Ferrara in 3 minutes: Best Things to Do and See

Some of the most important cultural places of the city are easily accessible thanks to the tourist card myFE (such as the imposing Este Castle, the Palazzo Schifanoia and the Palazzina Marfisa d’Este).

Moreover, the card grants you admission to a long list of museums: the National Art Gallery inside the Palazzo Diamanti, the majestic Archaeological Museum inside Palazzo Costabili (free admission every first Sunday of the month), the Cathedral Museum hosting works of art by Cosmè Tura; the National Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah and the recent MLB Home Gallery, a contemporary art gallery hosted in the private home of the curator.

Don’t forget the city centre, a monument by itself: over the centuries it maintained almost unconverted its historical features: its imposing façades, the alleys, the churches and the fascinating glimpses immersed in the winter fog turn the city into a melancholic and suggestive artwork.

Further places you should visit are “Al Brindisi”, the world’s oldest inn, mentioned even by Ariosto in his work Lena; the cemetery of the Cherterhouse, the Church Santa Maria in Vado, the ancient Jewish cemetery of Via delle Vigne and any of the many of cinemas or restaurants spread through the city centre, monuments of a century-old tradition and of good food.

Ferrara, born from the Po River rather than from the Adriatic Sea, and its territory have always been marked by the awkward presence of this river. These places are dominated by something magical and mysterious, where man and nature have always been in conflict. These conflicts led to invaluable treasures that were the starting point for art, nature and, once again, good food itineraries.

Po Delta Park

However, the beating heart of Ferrara remains the Delta Po Valley, one of the most important Italian ecosystems, also recognised as World Heritage. The possible itineraries seem to be endless and the beauty of this place is indescribable.

The monumental Abbey of Pomposa, built between the 5th and 6th century, or one of the many “amusement houses” called Delizie, built by the Estensis between the 15th and 16th century (Belriguardo in Voghiera, Del Verginese in Portomaggiore or the Mesola Castle) are all traces of an old splendour, in balance between nature and beauty that evoke a sensation of infinite wonder.

BY PLANE

The International Airport of Bologna Guglielmo Marconi is about 53km-highway away from Ferrara, you can reach it in 45 minutes, travelling also on shuttle buses or by car. The shuttle bus service Ferrara Bus&Fly is available all year round.

BY CAR

You can reach Ferrara by car taking the highway A13 that connects Bologna with Padova, passing through Rovigo, and that connects with the rest of the Northeast Italy (www.autostrade.it). SS64 Porrettana crosses diagonally the Emilia Romagna and connects Ferrara with the Upper Toscana. The SS 16 Adriatica and the SS 309 Romea, on the other hand, connect Ferrara with Ravenna and the heart of Romagna. Finally, the interchange Ferrara-Porto Garibaldi cuts Ferrara from West to East until the Adriatic Sea.

BY TRAIN

The Bologna-Padova line connects Ferrara with the main cities of Northeast Italy. Italia: www.trenitalia.it. Here are the stops also of the Ferrara-Codigoro line, the Suzzara-Ferrara line (www.fer.it) and the Ravenna-Rimini line.