Emilia Romagna offers endless interesting destinations for a Sunday or weekend outdoors. Today we would like to offer some suggestions for what do by camper in our capital city, Reggio Emilia, steeped in culture and history. Reggio has developed enormously in recent years, with increasing numbers of tourists each year. Aside from a rich calendar of events, like the European Festival of Photography, and the Arrogant Sour Festival, Reggio Emilia is perfect for lovers of culture and good food. So, you ready?
10 places not to miss
Once you reach the city with your camper, you can park in the rest-area in via Fratelli Manfredi, 200 metres from the city centre. Here you can start your journey on foot, and we suggest the following 10 places not to miss:
visit Piazza Prampolini, to see the Romanic Battistero and the Cathedral. But since Reggio is not a tourist city like Rome or Milan, before you leave, you should check the Council site for opening hours;
cross Broletto and reach the famous Piazza San Prospero, where you can visit the Basilica of San Prospero and its splendid towers;
another perfect location is the Valli Theatre (click here for an account of our visit), dedicated to the celebrated Romolo Valli. The theatre still offers a wide range of ballet and theatre pieces, if you check their Website, you can stay up to date on their guided tours, which we absolutely recommend;
Near the Valli Theatre and the Ariosto Theatre is another prized destination, the Parmeggiani Gallery. Here you can see not just pictures and paintings, but also weapons and golden objects from a famous Paris workshop;
nearby, there is also the Civic Museum, perfect for adults and children alike. Since 1830, this ex-Francescan convent has hosted the first private collection of the famous naturalist painter, Lazzaro Spallanzani;
Reggio Emilia is famous across Italy for the Tricolour flag: the Flag Museum is inside the City Council building, recently expanded, it has three different floors of documents and historical objects relating to the history of our national flag, and its different forms until the end of the Napoleonic era;
Reggio also offers contemporary art: the Maramotti Collection, located outside the city centre, offers a permanent collection of painters from the great masters of the 20th century. Check the above website for opening times;
Reggio was home to a Jewish ghetto since the second half of the 17th century: today, you can visit the Synagogue in via dell’Aquila;
If you want to walk or cycle in nature, we suggest the Caprette Park: a beautiful green oasis just outside the city;
finally, you must visit the Museum of the history of psychiatry of Reggio Emilia, that hosts a collection of objects used in the San Lazzaro mental health facility, collected from 1875 onwards by psychiatrist Carlo Livi and now hosted in one of the ex-hospital’s pavilions.
4 festival not to miss
Aside from the suggestions made here for activities in Reggio Emilia, we also suggest that you consult the annual calendar of events, as the city offers 4 unmissable festivals:
for lovers of art and photography, the European Festival of Photography is a must;
for lovers of acid beers, the Arrogant Sour Festival is pure heaven;
Lovers of cinema will adore the Reggio Film Festival;
and for children, the Dynamic Festival brings together magic and beauty.
Cover image: Lonely Planet
