Are you searching for a enjoyable, reasonably priced seaside vacation vacation spot in Italy? What about heading to the Romagna coast – listed below are 8 explanation why it’s a good suggestion to go to Cervia, Italy! Spoiler alert – there’s extra than simply seashores!
Should you’re Italian, or if Italy nicely, the phrases ‘Riviera Romagnola’ will convey photographs of limitless sandy seashores with vibrant deckchairs and umbrellas, glorious hospitality in family-run inns, and full of life nightlife as quickly because the solar goes down. We are sometimes used to contemplating the stretch of coast working from Ravenna to Cattolica as one single vacation spot, the best place for reasonably priced, family-friendly (and younger people-friendly) holidays.
Nonetheless, the Romagna coast is made up of a number of totally different cities and villages – certainly, the tradition is shared to a sure diploma, however every of them has a distinct character, and affords distinctive issues to see and do. Take Cesenatico, for instance, with its elegant canal port designed by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1502, and Rimini, a city with a centuries-old historical past and priceless artwork simply steps away from the seashores.
There’s one other vacation spot on the Romagna coast we predict is basically value visiting. A city with the identical huge seashores, tasty delicacies, and heat hospitality that draws vacationers 12 months after 12 months, but additionally with a very attention-grabbing historic heritage and two distinctive issues to see – the northernmost salt pans in Italy, and a twin ‘backyard metropolis’.
Let’s uncover 8 causes to go to Cervia, Italy, whether or not or not you’re a seaside lover!
Causes to Go to Cervia, Italy
1) Study Cervia Nuova
Cervia is commonly often called ‘la città del sale’ (the town of salt) – the extraction and commerce in sea salt have been its main supply of earnings ever since Etruscan instances, regardless that the first data of the Cervia salt pans date again to the ninth/tenth century.
On the time, salt was extraordinarily treasured, used to protect meals and for medicinal functions. In Roman instances, some staff have been paid in salt – that is the place the phrase ‘wage’ comes from.
The primary settlement, often called Ficocle, was situated about 2 km from the coast, near the marshy space that included the salt pans. Within the seventeenth century, insalubrious situations and rampant malaria led the Papal State – to which Cervia belonged to on the time – to transfer the city nearer to the Adriatic coast.
The development of Cervia Nuova started in 1698, utilizing the identical brick and stones because the outdated city, of which nothing is unfortunately left. Cervia Nuova was deliberate with the salt pans in thoughts, permitting area for the homes of salt staff and warehouses to retailer the salt bricks.
You may nonetheless see the outdated nucleus of Cervia Nuova – a fortress-like rectangle enclosing the employees’ homes and warehouses, with no doorways going through outdoors, however simply barred home windows to guard the dear ‘white gold’ from assaults.
2) Go to the Saline di Cervia
No go to to Cervia is full and not using a tour of the saline, proper on the sting of the city. Cervia is thought for its sale dolce (candy salt), taking its title from the actual fact it accommodates pure sodium chloride, with a decrease content material of different minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium, which can lend a bitter aftertaste to the sale crystals.
That is as a result of decrease salt content material on this stretch of the Adriatic Sea, and to a selected, labour-intensive extraction approach. The salt doesn’t endure chemical or industrial refining processes – in consequence, it’s a extremely sought-after product, for its delicate style and well being advantages.
The salt works in Cervia are a fraction of what they was once – out of 144 salt pans, just one is presently energetic. It’s doable to go to it each Thursday and Sunday at 5 pm on a guided tour, the place you may see the salt staff in motion.
The Saline di Cervia additionally supply a number of different actions – like salinaro per un giorno, the chance to change into a salt employee for sooner or later, in addition to bike excursions, boat excursions and sundown live shows within the salt pans. Try the Saline di Cervia website for information and bookings.
3) Tour MUSA – Museo del Sale
Can’t make all of it the best way to the salt pans? There’s one other strategy to find out about Cervia’s salt – go to MUSA Museo del Sale, a museum devoted to the historical past of salt extraction within the area.
The museum is situated in a former salt warehouse, within the historic centre of Cervia. The show consists of the picket instruments utilized by salt staff, interval pictures of the salt staff in motion, and an intact burchiella, a flat-bottomed boat in use till the Nineteen Sixties to move salt to and from the pans.
There are additionally a number of objects made out of salt, together with an intricate sailboat, and an outline of how salt extraction modified all through the centuries – from the Papal State to the time when salt was a state monopoly, earlier than it was abolished in 1975.
Should you occur to be in Cervia in late August/early September, don’t miss Sapore di Sale – it’s primarily a meals competition, with the presentation of recipes and merchandise that comprise the ‘candy salt’, however there are additionally historic reenactments, and the burchiella housed within the museum normally units sail as soon as once more.
4) Climb Torre San Michele
Earlier we talked about there’s nothing left of ‘Outdated Cervia’, for the reason that new city was constructed utilizing the identical bricks and stones. This isn’t 100% correct although – there’s one constructing that predates Cervia Nuova.
I’m speaking about Torre San Michele, constructed between 1689 and 1691 with the purpose of defending the city and the salt pans from the assaults of pirates and looters. The tower is 22 meters excessive, massive sufficient to accommodate resident guards and permit them to withstand to a siege – there have been chimneys, water reservoirs, showers, and methods to discharge waste.
These days, the Torre homes the tourism data centre. Each Thursday afternoon the highest ground is opened, and guests are allowed to climb to the highest and luxuriate in nice sundown views over the Porto Canale and the historic centre of Cervia. Don’t miss it if you happen to’re on the town!
5) Stroll round Milano Marittima
Do you know there was additionally a ‘Milan-by-the-sea’? As a Milan native, I’m ashamed to confess it took me virtually 40 years to pay my first go to to Milano Marittima, a deliberate ‘backyard city’ courting again to the start of the twentieth century.
In 1884, the railway from Ravenna reached Cervia, and it was determined to begin creating the town as a vacationer vacation spot. On the time, solely the wealthy and well-known might afford happening vacation, so the town administration struck a take care of the Maffei, a household of commercial entrepreneurs from Milano. The Maffei household was granted use of an enormous, empty space alongside the coast, simply north of Cervia – it was named ‘Milano Marittima’, to strengthen the bond with Milan.
Over the course of three many years, the realm was developed with villas, parks, and gardens primarily aimed on the rich Milanese elite. Milano Marittima was constructed with Ebenezer Howard’s theory of the ‘Garden City’ in mind, which included the presence of ‘inexperienced belts’ round locations the place folks reside – because of this, Milano Marittima was constructed with huge tree-lined avenues, gardens shaded by maritime pines, and plenty of nature throughout.
You may nonetheless see a few of Milano Marittima’s unique villas – some are privately owned and others have been became inns.
6) Help turtle rescue tasks
Cervia and Milano Marittima’s busy seashores, it appears unimaginable to suppose that they’re additionally marine turtle nesting websites. Volunteers continually patrol the seashores, figuring out nesting websites and roping them off till the eggs hatch and the turtles swim into the waves of the Adriatic.
However this isn’t all. Turtles face a variety of challenges, from being killed or injured by boats and fishing nets, to suffocating on plastic, and extra. TAO – Turtles of the Adriatic is a nonprofit affiliation that operates within the Cervia/Milano Marittima space, organizing enjoyable actions to lift consciousness on the challenges that turtles, dolphins and different marine inhabitants face.
As an example, you may be part of boat excursions to identify turtles and dolphins, and help their resident marine biologists in monitoring actions. You probably have extra time in your palms, TAO additionally organizes week-long eco camps, the place individuals are concerned in seaside clean-ups, boat outings to observe turtles and dolphins, and different actions to help their rescue tasks. Yow will discover extra data on their website.
7) Develop into an Ironman
Have you ever ever thought-about becoming a member of a triathlon race? Cervia is one among Italy’s triathlon hotspots, internet hosting not one however two weekends of triathlon competitions every year.
In September, it’s time for Ironman Emilia-Romagna, the place three races are on supply – 5150/Olympic distance (1500 m swim, 40 km bike, 10 km run), 70.3/half Ironman (1900 m swim, 90 km bike, 21 km run), and full Ironman (3800 m swim, 180 km bike, 42 km run).
A few weeks later, Cervia hosts the Italian Dash Triathlon championships, with the shortest triathlon distance – 750 meters swim, 20 km bike, 5 km run. Should you’re round on both of those two weekends, we actually advocate coming to see the race – it’s a enjoyable occasion with a number of individuals from everywhere in the world.
Should you’re a triathlete, we advocate making time in your calendar for a race in Cervia – and if you happen to’re all for triathlon however have by no means educated, why not use this as an excuse to begin? The dash race is basically enjoyable and an amazing first expertise!
8) Go to Comacchio or Ravenna
Are you spending your seaside vacation in Cervia, Italy, however need a break from the seashores? Cervia is completely situated for a day journey to 2 actually cool locations – Ravenna and Comacchio.
Ravenna is simply half an hour’s drive away and fewer than 20 minutes by practice, and it’s recognized for its mosaic custom. You’ll discover a wealth of Byzantine mosaics in its church buildings and baptisteries, eight of which are UNESCO-listed.
The mosaic-making tradition in Ravenna continues as much as the current day – there are alternatives to see trendy mosaics at MAR – Museo d’Arte, the town’s principal artwork museum. It’s also possible to study to make mosaics at Koko Mosaico, providing workshops as quick as simply 2 hours, the place you get to make a 4×4 mosaic. What a beautiful memento!
Comacchio is one other day journey concept from Cervia. It’s a bit additional, about an hour by automobile every means, but it surely’s a pleasant little city to go to for these all for historical past and tradition. The historic centre of Comacchio is named ‘Little Venice’ for its canal-lined streets, and there’s a really attention-grabbing archaeology museum to go to with a sunken Roman ship and ruins of an Etruscan city.
Comacchio can also be the best start line for boat or land-based excursions to the Po Delta, a really attention-grabbing vacation spot for birdwatchers and nature lovers. Try our visit Comacchio in 1 day article for more information!
Attending to Cervia, Italy
The Cervia-Milano Marittima station is roughly midway between Cervia and Milano Marittima, and it’s well-placed alongside the Ravenna-Rimini line. Trains from Ravenna take lower than 20 minutes, whereas trains from Rimini take half an hour.
To succeed in Cervia-Milano Marittima station from Milan, Rome and different principal cities, make your strategy to Bologna with high-speed trains, after which change to an area practice sure for Rimini through Ravenna – Cervia-Milano Marittima is without doubt one of the stops, about 1 hour and a half from Bologna.
Attending to Cervia by automobile will enable you larger flexibility, particularly if you happen to’re planning to go to Comacchio or other small towns in Emilia-Romagna on a day journey. The closest exit is Cesena Nord on the A14 motorway. Nonetheless, if you happen to’re visiting Cervia in high-season parking could be scarce, so we advocate reserving a parking spot whenever you guide your lodge.
Finest Time to Go to Cervia
We normally advocate visiting Italian locations in spring and autumn, avoiding summer time in any respect prices to flee the vacationer crowds. On this case, the state of affairs is a bit totally different – Cervia and Milano Marittima are very a lot seasonal locations, with many inns, eating places and sights opening their doorways solely between Could and mid-October. Go to outdoors this time interval, and the ‘low season’ vibe will probably be very a lot palpable.
To offer you an instance, TAO solely runs actions between Could and October, the Torre San Michele is open on Thursdays solely between late June and mid-September, and a lot of the actions on the salt pans additionally happen throughout these months.
To keep away from the crowds, the greatest instances to go to Cervia are Could/early June, the second half of September and early October. Alternatively, go to throughout July and August – it is going to be busy, however you’ll get to expertise an Italian summer time at a seaside resort!
Our journey was sponsored by the tourism boards of Emilia-Romagna, Ravenna, Comacchio and Cervia. Thanks for the fantastic expertise!
