A Wellness Weekend in Emilia Romagna's Art Cities

When it’s time to choose a destination for a weekend away from home, the problem is that you always have to bring everyone’s needs into line. Those who love cities of art wish to visit a new destination, perhaps off the beaten track, while travellers seeking a relaxing break prefer places such as spas, where they can spend some time soaking in the thermal waters.

If you thought it was impossible to reconcile these two needs – culture and relax – we’ll change your mind: in Emilia Romagna, there are three cities that meet both requirements, and we’re here to tell you all about them!

Bologna

Located in the centre of Italy’s most famous artistic triangle, Florence-Venice-Rome, Bologna is easily accessible by train from all over Italy.

All you need to do is put on your most comfortable pair of shoes and you’ll be able to explore the city far and wide, even on rainy days, thanks to its UNESCO World Heritage-listed porticoes, which stretch for almost 40 kilometres.

A lively city and a hotbed of arts and artists since time immemorial, it hosts many exhibitions throughout the year. Among the many exhibition venues, we recommend MAMbo, Palazzo Albergati, Palazzo Belloni, Palazzo Fava, Palazzo Pallavicini, Palazzo Pepoli and MAST.

The city also has an extensive network of theatres with programmes ranging from prose to symphonic music. Not to mention that Bologna is also a UNESCO Creative City of Music! If that’s your passion, Bologna City of Music is the tour for you, including stops at the Music Museum and the Tagliavini Collection.

Before or after your cultural tour, you can enjoy the benefits of Bologna’s thermal waters. The city is home to two spas.

The Terme Felsinee, located in the northern part of Bologna under the city’s most famous hill, Madonna di San Luca. The centre offers many opportunities for pure relaxation thanks to its sauna, hammam, vascular circuit and crenotherapy in 37°C water, as well as specific packages.

The Terme San Luca spa is also located in the northern part of Bologna, near the airport.
There are many wellness treatments dedicated to him, her or couples, including thermal beer facials, total body thermal scrubs and acupressure massages.

Ravenna

A city of art since time immemorial, it has been capital three times and boasts no fewer than eight UNESCO monuments. But that’s not all: Ravenna boasts a pine forest praised by Dante Alighieri, who died here in exile.

Many Italian students visited it during their school days, but it is always worth returning. You can follow the UNESCO route, take a tour of Dante’s places and even participate in a mosaic course. A visit is also recommended during cultural events such as the Ravenna Festival and Settembre Dantesco, as well as to the Classis Museum, dedicated to the history of the city.

Our advice is to discover it on two wheels, the preferred means of transport for the people of Ravenna! And at the end of the day, don’t miss the opportunity to relax at the Terme di Punta Marina, a seaside resort a few kilometres from Ravenna. The unique feature of these thermal baths is that they are located directly on the beach, between the Adriatic Sea and Dante’s pine forest.

The spa offers a wide range of facial and body treatments, as well as various types of massage, and it is open seasonally.

Rimini

The capital of seaside tourism, Rimini is not just about the sea. The historic centre and surrounding area conceal a wealth of historical and artistic heritage of great interest, dating from Roman times to the Renaissance.

The Roman Rimini tour consists mainly of three stops: the Arch of Augustus, the Surgeon’s House and the Tiberius Bridge, while the Renaissance tour includes two stops, both linked to the noble Malatesta family: Castel Sismondo, now home to the Fellini Museum, and the Malatesta Temple.

Rimini is closely linked to the seventh art, having given birth to the great master Federico Fellini. To breathe in the dreamlike magic of his films, simply stroll through the streets of Borgo San Giuliano, which once housed fishermen’s homes, beyond the Tiberius Bridge. Here you will find many murals dedicated to the director and his works. And if you have time, take a couple of hours to go and see a film at the Cinema Fulgor or watch an opera at the Teatro Galli, both of which have recently been restored. But the city is also interested in what is new and contemporary, and promotes it in the spaces of the Palazzo del Podestà and the Arengo – PART| Palazzi dell’Arte di Rimini.

Riminiterme is located directly on the sea and is the only spa in the entire region with a large, well-equipped beach to the south of the city. It is a veritable “spa village by the sea” suitable for all needs (from the youngest to the oldest).

The area dedicated to wellness and relaxation offers numerous thalassotherapy treatments, combining the benefits of sun, iodine and salt water, including: sauna, Turkish bath, massages and beauty mud treatments based on precious marine trace elements. Not to mention the possibility of walks and refreshing dips in the sea, when the season allows.