Picture this: men and women cycling along the Via Emilia, which divides the city centre in half. The scent of freshly baked erbazzone that fills the air along the porticos. The cheerful chattering of Piazza Prampolini, which is home to the Sala and Museo del Tricolore, the place where the Flag of Italy was created. Reggio Emilia is truly a nice place to live in. You can also get here by train, thanks to the modern High-Speed Railway Station designed by architect Santiago Calatrava. Some must-see hotspots are the majestic Basilica della Madonna della Ghiara, which was built in response to an alleged miracle, and Collezione Maramotti (video), which is housed in the former premises of the Max Mara fashion house: it contains 200 works of modern and contemporary art and is open to visitors free of charge. In the area surrounding the city, there is a whole world waiting for you: from the calm countryside of the Po River (today a UNESCO MaB Reserve) to Brescello, the filming location of “Peppone e Don Camillo”; from the paintings by naive artist Antonio Ligabue, housed in Museo Gualtieri, up to the Apennines in the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park, another UNESCO MaB Reserve; last but not least, high-altitude meadows, the mysterious Pietra di Bismantova and the Via Matildica del Volto Santo path. But what about the food? Don’t worry: cheese factories, vinegar cellars and wineries welcome visitors on tasting tours.