← Rimini Marathon·2 nights

Ravenna After Rimini: Mosaics by Regional Train

Two nights in a flat city of Byzantine mosaics, with a short train ride up the coast and a spring season that is quiet and mild.

Duration2 nights
TransitRegional train from Rimini to Ravenna, usually about one hour; check the timetable
DepartsRimini

After the Rimini Marathon: Ravenna

The Route: Rimini → Ravenna (2 nights) → home Logistics: A regional line links Rimini and Ravenna along the coast, usually with direct trains. Allow about an hour, and check the Sunday and Monday timetable on the Trenitalia site. Marathon Month: April Duration: 2 nights

Rimini ──(regional train, about 1 hr)──> Ravenna
                                              │
              San Vitale ── Galla Placidia ── baptisteries
                                              │
               Sant'Apollinare Nuovo ── Dante's tomb

Ravenna was the capital of the Western Roman Empire for a period in the fifth century, then the seat of a Gothic king, then a Byzantine outpost. Each ruler left churches, and the churches are lined with mosaics in gold and deep blue. Eight of the monuments are on the UNESCO list. The old centre is flat and compact, which suits the days after a marathon.

Two nights allow a measured pace: an afternoon of arrival, a day of mosaics and a relaxed morning to leave.

April in Ravenna: spring is mild, with bright days and an occasional shower. The tourist season is beginning but crowds are not yet heavy. Some monuments run longer hours in spring than winter, so check.

Getting there

Regional trains run between Rimini and Ravenna, and the journey takes in the order of an hour. Buy a ticket in advance, and check the platform at Rimini. Ravenna's station is a short walk from the centre.

Where to stay

Stay in the historic centre, near San Vitale or Piazza del Popolo, so that every sight is a short, flat walk. Check winter and spring opening, breakfast times and lifts. The coast outside the city has resort hotels, but many are seasonal.

Day one: the monuments

Start with the Basilica di San Vitale and the adjoining Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, and then the Neonian Baptistery and the Archiepiscopal Museum. In San Vitale, the apse carries mosaic panels of the Emperor Justinian and the Empress Theodora. Galla Placidia's small chamber has a vault of gold stars on deep blue. A combined ticket has been offered for several sites. Check the current arrangement and the opening hours.

Day two: Sant'Apollinare, Dante and the MAR

Walk to Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, with its long processions of figures in white, and then to Dante's tomb, which lies near the Basilica of San Francesco. Dante died in Ravenna in exile in 1321. The MAR, the city's art museum, has a mosaic collection. Check days of closure.

For a longer outing, the basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe stands a few kilometres south of the city, and a local bus reaches it. Check the timetable.

What to eat

Piadina and cappelletti in broth are the local staples. Sangiovese di Romagna is the regional red wine. A trattoria in the centre will have a short, seasonal menu. Book on weekends.

Getting back

Take a train back to Rimini, or onward to Bologna with a change. Check the timetable and the connections the evening before.