7 best photos of the road trip of Emilia Romagna

Fly to Bologna or Milan for a historic road trip along the ancient Via Emilia that hosts a series of beautiful Italian cities. In the heart of Emilia Romagna is Italy’s Food Valley. Be sure to stop along the way for dishes and wines that have received worldwide acclaim.

Hot, humid summers and cold winters, with the humidity held by the Apennine mountains, combine to create the best conditions for growing food that has become legendary: worldwide.

Michelin star restaurants

Such is the prominence of Emilia Romagna in the Italian gastronomic scene that Modena recently hosted the Michelin Guide Awards 2025: essentially the Oscars of Italian cuisine. In addition, Emilia Romagna will also hold the awards for 2026 and 2027.

Among the top rock stars at these awards, Massimo Bottura is the God of the industry. The success of his 3 Michelin star Osteria Francescana in Modena, sometimes recognized as the Best Restaurant in the World, gives Massimo a platform to speak for Emilia Romagna and the restaurant industry as a whole.

The awards given by the Italy Michelin Guide for 2025 increased the number of Bib Gourmand restaurants within Emilia Romagna to 33. Good news for those visiting the region looking for restaurants recognized by Michelin as offering quality at an exceptional value.

An attractive place

Create your best route through Emilia Romagna starting from Piacenza in the west, along the ancient Via Emilia route through Bologna, Modena, Parma and on to Rimini and stay on the Adriatic.

In fact, the course of the Po River, backed by the Apennine mountains in the north, is a gentle place where cows are milked to create large wheels of Parmigiana Reggiano cheese. This is the Italian bread basket, packing the markets with fresh, healthy products. A land of slow food, those wheels of cheese ripening for years, and fast cars. Modena is home to Ferrari and the Ferrari Museum.

Pavarotti Restaurant

Emilia Romagna wants an active sound track. Call Luciano Pavarotti’s former home, near Modena, to make those long-held tenor notes come true. A mural, painted on the wall of the mansion, even larger than the man’s personality, shows that he has arrived.

Now a shrine to the great tenor, the museum displays letters of appreciation from Sinatra, Bono, Sting, Hillary Clinton, Springsteen and Princess Diana, attesting to Pavarotti’s worldwide appeal.

Pavarotti worked hard for his fame, keeping his voice to play, constantly cleaning the sections of the bent nail that brings good luck and losing three kilos every time he did it. Besides music, Pavarotti enjoyed painting and his cookbook reflects his love of food. Book a table at the restaurant next door for the full Pavarotti experience.

Mercato Albinelli, Modena

Visit the wrought iron Liberty style market in Modena for an artistic introduction to the food and produce of Emilia Romagna. The stalls overflow with the produce of Italy’s rich bread basket.

Artisan restaurants at the edge of the market, with humble table seating offer a chalk-lined introduction to the region’s specialties.

As well as dishes that have become world favourites, for example bolognaise and lasagne, this is the place to try local dishes such as tortellini in broth.

Parma

Allegedly, Bologna is the gastronomic capital of the world or so the locals say as they sit down with a big blast of espresso coffee. Or make eye contact as they offer a toast with the clink of their glass on the table, echoing “Chin-chin” before sipping one of Emilia Romagna’s 24 DOC wines.

However, it is Parma that UNESCO has awarded the gastronomic capital award: perhaps because of the gastronomic excellence of its production of Parma ham, Parmigiana Reggiano cheese, full tomatoes and some of those DOC wines.

Verdi Corale

You can’t escape opera in Emilia Romagna, Verdi Corale is the opera school for Verdi aficionados. A lunch of arpeggios and ascending scales for Verdi lovers from all over the world unleashing their vocal chords with their favorite arias.

Between the dark wood and dining tables of the restaurant a grand piano sits on the stage for additional tributes to the great opera composer born in Parma.

Trattoria Amerigo 1934

Unless you are a licensed truffle hunter, with a Lagotta Romagna dog with a sharp nose, a lot of knowledge and a bit of luck, you are unlikely to find your own truffles. The next best option in the truffle country around Savigno, at the foot of the Apennine mountains, is to taste the truffles, eat at Trattoria Amerigo.

Since 1934, the Bettini family has operated this so-called rustic trattoria, where the decoration is still respected in the 1930s, with advertisements of this period extolling the lifestyle of Campari and Cinzano.

The trattoria was recently awarded a Michelin star for the 28th year in a row. Those in the know check into one of the inn’s adjoining rooms, especially when Savigno’s annual truffle festival rolls around in late fall.

Disclosure: Our stay is sponsored by Emilia Romagna Turismo.

Michael Edwards

Michael Edwards is a travel writer from Oxfordshire, UK. Although Michael published his first published travel pieces nearly four decades ago, he still finds new luxury destinations to visit and write about.