Emilia-Romagna is a region in northern Italy, world-renowned for its gastronomy and beautiful medieval cities. The capital of the region is Bologna, which has been given three nicknames, La Dotta (the learned one - as it is home to the oldest university in the world), La Grassa (the fat one - for its delicious and rich cuisine), and La Rossa (the red one - a reflection of the colour of the rooftops in the city centre). Although Bologna is certainly worth exploring itself, there are many other towns in the region which deserve a visit as they offer some magnificent cultural highlights. Whether it's Ravenna with its exquisite Byzantine mosaics and Dante's tomb or the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ferrara's and it's Castello Estense, built by the powerful d'Este family; each town offers a distinct and remarkable insight into the region's rich and diverse history. An extensive rail network means that many of the towns can be easily explored by train, and as Bologna is one of Italy's main rail hubs, you can use it as a base to stay for day trips around the region - to places including Parma, Modena and Mantua.