1. From Bologna: 3-Hour Private Ravenna Guided Tour
With this 3-hours private guided tour of Ravenna, you will enjoy the most important treasures of the city. You'll explore some of its most important and famous sites and admire the stunning mosaics all around you. Ravenna was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 402 until the empire collapsed in 476. It then served as the capital of the Kingdom of the Ostrogoths until it was re-conquered in 540 by the Eastern Roman Enna (Byzantine) Empire. Afterwards, the city formed the center of the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna until the invasion of the Lombards in 751, after which it became the seat of the Kingdom of the Lombards. Although an inland city, Ravenna is connected to the Adriatic Sea by the Candiano canal. It is known for its well-preserved late Roman and Byzantine architecture, and has eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Your visit to the early Christian and Byzantine mosaics includes: the Basilica of San Vitale, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Battistero Neoniano, the Arcivescovile Museum and the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo. The monuments are all within easy walking distance. During the walk along the streets of the old town, you will also get the chance to visit the picturesque Piazza del Popolo and the so-called "Dante area," the area of silence. In fact, the exiled Florentine Dante died in Ravenna on September 13th 1321. Prepare to take amazing pictures of the palaces, squares, typical streets of the old town and the picturesque and colored churches.