After the Ferrara Marathon: Ravenna

The Route: Ferrara → Ravenna Logistics: Regional train from Ferrara to Ravenna, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, with a change at a junction on some services. Check trenitalia.com for the direct and connecting options. Marathon Month: February Duration: 2 nights

Ferrara ──(1 hr to 1 hr 15 train)──> Ravenna station ──(walk 10 mins)──> Old town

Ravenna was the capital of the Western Roman Empire for a short time in the fifth century and later of the Byzantine holdings in Italy, and it kept the mosaics. It is a small, flat, walkable city, with eight monuments on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The mosaics are indoors, so the weather in February matters less than it does elsewhere.

February in Ravenna: cold and damp, with daytime temperatures of about 4 to 10 °C and sea fog. The city is quiet in winter, and queues at the monuments are short.

Night one: The mosaics

From the station, the old town is about 10 minutes' walk along level streets. The main monuments are within 15 minutes of each other. The Basilica di San Vitale is the most famous, with its Byzantine mosaics of the Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora. The small Mausoleum of Galla Placidia next to it has a deep blue vault. The Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo has a long procession of saints in mosaic along its nave. The Neonian Baptistery and the Arian Baptistery have domes covered in tiles.

A combined ticket covers several of the monuments. Check the current ticket options, prices and opening hours, since some monuments close for part of the day or on certain days. The interiors are dim and the floors are level, so it is easy on tired legs.

For dinner, Romagna's cooking centres on fresh pasta, piadina, a thin flatbread, and seafood from the Adriatic coast. Book ahead for a Monday night.

Look for a hotel in the old town, and confirm it is open in February.

Night two: Classe and the pines

On the second day, the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe stands in the countryside a few kilometres from the town, and its apse mosaic shows a green hillside with sheep. It is reached by a local bus or a taxi, and check the current timetable. The pine forest of Classe nearby has flat paths.

Return to the town for the evening. A slow walk around the centre is enough. The tomb of Dante Alighieri, who died in Ravenna in 1321, is in a small neoclassical building near the centre. Check its hours.

Getting home

Take the train back to Ferrara or to Bologna. Ravenna has no major airport, so plan a flight from Bologna or Rimini, and check the transfer times.