Visit Ravenna's eight UNESCO World Heritage Byzantine mosaic monuments, including the magnificent Basilica di San Vitale and the extraordinary Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. Also explore Dante's tomb and the beautiful historic center.
Ravenna sits 74km east of Bologna in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, reached in about 1 hour 15 minutes on a direct regional train from Bologna Centrale (€8-12 one way). The town is flat and compact, so the train is the obvious choice over driving, and the eight Early Christian and Byzantine monuments that earned Ravenna its UNESCO World Heritage listing all sit within a 20-minute walk of one another in the historic center. The headline sights are the octagonal Basilica di San Vitale (consecrated 547 AD), whose apse glitters with green-and-gold mosaics of Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora, and the small adjacent Mausoleum of Galla Placidia (c. 430 AD), where a deep-blue starry vault draws gasps in the cramped half-light. A single combined ticket (around €11.50) covers San Vitale, Galla Placidia, the Neonian Baptistery, the Archiepiscopal Chapel, and Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo with its processions of saints and martyrs. A practical one-day arc is to arrive mid-morning, buy the combined ticket, and tackle San Vitale and Galla Placidia first before the tour-group crush, then walk to Sant'Apollinare Nuovo and the Baptistery. Break for lunch in the center, then in the afternoon visit Dante's Tomb (free), the neighboring Dante museum, and browse Piazza del Popolo. Those with extra time can take a short bus or taxi 5km to Sant'Apollinare in Classe, an austere basilica with a luminous apse mosaic. Spring and autumn give the most comfortable weather and thinner crowds; summer is hot and busiest. Arriving by late morning leaves the softer afternoon light for the open piazzas. For food, Ravenna is known for piadina flatbread filled with squacquerone cheese and prosciutto, sold at kiosks across town, while sit-down trattorie serve cappelletti in brodo and grilled Adriatic fish; the station cafe-bars are fine for a quick espresso on arrival. Booking is rarely needed except in peak summer, when timed entry to Galla Placidia is enforced to protect the fragile interior.
Highlights
- Basilica di San Vitale (526 AD) mosaics
- Galla Placidia Mausoleum (430 AD)
- Dante's Tomb
- Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo
Tips for visiting
- Take a direct Trenitalia regional train from Bologna Centrale to Ravenna; tickets are cheapest bought at the machine on the day and need validating before boarding older trains.
- Buy the combined ticket covering San Vitale, Galla Placidia, the Baptistery, and Sant'Apollinare Nuovo at any of those sites; in summer a small timed-entry surcharge applies to Galla Placidia.
- See San Vitale and Galla Placidia first thing to beat coach groups, as the tiny mausoleum gets congested by late morning.
- Dante's Tomb is free and a short walk from the basilicas; pair it with Piazza del Popolo for the afternoon.
- Grab a piadina from a town kiosk for an inexpensive lunch rather than a sit-down meal if time is tight.
When to visit
Spring and autumn offer the mildest weather and fewest crowds; arriving by late morning lets visitors see San Vitale and Galla Placidia before midday coach groups arrive.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Bologna to Ravenna?
Direct regional trains run from Bologna Centrale to Ravenna in about 1 hour 15 minutes, costing roughly €8-12 each way. No change of train is required.
Do I need to book the mosaic monuments in advance?
A combined ticket bought on arrival covers most sites and is usually sufficient. In peak summer, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia enforces a small timed-entry surcharge to limit numbers inside.
Can I see Ravenna's main sights in one day?
Yes. The core UNESCO monuments and Dante's Tomb sit within a compact, walkable historic center and can comfortably be covered in a single day with an early start.