and a coastline favoured by the Italians themselves. Emilia-Romagna combines the rich farmlands of the Po plain with dazzling cities strung like pearls along the straight-as-a-die Via Emilia. The regional capital, Bologna, is home to the world's oldest university, while the smaller cities are strikingly different, year-round destinations. Parma (the town of Correggio) has opera at its heart and prosciutto to delight the palate; Modena, with its stupendous medieval cathedral and world-famous balsamic vinegar, once home to Pavarotti and still to Ferrari; Ferrara boasts the House of Este's spectacular Renaissance architecture; Ravenna glitters with Byzantine mosaics; and Rimini - immortalised by Fellini in Amarcord - offers the hedonistic attractions of the coast. Then there are the Apennines along the Tuscan border, where you can venture beyond the flatlands of the Po to go trekking, cycling and skiing. Here lie some of the region's prettiest villages and towns, including Vignola, famous for cherries, and lovely medieval Castell'Arquato and the beautifully preserved Brisighella (famed for its olive oil and Moretto artichokes). Meanwhile, to the east, Romagna holds long sandy Adriatic beaches, wildlife-filled lagoons around the Po Delta, and the world's smallest republic, San Marino.