Pet-friendly summer in Ravenna

Ravenna has a thousand-year old historical centre, gathered around a series of incredible monuments, many of which have been declared World Heritage by UNESCO.

A relaxing walk is the perfect way to go into a journey through the various ages of this city, which has been a capital three times. From the Roman and Byzantine empires, from the Republic of Venice to the Italian Risorgimento, you can easily explore the various neighbourhoods on your own or by joining one of the many guided tours that remain outside of the buildings and are therefore designed also for visitors accompanied by their pets.

Some monuments and points of interest also allow access to animals.* Here is a list of suggestions.

• Rasponi Crypt and Roof Gardens of Palazzo della Provincia. Many buildings in Ravenna hide stunning gardens. One of these is surely Palazzo della Provincia, hosting beautiful Roof Gardens and the Crypt of the Rasponi family, which dominated the city between the 16th and the 18th century. A nice central fountain, a neogothic tower, a crypt decorated with a mosaic floor, roof gardens on two levels. All this overlooks the fascinating Piazza San Francesco, in the heart of the Zone of Silence dedicated to Dante Alighieri.
• Domus of the Stone Carpets. The Domus of the Stone Carpets, one of Italy’s most significant archaeological sites of the last decades, is located some metres below street level, and hosts 14 spaces decorated with fascinating polychrome floor mosaics dating back to the 5th-6th century.
• National Museum. Located inside the former Benedictine monastery of San Vitale, between cloisters, refectories and staircases, the National Museum houses various prestigious collections. From the Roman lapidarium to the remains of the golden age of Ravenna, from objects of the Byzantine empire to late-antique ivory objects, from 18th-century works to rare Islamic and Orthodox devotional objects, among which special mention goes to a precious Islamic table.
• MAR - Ravenna Art Museum. Considered as one of the beating hearts of culture in Ravenna and nestled in the lovely public gardens, MAR is a point of reference for art from the 14th century to today. The museum preserves hundreds of works from Veneziano to Klimt, from Luca Longhi to Schifano, from Guercino to Banksy. The one-of-a-kind set-up of the section dedicated to modern and contemporary mosaics has recently been renovated and exhibits works of international importance and celebrates the thousand-year-old tradition of this art.

And at the end of your visit, why not treat yourself to some shopping or a typical dish from Romagna? Many shops and restaurants will be more than happy to welcome you and your pets.

*Pets are usually not allowed into religious buildings. Some museums and buildings allow access to small-sized animals in pet carriers, to big-sized ones with a muzzle, to guide dogs for visually impaired people or to animals certified for pet-therapy.

About 6 km away from Ravenna, the small town of Classe is mainly famous for the presence of one of the 8 World Heritage monuments making up the Unesco Site of Ravenna, the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe. 

Easily reachable also by bike with your four-legged friends, thanks to an itinerary on cycle paths and in low-traffic areas, Classe offers various options for a true journey into history.

• Classis Museum. A few meters away from the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare is the Classis Museum – Museum of the City and the Territory, hosted inside a former sugar factory. The most recent of the museums in Ravenna tells the history of these lands, from the first settlements to today, thanks to a suggestive multimedia path. 
• Ancient Port of Classe. Less than 2 km away, going towards Ravenna, you will find the archaeological area of the Ancient Port of Classe. Founded by Emperor Augustus and home of one of the most impressive fleets of the ancient world, it operated until Theodoric’s rule.

The territory of the municipality of Ravenna boasts one of Italy’s longest lists of green areas, as well as dog parks. From the beach towns to the historical centre and the hamlets around the city, there are almost 50 parks in which you can let your dogs roam and play with them. 12 of these are located in the centre of the city – read here the complete list.

The coastline of Ravenna features 35 km of beach and is divided into 9 beach towns, each one of which is home to at least one pet-friendly beach establishment. 6 beach towns also offer free beaches dedicated to dogs, where you can also swim with them throughout the summer.

North of the city, near one of Emilia-Romagna’s most interesting natural areas – made up of the Pine forest of San Vitale and Pialassa della Baiona – are two stretches of pet-friendly beach. One of them is located in Casalborsetti (about 70 metres south of the Overbeach beach establishment) and one in Marina Romea (between the Reno and the Romea campsite).

The beach town closest to the city is undoubtedly Marina di Ravenna, where you can find a stretch of free beach of about 80 metres, adjacent to the northern side of the Ruvido beach establishment.

In the southern beach towns, towards the Pine forest of Classe and the mouth of the Bevano river, are at least three stretches of beach allowing access to animals in summer: in Lido Adriano (north of the Oasi beach establishment), in Lido di Classe (north of the reef transversal to the mouth of the Savio river) and in Lido di Savio (south of the reef transversal to the Savio river).

Read here the complete list of pet-friendly beaches and beach establishments.

Note: from October to April, you can always access all the beaches on the coastline of Ravenna with your dogs.

Pine forests offer great opportunities for excursions with animals – which must always be controlled – at just a few kilometres away from the beach or the city.

• Pine forest of San Vitale. The Pine forest of San Vitale and Pialassa Baiona include kilometres of paths allowing you to walk in the shade of the pine trees in the hottest hours of the day or at the water’s edge at sunrise or sunset. Starting from some equipped areas, such as Parco 2 Giugno or Ca’ Vecchia, you can venture in the green vegetation for hours and admire various species of unique plants and animals, typical of these areas.
• Pine forest of Classe. The Pine forest of Classe, also mentioned by Dante Alighieri in his Divine Comedy, offers various itineraries. The most fascinating one leads to the mouth of the Bevano river, through the area of Ortazzo and Ortazzino. In this stretch of coastline – protected and unspoiled – you will enjoy an incredible experience, a journey through time that will allow you to discover how the Adriatic coastline was before human intervention. Slowly advance and admire flamingos, herons, black-winged stilts, sterns and many other fascinating birds.