Emilia-Romagna is Italy's gastronomic heartland. Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto di Parma, balsamic vinegar from Modena, mortadella and tortellini from Bologna -- the region reads like a menu of Italy's greatest hits. Bologna, nicknamed "la grassa" (the fat one), is the unofficial capital of Italian food, and every city in the region has its own specialties worth seeking out.
But visitors who come only for the coast are seriously shortchanging themselves. The region's historic cities are extraordinary. Bologna has the oldest university in Europe, miles of elegant porticoes, and a cultural life that rivals cities twice its size. Ravenna holds some of the finest Byzantine mosaics in the world -- eight of its monuments are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Ferrara, a perfectly preserved Renaissance city on the banks of the Po, is best explored by bicycle. Parma has a monumental cathedral, a world-class opera house, and food that lives up to its reputation.
The Adriatic coast draws the summer crowds. Rimini is the biggest and most versatile of the beach resorts, with a long stretch of sandy beach, serious nightlife, and a historic centre most visitors never discover. Smaller resorts like Riccione, Cattolica, Bellaria, and Misano Adriatico line the coast to the south and north.
In the south of the region you find the ministate of San Marino, the oldest republic in the world -- or so they say. It is a bit of a tourist trap, and you are better off visiting other Italian towns of the same size which have more to offer. The only extra San Marino has is that it is independent.
Further afield, Comacchio in the Po Delta is a little Venice of canals and bridges, surrounded by marshes and lagoons perfect for cycling and birdwatching. The ancient abbey of Pomposa and the thermal town of Porretta Terme round out a region that rewards exploration well beyond the beach.
