Bologna? Ferrara? Modena? Parma?
 

We're renting a car & driving from Venice to Florence. We'd like to take a few hours to explore a small town on our drive down. We don't want to stray too far from the main highway (max 30 miles).

Any recommendations for any of these towns? good & bad comments welcome!

Thanks!

Ferrara is a very pretty town with an interesting Duomo and a few palazzi with art works, not overly touristed. My favourite restaurant there is La Romantica; traditional food, well prepared and professionally served. There was a largish tour group there once when I was there, but otherwise the clientele seems to be composed of people from the local business community. Try the local specialty, tortellini alla zucca (filled with pumpkin). I think the address is on Via Ripagrande, on the edge of the historical centre.

Modena -- the historical centre -- is also very charming and not at all overrun with tourists. The Romanesque Duomo -- and the tiny attached museum -- is exceptionally interesting. My favourite restaurant there -- a more modest one than La Romantica, but with good local cuisine in a friendly atmosphere is Da Ezio or Da Enzo, on the second floor on the small piazza across the "main drag" from the Duomo.

I'm not fond of Bologna (although I had a very good lunch there) and I quite detest Parma. To each his own...

I would take a slight detour by going down along the coast and visit the mosaics of Ravenna. I was not overwhelmed by Ferrara.

Eloise,
Could you elaborate on why you detest Parma? I've never been there ... am just curious.

I was there on a day trip from Modena, which I liked very much. The people at the tourist office were rude and not at all helpful. I found the cathedral a huge disappointment (but that's a personal matter; I prefer earlier styles). I was angry that I could not visit the museum without visiting some gaudy theatre as well. At two restaurants, I was turned away, although I presented myself at an appropriate hour (1:00 p.m.) and the restaurants were empty.

I hightailed it to the train station and back to Modena, where I arrived at one of the best restaurants at about 2:30, well towards the end of the time they would be serving. I was not only greeted with a smile and served an exceptionally good meal with a smile, but the owner, a charming old gentleman, made dessert for me with his own hands.

Do you see why I'm slightly jaundiced about Parma?

P.S. to Psy_dr: The restaurant in Modena referred to in my second post is not Da Enzo or Da Ezio. It is a much more upscale restaurant where a fair amount of attention is paid to truffles; it may have been called Oreste.

If you are a real foodie, Modena boasts of two places that you might want to investigate: Hosteria Giusti, Vicolo del Squallore, which serves only lunch in a tiny room behind what is in fact a delicatessen, is a great favourite of foodies. The problem is that you have to reserve weeks if not months in advance.

I have heard the other spoken of less freuently recently, but Ristorante Fini was at one time considered one of the leading restaurants in Emilia Romagna.

I'll have to disagree with Eloise about Bologna. It is one of Italy's underrated destinations.....a wonderful place to spend a few hours or a few days! Great for sightseeing and shopping.
She also failed to mention what is perhaps the biggest attraction of Ferrara, namely, its castle surrounded by a moat.

I've been to all of them and found each charming in its own way. We were just driving and stopping for a day or an afternoon. (Bologna is a larger place with all the traffic problems that entails.) Had no trouble finding good food for lunch anyplace. Cremona is also an interesting stop... or if you're a big Verdi fan, Busetto.

Hi Howard, I have the same thoughts as you do. Love Bologna! And the castle in Farrara is so interesting. Enjoyed my visits to both cities so much. I did spend a few nights in Farrara as my friends husband was born and raised there. But only spent a long day in Bologna. I sure hope next trip to spend a couple of nights there.

So I did: I forgot to mention the Castello Estense. Sorry, moats don't interest me a great deal...

Hi Eloise, that's ok. We all like different countries, areas, restaurants etc. Thank goodness we do as if we all loved exactly the same place hardly anyone would be able to go to it.

And I have never been to Modena and Parma, so when I finally do I will be interested in my reaction.

Thanks to all for your replies...my decision is a difficult one...you've all given us alot to consider...i'm sure we'll have a great time thanks to all your recommendations!

Bologna is great, but it's a real city not a small town. Parma and Ferrara are small towns (as is Modena). All these places have very pretty historic centers. Ferrara has the moated castle in the town, Parma has Parmigiano (if you are into art). Bologna has the porticos and some great churches. Modena is pretty and you can visit the balsalmic vinegar producers. So each place basically has it's own cool unique thing about it.

I think my favorite small town in the area is Ferrara though. The castle is pretty neat, the cathedral is quite interesting, and it's got some great little alleyways throughout. It's a good spot for an afternoon and evening.