You haven’t tasted the best Italian gastronomy until you’ve visited Emilia-Romagna. Bordering Tuscany to the south and clutching at the Adriatic Sea in the east, Emilia-Romagna is a captivating pastiche of medieval towns, gorgeous countryside and lip-smacking home-grown dishes. The best part? This quiet pocket of northern Italy is surprisingly under the radar compared to its famous neighbours Tuscany and the Veneto, making it – we believe – the country’s best kept secret.
A luxury holiday in Emilia-Romagna will have you tasting your way across this verdant region: from Parma’s eponymous ham and parmesan, to the tortellini of Bologna and Modena’s prestigious balsamic vinegar, foodies will relish each and every corner of Emilia-Romagna. And, on top of its gastronomic delights, Emilia-Romagna is the birthplace of supercar giants Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani and Maserati, so motor-heads will be reeling from all the factories, museums and showrooms punctuating this ‘Motor Valley’.
An exhilarating self-drive trip will have you bombing down the Via Emilia – the ancient Roman A-road that carves up the province in a dead-straight line – and marvelling at the dramatic Apennine Mountains in the south and the rolling plains of Pianura Padana to the north, stopping off at medieval towns and checking in to Renaissance palazzos on the way. Ponder bygone eras in picturesque Mantua; admire glittering mosaics in the Byzantine churches of Ravenna; and navigate the backstreets of Pavarotti’s birthplace Modena for hidden gastronomic gems. Don’t put it off any longer: Emilia-Romagna won’t be a secret for long!
