Why go?

From its 14th-century beginnings to the extravagant splendour of the Renaissance, each stage of this picturesque city’s growth has been recorded in stone. Exploring the city on foot, you’ll find yourself emerging from the cool, cobbled alleyways of the older, medieval side into the wide, sun-soaked streets of the Renaissance quarter and its elaborately embellished buildings. It survived with only sporadic ornamental damage following the area’s earthquakes a few years ago – the fusion of architectural, gastronomic and historical flavours remain as impressive as ever.

What to do

Dominating the skyline is the red-brick medieval fortress of Este Castle. Delve into the depths of the castle, where the dungeons recount the story of Parisina and Ugo d’Este, young lovers whose affair led to their imprisonment and execution here in 1425. Making your way north, it’s worth slowing down to run your hand along the walls of the intricately carved Palazzo dei Diamanti. The 8,500 diamond-shaped stones look like cut glass in the sunlight. Head to the Palazzo Schifanoia and view the paintings housed in the Hall of Months, which conserves one of the most important 15th-century cycles of Renaissance frescoes in Italy. Explore the atmospheric streets (the oldest of which is Via delle Volte) and their gothic archways – in a place with so much history, legends are rife. With Emilia-Romagna being home to some of Italy’s most famous food exports (think Parma ham, Parmigiano-Reggiano and balsamic vinegar), good local produce is not hard to come by. After some hearty Ferrarese fare, a walk though the pretty Parco Massari, gelato in hand, is a delightfully greedy way to round things off.

Where to stay

With many of its rooms overlooking the castle, Hotel Ferrara (00 39 532 205048, hotelferrara.com) is an excellent base for exploring the city. Renowned for its fish dishes, it boasts an extensive wine collection of over 500 different labels. Set in a renovated palace, Hotel Corte Estense (00 39 532 242168, corteestense.it) is located in the heart of Ferrara’s historic centre, and conceals a pretty courtyard for guests to unwind. Recently reopened after a head-to-toe refurbishment, Hotel Annunziata in the centre of town has bright, generously proportioned rooms with modern high-spec fittings (00 39 532 201111, annunziata.it). For those on a tighter budget, the hotel Antica Corte is a little less central, but boasts a garden and self-catering suites and is perfect for families (00 39 532 247785, anticacorte.fe.it).

Where to eat and drink

Every Italian city has at least one foodstuff that is as fiercely protected as it is exulted; here it’s salama da sugo, a spicy sausage cured for a year. But there’s also coppia Ferrarese, an X-shaped sourdough loaf with 12th-century origins. You can watch them make it at Panificio & Pasticceria Perdonati (panificiopasticceriaperdonati.it). Head to Ristorantino Quel Fantastico Giovedì (00 39 532 760570, quelfantasticogiovedi.com) to feast on a menu full of freshly caught fish. Tucked away down Via della Volte, Trattoria il Mandolino is an eccentric, cosy bolthole serving up simple Ferrarese classics like the aforementioned salama da sugo, and pumpkin-stuffed tortellini with a sage butter sauce (00 39 532 760080, ristoranteilmandolino.it). Ca’d’Frara (00 39 532 205057, ristorantecadfrara.it) puts a modern and playful twist on some regional favourites, while La Borsa bistro and wine bar has a daily changing menu and a well-stocked wine cellar (00 39 532 243 363, ildongiovanni.com). For the grab-and-go option, don’t be put off by Pizzeria Slurp’s name; they forge the freshest, crispiest pizzas in their ovens (00 39 532 1825 365).

Time running out?

Rent a bike for one last tour of the town. Bicideltapo has a number of pick-up and drop-off points in the area, so you don’t necessarily have to end up back where you started (http://bicideltapo.it).

Travel Information

Travel Information

Currency is the euro. Ferrara is one hour ahead of GMT and is a two and a half hour journey from London.

Getting There

British Airways (ba.com) flies direct to Bologna from London Gatwick and Heathrow, a two hour flight. A train from Bologna to Ferrara takes 30 minutes.

Alitalia (alitalia.com) flies from London City to Bologna, via Rome.

Resources

Ferrara Tourist Office (ferrarainfo.com) has a wealth of information on hotels and city attractions while Italian Tourism (italia.it) is a good place to plan itineraries.