Customer Reviews

Bologna & Emilia-Romagna, 4th (Country & Regional Guides - Cadogan)

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I purchased this book prior to studying abroad in Bologna, and it has been an essential part of traveling in the region. If you plan on taking day trips throughout Emilia-Romagna this book will lead you to all the important things, especially where to eat! The histories and descriptions are witty and informative and seem to explain the sites better than most other guides I have encountered. My only complaint is that only the bigger cities (Bologna, Parma, Ravenna, etc) have maps, so you might find yourself a little lost if you don't find the tourist office or someone to point you in the right direction. It is really a great purchase that I would recommend for anyone who plans to travel or live in the region.

I got this book as a planning guide for a trip to the Emilia romagna region in the next year or so. Most guidebooks ignore this region because it is a mainly agrarian part of the country. It seems to be well organized and easily makes a case for spending a week to ten days in the region. I think for folks who want to explore the heartland of italian cooking this is probably the right book. I think one of the nice touches is they identify several country Inns that seem to be nice alternatives to city hotels

We traveled to Bologna and Emilia cities and Appenines in September 2008. We loved every minute of it- great food, nice people, and beautiful scenery. This book gave us the best recommendations for restaurants and hotels, with interesting historical background. Well written and fluent.

I know Bologna and Emilia Romagna very very well and I can tell you that this is a very good and useful guide for someone who does not and who has some time to spend in this wonderful region. Like all the excellent Cadogan guides I have seen, there is a lot of room devoted to history/culture and not too much devoted to hotels/restaurants. Indeed it is remarkable how much information you will find in this book, despite its unremarkable size. Several excellent maps, for both cities and broader areas, will be very useful to move around. Many relatively small but wonderful less central spots are duly signaled.

Some pieces of advice for the traveler to this region:
- the best period to go is May-June. July/August are usually very hot and humid and Italy is still not very A/C-ed.
- if you happen to visit Bologna, make sure you see Piazza S Stefano, possibly at night. It's wonderful! And also make sure you climb all those steps to see Bologna from above from the Asinelli tower (but don't even try if you fear heights or have trouble with slopes!).
- The hills in Romagna (the Eastern side) are absolutely wonderful in late spring, when hundred of thousands of peaches and other fruit trees are in flower. If you are in the area, make sure to visit Brisighella (wonderful small medieval city) and Faenza (famous for its ceramics).
- In the hills and the countryside around Bologna and Modena, you can easily find places where they make "crescentine". These are marvelous, soft pieces of fried dough, usually served with prosciutto, salame and such. Make sure you try them!

Anyway, do visit the area, bring this guide with you and enjoy (and Buon Appetito!)

PS if you happen to spend time in Italy and you want to eat wonderful local cuisine spending not too much in nice places do check out the "Guide to the Osterie & Locande D'Italia: A Guide to Traditional Places to Eat and Stay in Italy". There are plenty of locations everywhere in Italy, including many in Emilia Romagna.

PPS Remember to check your cholesterol level!!!

Ah Emilia Romagna!
The recognized capital of Italian Cuisine. The richest area perhaps in all of Europe and the acknowledged most desirable place to live in Europe.
So why is Emilia Romagna given 10 pages in Italy Travel Guides?
Fear not! Cadogan recognizes the riches of the region and provides detail about the wonders to be found there.
Start with Bologna home of one of Europe's oldest universities, with miles of porticoes, great tratorias and osterias. Continue with Parma, home of Prosciutto de Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano
cheese. Explore Ferrara and Modena home of Ferrari. All this is captured in this unique guide.
Andiate e vederate!

There aren't many books that cover Emilia-Romagna so I was glad that is book does a good job. We spent two weeks in Emilia-Romagna and this book was extremely useful in helping us find wonderful lodging, great food (the main reason to visit the region), the best castles and other historic sites.