Ravenna Italy Travel Guide: Is It Worth Visiting?

Ravenna is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and is a nice place to visit. The city has many draws, including some 6th-century Christian sites and its links to the poet Dante Alighieri. It is also pretty close to the seaside, a short bus ride away.

We visited as part of a train tour of the east coast of Italy; however, many other tourists seemed to be cruise ship passengers, including guests at our hotel. I enjoyed spending three nights in the city and found plenty to keep me engaged. Thankfully, it wasn’t as hectic as other stops on this trip.

Is Ravenna in Italy Worth Visiting

Ravenna is a lovely city with many things to see in its historic centre, many of which piqued my interest before visiting. It is different from other cities we’ve visited in Italy because of its sights and laid-back vibe.

Highlights of my visit were the early Christian churches with their famous mosaics. The Dante sights, including his tomb and museum, were very interesting, especially as my wife had been studying his works at university.

Food and drinks out were also fun, with plenty of options from small, family-run places to larger ones. The covered market was our go-to place for snacks and coffee, as it had a great selection and excellent air conditioning.

Ravenna Travel Guide

Why Visit Ravenna

The two main reasons people visit the city are the early Christian churches and the Dante attractions. Between these, we found many things to do in the city. The churches were visitable with a multi-church ticket and were located at various points in the city. The ones I resonated with most were the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo and the Basilica of San Vitale. I enjoyed a day exploring these, along with the mausoleum, which was also part of the tour.

The Dante attractions were interesting, and we learned about his famous works and his life. There was a museum, a library, and his tomb, with a nice garden attached. The rest of the city has some lovely side streets, pretty buildings, and parks.

Where to Stay

Ravenna has a wide choice of places to stay, including hotels and apartments on Booking.com. We found plenty of dog-friendly places and plumped for the NH hotel, a chain we have used before. The NH Hotel was in a very good location between the railway station and the main sights of the city centre.

The hotel wasn’t the best NH we stayed in and was a bit dated. It was suitable for our three-night stay; however, if I returned, I’d get an apartment so I could try cooking with ingredients from the local indoor market.

Cafes and Restaurants

Throughout the city, there were some great cafes for breaks while exploring. We tried quite a few, including some with views of key sights. For food, we visited some snacky places, the covered market and a local kebab shop. We also used the Deliveroo app to get pizza delivered when we fancied a chilled evening in the hotel.

The covered market was special; it had many stalls selling snack food such as pizza, pastries, piadina romagnola, and crescioni. The concept inside was informal seating, where you could sit wherever you liked after purchasing food from one of the many stalls. Also inside were a few more formal restaurants.

Getting to Ravenna

Ravenna isn’t on a main railway line but is connected to several places, with Bologna as the largest railway hub. We arrived from Rimini on local trains and left via Ferrara. You can find other options for getting to the city on the Omio website.

Day Trips

Ravenna is well connected to a few places we’ve enjoyed in the region, all accessible by train; Rimini, the seaside city, is just over an hour on local trains and ideal for those who like seaside resorts with a bit of history. The region’s capital, Bologna, is under an hour away by rail and is well worth visiting. A city that impressed me lots, Ferrara also has direct trains from Ravenna.

Ravenna also has a marina, a port, and beaches that are accessible by bus from the city centre. These are ideal for exploring the coast or enjoying time on the beach. There are also boat trips from the marina that let you enjoy a ride exploring the Romagna Riviera.

Travel Tips

Ravenna is a medium-sized city with everything you’d need, including places to buy supplies and clothes. We found a good selection of supermarkets for purchasing drinks during our visit, mostly water and smoothies for breakfast. There were some other specialist shops too, as you usually get in Italian cities. The covered market also had some stalls selling fresh produce, including butchers and a good fish stall.

Cash is needed in some places, and there are a few ATMs that offer free withdrawals. I spotted a few laundrettes on my walks through, but had no need to use them.