All washed down with Bottura’s favourite bubbly red wine, Lambrusco. “It’s the most important wine in Emilia-Romagna,” he says. “Bubbly, fresh; super easy to drink as an aperitivo but also to match with some bollito misto.”
AlamyLook beyond Emilia-Romagna’s postcard medieval cities to discover its rolling hills and rugged mountain landscapes (Credit: Alamy)6. Best outdoor experience: head to the hills
Emilia-Romagna is just as famous for beautiful yellow and green hills as it is for exquisite medieval cities; its rolling countryside perfect for thrilling hikes and bike rides.
But Bottura, ever the speed demon, suggests kicking things up a notch. “You’re in Emilia-Romagna and you have a motorcycle? Come with the motorcycle,” he says. “Go on the Apennines up in the hills as I did with Stanley Tucci and CNN. You get the best Parmigiano Reggiano and ride your bike or your convertible in spring and summertime… it’s the most beautiful ride you can get.” Bottura’s favourite scenic stretch is the Parco del Delta del Po; a lush national park sprawling between the provinces of Ferrara and Ravenna, encompassing wetlands and an immense variety of wildlife, including 350 species of birds. “It’s close to the Po River in Romagna where the estuary is,” he says. “It’s one of the most beautiful, enchanting places in the world.”
Website: https://www.parcodeltapo.it/it/
Address: Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, 1, 45014 Porto Viro RO, Italy
Phone: +390426372202
Instagram: @parcodeltadelpo
BBC Travel’s The SpeciaList is a series of guides to popular and emerging destinations around the world, as seen through the eyes of local experts and tastemakers.
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Dining and Cooking