The cool, delicious and amazing region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy

By Nancy Dorrans

Long known to Italians as the culinary heart of the country, Emilia-Romagna is now being discovered by international travelers. CNN recently posted National Geographic’s ”Cool (travel destination) List” 2024 and Emilia-Romagna ranked 3rd out of 30:

1. Albanian Alps, Albania
2. Belfast, Northern Ireland
3. Emilia-Romagna, Italy

For the full list https://www.cnn.com/travel/national-geographic-travel-cool-list-2024/index.html.

Emilia-Romagna Adventures

This was what my colleagues at Bikes Plus/Cycle Europe, an Italian tour operator based in Bologna, already knew. This region – along with the persimmons – was ripe! 

I was there when this list came out, escorting two different small Adventure Marketplace back-to-back groups in this region of Italy. The region is situated southeast of Tuscany, running east to the Adriatic sea, south of Venice and north of Florence. 

Group 1 was more cultural and leisurely pace. The walks led by Betta, our expert tour leader, were designed to be gentle. We usually went no more than three miles per day with light hikes up hills. 

Group 2 was a Women, Walking, and Wine group (plus two husbands) and was a bit more active with walks between eight and twelve miles each day. 

Both group adventures started in Bologna, “a gastronomic powerhouse with an incredibly rich history.” We continued on to the lovely towns, hills, and fertile land of Emilia in the west and then east to Romagna and the coast of the Adriatic Sea.

Here we discovered the secrets behind the fabled food and the increasingly popular wines of the region. We visited and enjoyed local wines in cellars and vineyards, tasting among other varieties Lambrusco, sparkling Pignoletto, Sangiovese (the same grape used in Chianti), and my favorite, Trebbiano, made from “Italy’s hard working grape.”

We visited local food establishments throughout the region and savored an amazing variety of local delicacies: cold cuts, cheeses, olive oils, balsamic vinegar, pastas, truffles, chocolates, and so much more.

DAY ONE

On our first day, a morning hike landed us at Cantina Terre Rosse Vallania – Colli Bolognesi. Here we were treated to a delicious lunch and our first of many servings of local salami, prosciutto, and Mortadella, the famous Bologna coldcut. Then a variety of breads and cheeses were followed by a second course of pasta, rosette shaped lasagna. Followed lastly with a tour and lesson on how they make and bottle their delicious sparkling Pignoletto!

DAY TWO

The next day we walked from our hotel through the porticoes of Bologna to find chef Davide at his Bologna Cucina, the Cultura Italiana Cooking School.

Here the patient chef Davide helped our groups prepare and enjoy amazing lunches of fresh Tagliatelle with Ragu and spinach, ricotta Tortaloni (a larger version of Tortellini) with butter/sage sauce, and Tiramisu. All enjoyed with local wines of course! Buon Appetito!

In the afternoon we boarded the little express trolley up to Madonna di San Luca, The Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca basilica. A few walked back to town and stopped for an Aperol Spritz. We enjoyed sunset happy hour on the terrace of our hotel, then pizza followed by limoncello, live music, and shadows… All in a day.

NEXT UP

On to Modena for a morning stroll and tour of this ancient and historically weird city. A visit to Casa Museo Luciano Pavarotti gave me a greater appreciation of Pavarotti, the tenor legend who along with his pop musician friends brought opera to a much wider audience.

Next up, an afternoon balsamic vinegar lesson and tasting with Frederico and his family at Acetaia Sereni. There is so much to learn about the DOP and the IGP of Balsamic. And I have so much more to share about my experiences on this Italian adventure!

Stay tuned for Part II of our “Out of the Ordinary” adventures in the cool and delicious Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.

And please visit my newly renovated website at www.adventure-marketplace.com for upcoming adventures and highlights. Adventure Marketplace is working to offer new adventures that are more sustainable and offer community building partnerships.

Through hundreds of world-wide contacts made as a member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, Adventure Marketplace is developing and organizing small active group adventures to “out of the ordinary” (non-touristy) areas. This will help you and our planet (and the effects of over-tourism). Experience new trails, immerse in new cultures, meet local specialists, and enjoy some insider hospitality.

Happy Holidays! Give experiences this season. Contact me for inspiration…