Reggio Emilia travel guide
The tricolour's birthplace, Parmigiano and Calatrava's station
A compact Emilian city between Parma and Modena, where the Italian flag was born, with good food and few tourists. Spring and the first half of autumn suit it best. A day is enough for the centre, two if you add the Maramotti collection. Prices are high, and many passports need no visa.
Reggio Emilia sits on the old Roman Via Emilia between Parma and Modena, its centre still shaped like the hexagon traced by long-gone walls. Locals simply call it Reggio. Few foreign visitors stop, which means the squares and old churches are yours, and the food matches anything in the region.
The Italian tricolour flag was first adopted here in 1797, and the Sala del Tricolore in the town hall tells the story. Close by stand the Duomo, the Basilica di San Prospero and the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo of 1280, now part of Hotel Posta. For something modern, ride bus 5 or 9 out to Mediopadana, Santiago Calatrava's high-speed rail station, near his three white bridges.
Two other draws are less obvious. Teachers from abroad come for the Reggio Emilia Approach to early education at the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre, while art lovers reserve a free visit to the Collezione Maramotti in Max Mara's former factory. At the table, order cappelletti in broth, erbazzone (a savoury chard pie) and aged Parmigiano Reggiano with a glass of Lambrusco Reggiano.
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Best time to visit Reggio Emilia
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Pleasant days for walking the hexagon and eating outdoors.
Hot and humid on the plain; many locals leave in August.
Grey and foggy, though 7 January brings the flag celebrations.
On 7 January the city marks the birth of the tricolour with ceremonies around the town hall.
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Getting there
Two stations, airports in Bologna and Milan
Reggio has no airport of its own, but it sits on the main railway between Milan and Bologna, so trains do most of the work. From Bologna airport, ride the Marconi Express monorail to Bologna Centrale and take a regional or fast train west.
- Reggio Emilia station
- Piazza Marconi, on the eastern edge of the old centre; regional and Milan to Bologna trains
- Mediopadana AV
- Calatrava's high-speed station at Mancasale; bus 5 or 9, or the Guastalla line train, to the centre
- Autostazione
- Intercity buses to towns in the province
- Milan Linate, Malpensa and Verona are the other choices, and Parma's small airport, about 30 km away, has a handful of routes.
- High-speed trains call at Mediopadana, about 4 km north, while slower trains use the old station on the edge of the centre.
- Drivers arrive on the A1 between Milan and Naples.
- Regional trains need no seat reservation, so an ordinary ticket gets you on the next one.
Where to stay
Inside the hexagon or by Piazza Marconi
The ring road that replaced the old walls draws a neat boundary: sleep inside it and the town hall, the churches and the trattorias are all a few minutes on foot. Much of that area is closed to traffic, so drivers should ask the hotel about parking before arrival.
- Old centre
- Around Piazza del Monte and Piazza Prampolini, close to every sight; Hotel Posta occupies a 13th-century palazzo
- Near the station
- Eastern edge of the centre, easy for trains to Parma, Modena and Bologna
- Rooms by the main station on Piazza Marconi suit anyone hopping to Parma, Modena or Bologna by regional train, though the streets there are plainer.
Getting around
Hexagon lanes by bicycle, buses 5 and 9 to Mediopadana
Inside the hexagon traced by the old walls, Reggio is flat and small, and most streets are closed to through traffic, so walking covers almost everything. Locals cycle everywhere. Bike shops and some hotels rent bicycles by the day or longer, which puts the Calatrava bridges and the Maramotti collection within easy reach.
- City buses
- Lines 5 and 9 link Mediopadana with the centre
- Mi Muovo
- The Emilia-Romagna ticketing system used on SETA buses
- City buses fill the gaps, including lines 5 and 9 from Mediopadana and line 2 towards Pieve Modolena.
- Taxis wait at the main station.
- Check SETA timetables before riding out to the Collezione Maramotti at weekends, when some lines run less often.
Know before you go
What makes Reggio Emilia worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The Sala del Tricolore, the council chamber where the green, white and red flag was adopted in 1797.
- Calatrava's Mediopadana station, a rippling white shed on the high-speed line north of town.
- Erbazzone from a bakery counter, the local chard pie eaten warm as a snack.
Good to know
- Two Reggios: check that train tickets say Reggio Emilia, not Reggio Calabria at the other end of Italy.
- Collezione Maramotti needs a booking and opens only Thursday to Sunday.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Reggio Emilia, month by month
Reggio Emilia's monthly averages sit behind each tab. Cappelletti in broth is the winter dish locals wait for.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Reggio Emilia (Arpae Emilia-Romagna, via Wikipedia).
The Sala del Tricolore, San Prospero and the Teatro Valli
Reggio Emilia's walled centre takes a single day on foot. See the Sala del Tricolore, where the Italian flag was adopted, the Duomo and San Prospero, then the Basilica della Ghiara and the Palazzo dei Musei. Book ahead for the Collezione Maramotti, and spend the evening at the Teatro Municipale Romolo Valli.
Arrive at the main station on the eastern edge of the centre and walk in. Begin at the town hall for the Sala del Tricolore, the chamber where the Italian flag was adopted, then cross to the Duomo and the Basilica di San Prospero. Look up at the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo from 1280, now part of Hotel Posta. Stop at a bakery for a warm slice of erbazzone.
After lunch, see the Basilica della Ghiara and the Palazzo dei Musei on Via Spallanzani, then rest in the cloisters of San Pietro. If you booked ahead, spend the late afternoon at the Collezione Maramotti in the old Max Mara factory at Pieve Modolena, open Thursday to Sunday.
In the evening, check what is on at the Teatro Municipale Romolo Valli, and dine on cappelletti in broth. If you are leaving on a high-speed train, allow time for the bus to Mediopadana.
Cappelletti in broth, erbazzone and Lambrusco Reggiano
Reggio Emilia is Parmigiano Reggiano country. The local pasta is cappelletti, filled with meat and served in broth, and tortelli come with greens or pumpkin. Buy erbazzone, a chard and cheese pie, warm by the slice, order gnocco fritto with cured meats, and drink Lambrusco Reggiano.
This is Parmigiano country: the cheese's full name, Parmigiano Reggiano, names both Parma and Reggio, and aged wedges turn up on every table, grated over pasta or served in chunks before the meal. The local pasta is cappelletti, small hats filled with a rich mix of meat and liver and floated in broth, a dish Reggiani treat as winter comfort and Christmas lunch. Tortelli, often stuffed with greens or pumpkin and dressed with butter and cheese, are the other staple.
Snacks matter just as much. Erbazzone is a flat pie of chard, cheese and pastry, sold warm by the slice in bakeries around the old centre, and it makes the obvious mid-morning stop. Gnocco fritto, puffy fried dough, arrives with a board of cured meats, and ciccioli, pressed pork scraps, are the rustic side of the plate.
To drink, order Lambrusco Reggiano, the fizzy red that cuts through all that richness, and finish with a sweet, perfumed Moscato.
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How we research our Reggio Emilia travel guide
Reggio Emilia's two stations, the bus to Mediopadana and Collezione Maramotti opening days are rechecked against the city's tourism site and Italia.it when timetables change.
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Checked against trusted sources:
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Reggio Emilia.
General
Bologna, almost always: it has far more flights, and the Marconi Express plus a westbound train gets you here quickly. Parma's airport is about 30 km away with only a handful of routes, and Milan's airports are the other fallback.
It is an internationally followed method of early-childhood education. The Loris Malaguzzi International Centre hosts exhibitions and workshops about it.
Yes for the centre: the Sala del Tricolore, the Duomo and San Prospero fit into one day. Stay a night if you want the Collezione Maramotti, which opens only Thursday to Sunday.
Bakeries across the old centre sell this chard and cheese pie warm from the oven, usually from mid-morning. Eat it standing at the counter, the way locals do.
Yes. The town is flat, most of the centre is closed to cars, and bike shops and several hotels rent bicycles, which makes the bridges near Mediopadana an easy ride.
They can. Winter days are often grey and misty and July is sticky, so April to June and September to October are the comfortable windows for walking and cycling.
They are separate cities at opposite ends of Italy. Reggio Emilia is in the north between Parma and Modena; its people are Reggiani, while those of Reggio Calabria are Reggini.
Entry is free but must be reserved. It opens Thursday and Friday afternoons and all day at weekends, in the former Max Mara factory at Pieve Modolena.
Only by appointment, arranged through the Civic Museums or the Istoreco institute.
Inside the hexagon traced by the old walls, Reggio is flat and small, and most streets are closed to through traffic, so walking covers almost everything. Locals cycle everywhere. Bike shops and some hotels rent bicycles by the day or longer, which puts the Calatrava bridges and the Maramotti collection within easy reach.
Getting there
Lines 5 and 9 cover the 4 km into the centre. A regional train on the Guastalla line also connects Mediopadana with the main station.
Reggio has no airport of its own, but it sits on the main railway between Milan and Bologna, so trains do most of the work. From Bologna airport, ride the Marconi Express monorail to Bologna Centrale and take a regional or fast train west.
Timing & weather
The best time to visit Reggio Emilia is Apr to Jun, Sep to Oct. Mild weather for walking and cycling, outside the humid summer and winter fog.
- Best overall: April - June, September - October (Pleasant days for walking the hexagon and eating outdoors)
- Summer: July - August (Hot and humid on the plain; many locals leave in August)
- Winter: November - March (Grey and foggy, though 7 January brings the flag celebrations)
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.
