I travelled to the European region tipped to be big in 2025 – with great beaches and the world’s most misunderstood food
IF YOU’RE looking for some holiday inspiration for next year, consider spending a week exploring Emilia-Romagna.
Despite being home to cities like Bologna, Rimini, and Ravenna, I am always amazed at how few Brits have visited the northern Italian region.
And it seems I’m not alone because a team of experts at Time Out named the region one of the most underrated places to travel in 2025.
Its ancient sites, world-class food, and miles of sandy beaches were praised by the experts, who wrote: “The region of Emilia-Romagna has all of Italy’s best bits rolled into one: hop around eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the ancient city of Ravenna or explore miles of medieval porticoes in the capital, Bologna”.
My partner and I visited the region on a week-long trip back in 2018, visiting three Italian cities and one landlocked country in just seven days.
Holidaymakers who like relaxing at the beach will want to head to Rimini.
Skyscanner picked the coastal city as a trending destination last year, with online searches increasing by over 300 per cent.
Its main draw is its nine-mile stretch of shoreline, which is said to be the country’s biggest beach resort on the Adriatic Sea.
TripAdvisor described the city as “a favoured Italian seaside holiday destination for Italians due to its impressive nine miles of beaches”.
Large parts of the beach are private, with hotels and restaurants charging holidaymakers to rent sun loungers and parasols.
Holidaymakers who don’t want to pay to visit a private beach can make use of the free beaches.
Just like other Italian cities, Rimini is packed with historical attractions and places of interest.
One of those is Borgo San Giuliano, a trendy neighbourhood that’s home to colourful houses and murals.
There’s also the Ponte di Tiberio, an ancient bridge, dating back 2,000 years, which is reminiscent of Florence’s Ponte Vecchio, except it’s a lot quieter.
Head to Piazza Tre Martiri to admire important monuments such as a statue of Julius Caesar, which has been placed where the Roman general delivered a famous speech.
Other ancient sites include the Arch of Augustus, which was built in 27BC and the Tempio Malatestiano.
For something a bit more modern, there’s also the Fellini Museum, which celebrates filmmaker Federico Fellini, director of La Dolce Vita.
Be sure to sample some of the local seafood while in Rimini and make the most of the cheap booze – a bottle of wine costs around £10 in a sit-down restaurant.
Staying in the city isn’t too expensive either, with hotels like the Royal Plaza available from £23 per night, for two people.
We used Rimini as a base to explore other parts of the region because of these cheap hotels.
For example, from Rimini, it’s an easy train ride to Ravenna – the former capital of the Western Roman Empire.
Ravenna is my favourite place to visit in Italy thanks to its winding cobbled streets and its unique mosaics.
The early Christian mosaics are hidden inside unassuming churches and baptisteries in the city, all of which were given UNESCO World Heritage status in 1996.
Basilica di San Vitale houses possibly the largest mosaic, with tiny tiles of green, gold and blue depicting scenes from the bible.
My favourite has to be Mausoleo di Galla Placidia thanks to its deep blue tiles.
It’s located in the same place as the larger basilica, but it’s much smaller.
Other spots where visitors will be able to gaze at the famous mosaics include Basilica di Sant’Apollinare Nuovo and St.Andrew Chapel.
There are several other UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ravenna including the Neonian Baptistery, the Arian Baptistery, the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, the Mausoleum of Theodoric and the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe.
An hour away from Ravenna lies Bologna – Italy‘s self-proclaimed food capital and the region’s capital.
Some of the city’s specialties include tagliatelle al ragù – arguably one of the world’s most misunderstood dishes.
Brits typically refer to the Ragu sauce as Bolognese sauce, serving the dish with spaghetti instead of tagliatelle.
We ordered the dish as the Italians intended – with a slow-cooked sauce and tagliatelle.
The fresh pasta was heavenly and the sauce ruined our weeknight spag bol recipe.
One of the city’s most famous attractions is the Due Torri – a set of two medieval towers that were built in the 12th century by wealthy families.
Standing at 97m, visitors can climb the Asinelli Tower.
It’s a dizzying climb up—and even worse coming down—but it’s totally worth it for the views overlooking the city.
Bologna’s buildings, and its porticoes, are a tourist attraction in their own right thanks to their mismatched hues of red, orange and yellow.
Other attractions in Bologna include Piazza Maggiore, one of the city’s main squares, and Neptune’s Fountain in Piazza del Nettuno.
And an added bonus of visiting Emilia-Romagna is being able to explore San Marino – a small micro-state that lies around one hour away from Rimini.
Founded in 301AD, San Marino is celebrated as the world’s oldest surviving republic.
Visit the three fortresses along the ridge of Mount Titano for the best panoramic views in the region.
The easiest way to reach the region is by flying to Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport.
Direct flights operate from London and Manchester, with one-way fares starting from £33 in January.
Everything you need to know about visiting Italy
- Brits must have at least three months left on their passport from the day they plan to leave the country.
- Tourists do not need a visa if visiting for up to 90 days in 180 days.
- Make sure your passport is stamped on entry and exit.
- Travellers may be asked to show hotel booking confirmations and that they have enough money for their stay at the border.
- Holidaymakers may also need to show proof of insurance.
- Italy is one hour ahead of the UK.
- The country uses the euro with around €10 working out to £8.55.
- Flights to Italy from the UK take between 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours depending on the destination.
I also travelled to another underrated city that’s set to be big in 2025 – and it’s said to be the happiest in the world.
An often-ridiculed city was named one of the best places to visit in 2024 by Time Out.