marino, officially an independent state, located inside the region, only 10 km away from Rimini. Emilia Romagna is also the river Po and its lagoons and the coast, known as the “La Riviera Romagnola”, and relaxing Spas and for “la Dolce Vita” , named after Fellini’s movie, a good life.

Emilia Romagna is also known for its rich culinary tradition and delicious wine. The region is home to some of Italy's most famous products and dishes from the egg filled tortellini pasta to the tagliatelle, from the celebrated Balsamic Vinegar only made in the cities of Modena and Reggio Emilia to the Parmigiano Reggiano or Prosciutto di Parma or Culatello, everyone has tasted at least one of the many regional delicacies.

One of the most popular dishes from Emilia-Romagna is the worldwide famous pasta alla Bolognese. Another famous dish from the region is tortellini, hand made stuffed pasta parcels usually filled with a mixture of meat and cheese and served in a light broth. Emilia-Romagna is also home to some of Italy's most famous cheese, including Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano and cured meats, including Prosciutto di Parma and Mortadella.

As per the wines, Emilia Romagna is a rich, fertile region of northern Italy, and one of the country's most prolific wine regions. The region's geographical diversity is significant, and plays an important part in creating the various terroirs found here dividing the region in 3, with the Sangiovese being widely planted in the east, Lambrusco in the centre, and Barbera and Bonarda in the west. Lambrusco, the wine, is a sparkling red wine typically served chilled.

The region's capital city, Bologna, is known for its lively food scene and its abundance of traditional restaurants and trattorias. If visiting Rimini, we would like to recommend “da Lele”, a trattoria style restaurant, very relaxing, friendly, family run, where the food is very good, whether pizza or fish, offering outstanding value for money and if you like ice cream like we do, worth visiting Gelateria Pellicano in the historic centre of Rimini or Gelateria Amareina on the Riviera.