A Taste of Italy - Walking in Emilia Romagna

Our trip begins in the historic city of Bologna. Renowned for its culinary traditions, Bologna is the capital of Emilia Romagna, with a population of just over a million in its greater area. The popular meat based sauce Bolognese comes from here and the production of cured pork meats such as prosciutto, mortadella and salami is an important part of the local food industry. Tortellini (filled pasta) served in broth, and mortadella, the original Bologna sausage, are among other local specialties.

Your Tour Leader plans to meet everyone in the hotel reception at 6pm for the welcome meeting followed by dinner for those that wish. There are no other activities planned today. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up.

Bologna Airport is just a few kilometres from the centre of town so it's easiest to organise your own transfer to the joining hotel; an arrival transfer is not included with this tour. The Marconi Express is an automated shuttle train that departs from the airport to Bologna Central Station approximately every 10 minutes with a journey time of 5 minutes. Tickets cost €11 Euro. It's a direct 15 minute walk from here to our hotel. Allow €20-25 Euro for a taxi from the airport to hotel, there is a taxi rank outside the terminal building.

We have a full day in the atmospheric city of Bologna whose historic centre contains an immense wealth of important medieval, renaissance, and baroque artistic monuments. The city is famous for its arched porticoes which make it possible to walk for long distances sheltered from the elements. There are over 45 kilometres of arcade in the greater city and we start our explorations today with a walk along the famous Portico di San Luca, a winding 666 vault arcade, almost 4 kilometres/2.5 miles long, that links Bologna with the church of San Luca atop a 290 metre/951 feet hill outside the city. The afternoon is left free to explore the city. The 'Due Torri' are two leaning medieval defensive towers, whose distinctive outline provides a popular symbol of Bologna, one of which can be climbed for a bird's eye view of the city's red roofs.

Today's 13 kilometre/8 mile walk along the Portico di San Lucca and back to the city will take around 3 hours.

This morning we drive in the direction of Modena to visit a local producer of balsamic vinegar, Acetaio di Leonardi. Highly valued by modern chefs and gourmet food lovers, traditional balsamic vinegar is made from a reduction of cooked white Trebbiano grape juice, and used as a condiment. We have a tour of the cantina and taste some of the balsamic vinegars before continuing on to see the UNESCO-listed old centre of Modena. After a short orientation with the trip leader you're free to explore sights such as the Cathedral of Modena, the lovely Piazza Grande and the tower of Ghirlandina, one of the Iconic structures of Modena, where there's the option to climb its 500 or so steps to the top of the tower for amazing views over the city and surrounding countryside. It's then around half an hour drive to our destination for the next 3 nights, Reggio Emilia, a small city with an historic centre of attractive squares and grand public buildings. There's time for a wander in the Old Quarter before convening for a pre-dinner aperativo and dinner (not included) at one of the local restaurants.

This morning we drive to the 15th century Torrechiara Castle in the Parma Valley. Its imposing rectangular towers enjoy views of the Apennine Mountains and surrounding foothills. After visiting the castle, our walk takes us through a landscape of vineyards and small hamlets, with views across the Parma Valley, to a country farm estate, Casale del Groppone. During the walk we'll enjoy a picnic lunch of regional meats and cheeses. After lunch our walking route continues on old mule tracks, country trails and some quiet sections of road. Taking in the lovely views all around us, we walk among the vineyards, all the way back to Torrechiara Castle.

We then drive in to the historic centre of Parma where time is left free to explore the Old Town before returning to Reggio Emilia.

Today's 7 kilometre/4.4 mile walk and is expected to take approximately three-and-a-half hours with a total ascent and descent of 350 metres/1,148 feet.

After breakfast, we drive out of the city to visit a caseificio operation (cheese production) where Parmesan cheese is made. True Parmesan cheese, labelled 'Parmigiano-Reggiano', can only be produced within a strict geographical area in Italy according to a defined recipe and process. Formed into large 'wheels', the cheese ages for between 12 to 36 months. Parmigiano-Reggiano is commonly grated over pasta dishes, stirred into soups and risottos, and shaved over other dishes like salads. Taking some of the cheese with us for a packed lunch, we drive to Borzano and set out on a walk passing through farmland and vineyards of the local Lambrusco grapes and the small villages of Bellavista and Biocca. In the afternoon we visit a Lambrusco wine estate, for a wine tasting session. Lambrusco grapes are red and have been grown in the central provinces of Emilia Romagna since Etruscan times. The frothy, frizzante (slightly sparkling) wines are designed to be drunk young. We then return to Reggio Emilia for the night.

Today's 7 kilometre/4.4 mile walk is expected to take around three hours with a total ascent of 270 metres/885 feet.

Leaving Reggio Emilia behind, we drive to the medieval village of Brisighella, very much off the beaten track of tourism but a delight in what it has to offer. Our walk here takes us around the three distinct hills that make up the village, one with a 14th century castle (the origins of the village), another an 18th century church, the Monticino, and a third with a clock tower. We'll also walk along the Via del Borgo, Donkey's Alley,a unique 14th century walkway built above street level. We'll also stop to taste some of the locally produced olive oils before we drive on to our next destination, the city of Ravenna. Although an inland city, Ravenna is connected to the Adriatic Sea by the Candiano Canal and it is the location of eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites of late Roman and Byzantine origin which are home to some spectacular mosaics.

Today's 8 kilometre/5 mile walk will take approximately two-and-a-half hours.

Today we head to the flat wetland landscapes of the Po River Delta, much of which are protected as a regional park. Our walk takes us along quiet roads and walking trails, looking for some of the amazing birdlife in the area. Species to be seen include greater flamingos, little and giant egrets, curlew, marsh harriers, and bee eaters. In the afternoon we visit Comacchio the 'Little Venice' of Emilia Romagna, situated on a lagoon and built on more than thirteen different islets, joined by bridges. After some free time to explore, we travel back to Ravenna for our final night.

Today's 8.5 kilometre/5.3 mile walk will take around two hours

Departing Ravenna this morning we drive to Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ) where we will arrive about at 8.45 am and this is where the holiday ends. The earliest time you should book a flight to depart today is 10.45 am.