Ferrara travel guide
A moated Este castle, Renaissance streets and city walls by bike
A Renaissance court city of the Este family with a moated castle and walls you can cycle. Spring and autumn give the best riding weather. One full day works as a trip from Bologna, but an overnight lets you see it after the day visitors leave. Costs are above average, and Schengen rules apply.
Ferrara lies 44 km northeast of Bologna near the Po, a Renaissance court city of the Este family listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Almost 9 km of its walls still stand. It sees far fewer foreign visitors than Bologna or Venice, which leaves the streets to residents on bicycles.
Start with the Castello Estense, a moated castle of 1385 with drawbridges, painted ceilings and dungeons below; one tower can be climbed for a small extra charge. The cathedral of San Giorgio faces it across the square, Romanesque at street level. North of the castle spreads the Addizione Erculea, the planned extension Biagio Rossetti laid out for Ercole d'Este, home to the faceted stone front of the Palazzo dei Diamanti.
Rent a bike at the station and do as residents do: ride the path along the top of the walls, then thread through the covered medieval lane of Via delle Volte. Order cappellacci di zucca, pumpkin-filled pasta, or salama da sugo, a slow-cooked pork sausage. On a fine Wednesday evening the square in front of the cathedral fills with students holding drinks.
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Top things to do in Ferrara
The castle, the Renaissance quarter and a ride round the walls make up the classic visit.
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Best time to visit Ferrara
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Mild days for cycling the walls and sitting out by the moat.
Hot and humid, with the Buskers Festival bringing street musicians in August.
Fog rolls off the Po plain; the castle and palazzi make good indoor days.
The Ferrara Buskers Festival fills the streets with international street musicians in August.
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Getting there
Train on the Bologna to Venice line
Rail is the easy answer. Ferrara sits on the main line from Florence through Bologna to Venice, so it slots neatly into a wider trip or works as a day out. The nearest airport is Bologna Guglielmo Marconi; take the Marconi Express monorail to Bologna Centrale and a train north. Venice Marco Polo is the other option.
- From Bologna
- 30 to 60 minutes by train
- From Venice
- 1 to 2 hours by train; Florence takes about 1 to 2 hours
- Venice Marco Polo
- Airport bus to Venezia Mestre station, then a southbound train
- Ferrara station
- Piazzale della Stazione, with bike rental on hand
- Bus station
- Via del Lavoro, behind the railway station, used by Flixbus and regional coaches
- Drivers use the A13 between Bologna and Padua, with Ferrara Nord and Ferrara Sud exits, and Flixbus also calls here.
- Rent a bike as soon as you step off the train; the station is the easiest pick-up point.
- Regional trains from Ravenna also run here, handy if you are pairing the two cities.
Where to stay
Castle quarter, Addizione Erculea or a farm stay
Sleep inside the walls if you can, because everything you came for is within a short ride. The streets around the castle and cathedral put you beside the restaurants and the Wednesday crowd, at the cost of some late-night noise. North of the castle, Ercole d'Este's planned quarter has broad, quiet streets and a more residential feel.
- Medieval centre
- Around the castle, cathedral and Via delle Volte; closest to restaurants, livelier at night
- Addizione Erculea
- Wide Renaissance streets near the Palazzo dei Diamanti; calm, a few minutes' ride from the castle
- Near the station
- Convenient for day trips by rail, about 15 minutes' walk from the castle, plain surroundings
- Countryside
- Farm holidays such as Torre del Fondo, about five minutes from town by car, with pools and parking
- The station area is practical for an early train but has little charm after dark.
- Drivers can base themselves on a farm outside town and come in by bike or car.
Getting around
By bike, the local way
Ferrara moves on two wheels. Grandmothers in fur coats, parents with child seats, students and even police officers all cycle, and the twisting cobbled lanes of the centre make a bike faster than any bus. Rentals are available at the station, near the Duomo and from local companies.
- Bike rental
- At the station and near the Duomo
- On foot
- Castle to the Palazzo dei Diamanti is about ten minutes along Corso Ercole I d'Este
- City buses
- TPER lines link the station with the centre
- The circuit of the walls, nearly 9 km, is a ride in itself, with a path on top and park paths below.
- Most attractions lie inside the walls and are walkable too.
- Join the walls at the end of Corso Ercole d'Este or Via Quartieri.
- Bring a good lock and use a proper rack; a rental left loose outside a café is an easy target.
Know before you go
What makes Ferrara worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The Castello Estense moat, still full of water below the drawbridges.
- A ride along the top of the walls, with green park on one side and roofs on the other.
- Wednesday nights by the cathedral, when the whole student town gathers in the piazza.
Good to know
- The MyFE card covers the Castello Estense, its tower climb and several other museums, and has also waived the hotel city tax; check the current terms.
- Watch for cyclists: bikes outnumber cars in the centre and come from every direction.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Ferrara, month by month
Choose a month for Ferrara's long-term averages; the flat city is easy to cycle in every season.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Ferrara (Climi e viaggi, via Wikipedia).
By bike from the Castello Estense to the city walls
Hire a bike at the station and Ferrara fits into a day. See the Castello Estense and its tower, the cathedral of San Giorgio, then ride up Corso Ercole d'Este to the Palazzo dei Diamanti. Return along the path on top of the walls, and walk Via delle Volte before dinner.
Pick up a bike at the station and ride into the centre to the Castello Estense. Allow an hour inside for the painted ceilings, the Golden Room and the dungeons, and pay the small extra to climb a tower. Cross to the cathedral of San Giorgio and look at its Romanesque lower front.
For lunch, grab a piadina at Mordicchio on Piazza Sacrati or sit by the moat at Birreria Giori on Piazza Savonarola.
In the afternoon ride north up Corso Ercole d'Este into the Addizione Erculea, Ercole d'Este's planned extension, and stop at the Palazzo dei Diamanti. At the end of the street, climb onto the walls and circle back towards the station along the path on top. Before dinner, walk the arched medieval lane of Via delle Volte, then order cappellacci di zucca. On a Wednesday, join the crowd in the cathedral square afterwards.
Cappellacci, salama da sugo and the coppia loaf
The pasta to order in Ferrara is cappellacci di zucca, filled with sweet pumpkin and served with butter and sage or meat sauce. In winter, order salama da sugo, a spiced pork sausage slow-cooked for hours. The local bread is the four-armed coppia ferrarese, and Mordicchio sells cheap piadine on Piazza Sacrati.
Ferrara's cooking is distinct from the rest of Emilia. The signature pasta is cappellacci di zucca, large parcels filled with sweet pumpkin, usually served with butter and sage or a meat sauce. In winter look for salama da sugo, a spiced pork sausage cured and then slow-cooked for hours, served with mashed potato. The local bread is the coppia ferrarese, twisted into four crisp arms.
For a quick, cheap bite, Mordicchio on Piazza Sacrati sells piadine, the pressed flatbread sandwiches of the region, with good fries. Birreria Giori, a glass-fronted bar beside the castle moat on Piazza Savonarola, lets you build your own panino and sit outside.
Wednesday is the night to drink: young Ferrara gathers in front of the cathedral with a beer in hand.
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How we research our Ferrara travel guide
Ferrara's train links, bike hire points and Castello Estense access are rechecked with the Comune di Ferrara and Italia.it. The Renaissance city and the Po Delta follow their UNESCO listing.
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Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of FerraraItalia.itUNESCO World Heritage Centre
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Ferrara.
General
Usually, yes. The monorail runs to Bologna Centrale in a few minutes, and trains north to Ferrara take 30 to 60 minutes.
Easily. It sits on the line between them, so you can stop for a day with your bags in the station area and carry on to Venice, 1 to 2 hours further.
A day is enough for the castle, the cathedral and the wall circuit. Stay the night to have the centre to yourself once the day visitors have gone.
Rental stands operate at the railway station and close to the cathedral. Pick up at the station if you arrive by train, since it saves the walk in.
Yes, one of the towers is open for a small extra charge on top of the castle ticket.
April to June and September to October. July and August reach about 32C, and winter fog off the Po plain makes the wall path grey and damp.
Cappellacci di zucca, large parcels of sweet pumpkin with butter and sage or a ragu. Pair it with a slice of the twisted coppia bread.
Almost entirely. They run for nearly 9 km, with a path on top and a park around most of the circuit.
Ferrara moves on two wheels. Grandmothers in fur coats, parents with child seats, students and even police officers all cycle, and the twisting cobbled lanes of the centre make a bike faster than any bus. Rentals are available at the station, near the Duomo and from local companies.
What's included
Entry to several of the city's museums, the Castello Estense and its tower among them, plus an exemption from the hotel city tax, so it pays off if you sleep here and visit two or three sites. Confirm the current terms when buying.
Timing & weather
It takes place in August, when street musicians from around the world play across the old centre.
The best time to visit Ferrara is Apr to Jun, Sep to Oct. Good cycling weather, between the humid summer and the foggy winter.
- Best overall: April - June, September - October (Mild days for cycling the walls and sitting out by the moat)
- Summer: July - August (Hot and humid, with the Buskers Festival bringing street musicians in August)
- Winter: November - March (Fog rolls off the Po plain; the castle and palazzi make good indoor days)
Getting there
Rail is the easy answer. Ferrara sits on the main line from Florence through Bologna to Venice, so it slots neatly into a wider trip or works as a day out. The nearest airport is Bologna Guglielmo Marconi; take the Marconi Express monorail to Bologna Centrale and a train north.
Visa & documents
Schengen rules apply in Italy. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Violent crime against visitors to Italy is rare. Pickpocketing is the main problem, especially on buses and metros in Rome (bus 64 is notorious), at Roman and Florentine sights, and at Termini and Naples Centrale stations. Wear your bag across your body and zip it, and use only licensed white taxis or official ride apps.
