Official website: www.regione.emilia-romagna.it

Emilia Romagna, the land of holidays. Close-by and cheap, it is washed by the Adriatic Sea and surrounded by mountain and hill ranges, rich in ancient remains and made even more precious by the excellent tourist organisation of its four great attractions: the sea, the spas, art and the Apennines. The customisation of the guests' leisure time is the keystone of its success within the scenario of international tourism. The Adriatic coast of Emilia Romagna is 80 miles long, from Comacchio to Cattolica, passing along the Ferrara and Ravenna shores, as well as Cervia - Milano Marittima, Cesenatico, Gatteo a Mare, San Mauro a Mare, Bellaria, Igea Marina, Rimini, Riccione and Misano Adriatico. And the beach certainly is a great attraction for European tourists, oriented to seaside holidays, the ideal for families and children, where safety and fun are constantly, but discreetly, protected. And, unlike other beaches in Italy and abroad, you don't have to pay an admission fee, here. The sandy bottom of the sea gently slopes down, with no dangerous depressions. This is the realm of all-round Summer sports, but also includes trekking, cycling and so forth, as alternatives. And those who love art towns, ancient villages, medieval castles and historical houses know that they will find them here as well. From Piacenza to the sea, there are more universities than administrative centres: the most ancient in the world is Bologna University, dating back to nine centuries ago. And then, monuments, churches, mosaics, towers and bell towers: custom-made itineraries for religious tourism. Here, the capitals of art are: the learned and eclectic Bologna; Parma, home to Verdi and Toscanini; Ferrara, the natural venue for great exhibitions and events; Piacenza, the Lombard-Gothic connection town; Reggio Emilia, the "Mother" of the Italian flag; Modena, a casket of art treasures; Forlì, with its medieval street structure; Cesena, which was home to as many as three Popes; Ravenna, the town of polychrome mosaics; and Rimini, with Augustan and Malatesta features together. The one hundred and eighty miles of the Apennines are amazing and seductive, with thousands of slopes and paths cutting through shadowy and silent woods, ideal for resting or exploring new paths. The "highlands" of the region combine history and culture: the cross-roads of exchanges and communications, they were crossed by merchants, artists and pilgrims coming from Northern Europe, travelling along the pilgrimage ways, the Via Romea and the Via Francigena. Together with the "green" proposals of the summer period,

the winter proposals include 24 skiing resorts, developing along 175 miles of ski slopes and 105 miles of long-distance slopes. Sleeping accommodation for more than 16,000 people is available for skiing tourists, as well as highly qualified schools and instructors, centres for ice sports, swimming pools and indoors tennis courts, spa resorts, parks and natural reserves and a ... slap-up gastronomy. The Apennines offer hundreds of feasts and celebrations, mirroring the traditions of this land. Farm holidays are also very well-spread and very well-organised here: with 350 actively working farms, they are enthusing more and more European tourists and more and more tour operators. Spas are spread all along the territory of Emilia-Romagna, with 18 well-equipped resorts, each with its own health speciality.

Canoes on Cesenatico's public beach but also offering sport, fun, meetings and culture, handicraft and shopping, good cooking and, above all, a "full immersion" into nature. A healthy proposal for a healthy body and soul. Here are the resorts: Bobbio, Tabiano, Salsomaggiore, Sant'Andrea Bagni, Monticelli, Cervarezza, Porretta, Castel San Pietro, Salvarola, Riolo, Brisighella, Castrocaro, Fratta, Bagno di Romagna, Punta Marina, Cervia, Rimini and Riccione.