Discover Ferrara
See Ferrara on foot, live it by bike.
The Castello Estense is across the square. From here, the whole historic centre is a few minutes away: the Renaissance palaces, the ghetto, the medieval streets, and around them the city walls, to ride round by bike.
Palaces and museums
How long it takes on foot.
Times are on foot from the hotel. The Castello Estense is under restoration until 2030 and only partly open: the right moment to discover the city around it.
The Palaces and museums guide · PDF 730 kB- 2 minCastello EstenseUnder restoration until 2030: only partly open to visitors
- 3 minTeatro ComunaleOpera, concerts and drama; guided tours by booking
- 5 minCathedral
- 7 minJewish ghetto
- 8 minPalazzo Prosperi Sacrati
- 9 minPalazzo dei DiamantiMajor art exhibitions and the Pinacoteca. Open tickets for the exhibitions are available at reception
- 9 minVia delle Volte
- 9 minPalazzo Barbantini-Koch
- 11 minPalazzo MassariCheck it is open before you go
- 11 minCasa Romei
- 13 minMEIS
- 18 minPalazzo Schifanoia
The city walls
The best loop to start with.
- Length
- About 9 km
- Times
- About 2 hours 20 minutes on foot, about an hour by bike
- Routes
- Two: on top of the walls and outside them, both lit
- Access
- Always open and free
- Where to go up
- Porta degli Angeli, Porta Catena, Torrione di San Giovanni Battista, Porta Paola, Bagni Ducali
Tips · Spotted by Zeno
The places I know and go to.
Restaurants, shops, artisans, bars for an aperitivo, and outside the city Comacchio and Ravenna. Not a list of addresses: these are the places I go to myself, with the walking time from the hotel and notes for people who eat vegetarian, vegan or gluten free.
Further afield
Out of town, towards the sea.
Frequently asked questions.
Can you visit the Castello Estense?
Only in part: it is under restoration until 2030. It is a 2-minute walk from the hotel, right opposite.
How long is the walk round the city walls?
About 9 km: about 2 hours 20 minutes on foot, about an hour by bike. There are two routes, on top of the walls and outside them, always open and lit.
How far is Palazzo dei Diamanti from the hotel?
About 9 minutes on foot. Open tickets for the exhibitions are available at reception.
Where can you eat well in Ferrara?
Zeno has gathered the places he knows and goes to, with the walking time from the hotel, in the PDF «Tips Spotted by Zeno». You can download it from this page.
Can you get around Ferrara by bike?
Yes, and it is the best way: the city is flat. We hire out city bikes at €15 a day, also to people who are not staying with us.
Where to stay in Comacchio or the Po Delta?
Comacchio is 53 km away by car. Zeno recommends a night at Al Ponticello, with Sarah and Riccardo: Riccardo is a nature guide and takes you to the most beautiful places in Comacchio and the lagoons. In the Delta, at Santa Giulia di Porto Tolle (80 km by car), a night at Osteria Arcadia, with a boat trip in the lagoons and Ostra Bora, the oyster farmed by the owner’s son.
