A few hours car drive from Germany, and a few steps away from the Garda Lake, you will find the “Lidi” (beaches) of the Emilia Romagna. The most famous location is for sure Rimini, known in Germany also as the “Teutonengrill” (the German grill). Beach and holiday resort in the economic boom, today it became mostly a secondary destination in Europe, and that’s a pity, because Rimini never lost its flair. My favourite destination however, is located in the Ravenna area, along the Adriatic Coast, in the so called “Lidi” and in the hinterland of the Romagna Region. In the gentle hills under the Apennine you are able to find the real Italy, among many medieval villages, ancient churches, trattorias and a fantastic nature. Ravenna, only 15 minutes from the sea, can be defined as a concentrate made of historical monuments, culture and Italian flair. The city, thanks to its wide pedestrian areas, allows you to discover and walk every day through its treasures. The “Lidi” of Ravenna have different faces like the trendy one of Milano Marittima or the typical summer resorts ones. All of this in a pleasant, quite and typical Italian atmosphere.

From now, I would like to bring you through some of the localities along the coast (I live in one of them ☺). We begin our journey in Cervia. This ancient fisher town is inhabited during all the year and in the Centuries always became bigger and bigger. The little streets of the historic town and its picturesque harbour infuse peace and harmony. Here everything is much more calm, quiet and ancient. Numerous little fish restaurants, where you will find fresh seafood from the local fish market, dot the “lungomare”. The infrastructures are modern, the beaches are wide and sandy…pure Italy! We leave Cervia and move on northbound to Milano Marittima, one of Italy’s trendiest summer destinations. Here it’s show time and the word “Milano” in its name speaks for itself. Every luxurious brand owns here a boutique, restaurants are exclusive and expensive, street bars are full of people and cool, beaches present every day a new fashion style and at night become the perfect location for a luxurious fish dinner. The most famous place of Milano Marittima is for sure the roundabout located in the heart of the city center, where from late afternoon you will be able to watch from the sofas of a café (espresso 2,50 € a glass) the fashion show of expensive cars and stars. Villa or Penthouse, here everything is really expensive and glamorous. Moving up again comes Lido di Savio, a little village on the sea. Mainly frequented by Italians during the summertime, in winter this place fells asleep. Prices are kind of the same of Milano Marittima, due to the fact that Lido di Savio lies really close to it. The same can be said of Lido di Classe, which you can reach crossing a little bridge. As Lido di Savio, Lido di Classe as well comes alive during summer time and the beach is easy to reach thanks to the wide footpaths along it. The ideal place for families.
Let’s move on to the next location. This time it takes longer because after Lido di Classe there is nothing! For 12 Km, you will find a natural reserve made of sand and pine forests, an ideal place for running and cycling. By car you have to drive around the reserve, and after 20 minutes you will reach Lido di Dante. Lido di Dante is very tiny and you will find no hotels there, but only a Camping and a lot of terraced houses. What makes Lido di Dante interesting is that it is really close to the reserve and its wide beach. In 2003 this beach was declared by Legambiente as one of the eleven most beautiful beaches in Italy. In this beach you will not find any constructions, bars or kiosks. For this reasons, if you want to spend a day on the beach here, you have to bring your own food bag, and (unusual for Italian costumes) you are also able to sunbathe naked here. Next stop of this journey is Lido Adriano. I really love this place and here you will find everything what you need (a Lidl as well) beautiful beaches and loads of real estates like sea view apartments and terraced houses with gardens. Because of the shape of this village (it stretches along the coast) every house has kind of a direct access to the beach. In addition, here you can find my favourite restaurant, where I come every time when I head back home. Hint: a little restaurant on the beach, and for “on the beach” I really mean on the beach! Looking from the window it seems like being in the middle of the sea. The food here is fantastic and low cost.

A few steps from Lido Adriano lies Punta Marina Terme. Populated all year long this town has got a thermal bath, restaurants, bars and shops. Here you will not find many hotels like in other towns of the Riviera, and driving or walking along the “lungomare” feels like magic. For many kilometres you will find the beach on the right and the pine forests on the left. Every now and then you will see a terraced house, where at night you can hear the sound of the sea. After driving for a while on this road, you reach Marina di Ravenna. It is the harbour of Ravenna and in the last years it changed its image: now you will find one of the most important yacht harbours of the Adriatic Sea. It is fascinating to see all this big Yachtes. The pedestrian area is big and you will find many shops, restaurants and bars. You can feel the maritime flavour in the air here. Marina di Ravenna is populated all year long and has got the best facilities. However, here everything is more expensive, like in Milano Marittima. To reach our next stop of this journey, Porto Corsini, you have to cross the harbour on a little ferry boat (less than 2 minutes). Porto Corsini is really small, and when you get off the ferry you can already see the road sign of Marina Romea. Marina Romea is located in the middle of a pine forest, and also in winter you can see green trees everywhere. Next stop is Casal Borsetti, a small fishing village where time seems to stand still. Here you will find a tiny harbour and a tiny fish restaurant. Nothing more and nothing less. The tiny fish restaurant is also one of my favourites (with sea view, of course). After Casal Borsetti you will find only kilometres of wide empty beaches, the delta of the river and the roads that will bring you to the hinterland. Here ends our journey along this part of the Coast, but in the hinterland as well you will be able to find the real essence of Italy, like in a bar overlooking the piazza or in a typical trattoria.
Best regards
Chiara

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