01Ravenna at a glance
A trip up the coast from Hotel Viking, the Antonioli family's 3-star hotel in Viserbella di Rimini. Ravenna is the city of mosaics, with eight early Christian and Byzantine monuments on the UNESCO World Heritage list, from San Vitale to the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, as well as Dante's Tomb.
The hotel is 47.7 km away, about 70 minutes by car, so you can be back by the sea in the evening for our Romagna cooking. For festivals and events during your stay, see events in Rimini.
| Where | Piazza del Popolo, 48121 Ravenna (RA) |
|---|---|
| From the hotel by car | 47.7 km, about 70 minutes |
| By train | Ravenna railway station |
| When to go | all year round, rainy days included |
02History and fun facts
- In December 1996 eight early Christian and Byzantine monuments in Ravenna were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list for the "supreme artistry of the mosaic art": the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia (Mausoleum of Galla Placidia), the Battistero Neoniano (Neonian Baptistery), the Battistero degli Ariani (Arian Baptistery), Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, the Cappella Arcivescovile (Archiepiscopal Chapel), the Mausoleo di Teodorico (Mausoleum of Theodoric), San Vitale and Sant'Apollinare in Classe.
- Ravenna was a capital three times over. First of the Western Roman Empire, from 402, when Emperor Honorius moved his court here from Milan. Then of the kingdom of Theodoric, King of the Goths. And finally of Byzantine Italy, until the Lombards took the city in 751.
- Bishop Ecclesius ordered the Basilica of San Vitale after a trip to Constantinople in 525. It was paid for by Julianus Argentarius and consecrated in 547 by Bishop Maximian, and it is the most visited monument in Ravenna.
- In the presbytery of San Vitale, Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora stand among their courtiers bearing a paten and a golden chalice as offerings. In the apse is a young, beardless Christ robed in purple, and at the top of the vault the Mystic Lamb. Gustav Klimt came to Ravenna in 1903, and what he saw here fed into his "golden period".
- From outside, the mid-5th-century Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is a plain brick building in the shape of a cross. Inside, the cobalt-blue dome is scattered with golden stars around a central cross, and the lunettes show the Good Shepherd and deer drinking at a pool. Galla Placidia died in 450 and was probably buried in Rome.
- Theodoric built Sant'Apollinare Nuovo between 493 and 526 as his Arian palace church. The nave walls are covered in mosaics from end to end, with scenes from the life of Christ and long processions of Martyrs and Virgins. The name "Nuovo" (New) dates from the 9th century, when the relics of Sant'Apollinare were brought here from Classe.
03Things to see and do
The Battistero Neoniano (Neonian Baptistery), beside the cathedral, is the best-preserved early Christian baptistery in the world. Bishop Neon (450-475) had its dome decorated: the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan, ringed by the twelve apostles carrying crowns.
The Battistero degli Ariani (Arian Baptistery) was built by Theodoric at the end of the 5th century. Its mosaic dome shows a young Christ being baptised, the river Jordan as an old man and the apostles walking towards a jewelled throne. It very nearly became a warehouse before the state took it over in 1914.
The Cappella Arcivescovile di Sant'Andrea (Archiepiscopal Chapel of St Andrew), decorated under Bishop Peter II (494-519), is inside the Museo Arcivescovile, which also holds Bishop Maximian's ivory throne. Over the entrance, a warrior Christ in armour tramples a lion and a serpent, and the vault of the vestibule is alive with doves, partridges, ducks and parrots.
The Mausoleo di Teodorico (Mausoleum of Theodoric), begun around 520, is built without mortar from blocks of Aurisina stone shipped in by sea. Its roof is a single piece of stone 10.76 metres across, thought to weigh about 290 tonnes. The upper chamber holds a red porphyry bath.
Sant'Apollinare in Classe, consecrated in 549, is easy to spot by its round bell tower. It stands a few kilometres outside the centre, where the city's first bishop was buried. In the apse, Sant'Apollinare prays among twelve lambs in a green landscape, beneath a great jewelled cross set in a sky of gold and silver stars.
Dante's Tomb is a small neoclassical temple designed by Camillo Morigia and built in 1780-1781. It holds the poet's bones, which Franciscan friars had hidden and which were found by chance in 1865. The lamp inside burns oil from the Tuscan hills, sent by Florence every year, and a canto of the Divine Comedy is read here every day.
Sources: turismo.ra.it · whc.unesco.org · ravennamosaici.it · museiravenna.cultura.gov.it. Information checked in October 2026.
04Visitor information
The monuments run by the Diocese share a combined ticket (2026 prices): "4 monuments" (Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, San Vitale, Mausoleo di Galla Placidia, Battistero Neoniano) €12.50; "5 monuments" (adding the Museo Arcivescovile and the Cappella di Sant'Andrea) €14.50; reduced for students and groups of more than 20 people €11.50 and €13.50; children aged 6-10 €2 and €4; free up to age 5. For Galla Placidia, the Battistero Neoniano and the Museo Arcivescovile you book an entry time. Tickets are sold online up to two hours in advance or at the ticket offices of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo (Via di Roma 53) and the Museo Arcivescovile (Piazza Arcivescovado 1). Opening times as published in October 2026: until 2 November 2026 daily 9am–7pm, from 3 November 2026 to 6 March 2027 daily 10am–5pm; closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The Battistero Neoniano is closed to visitors from 11:30am to 12:30pm on the last Saturday of the month for baptisms. The three state monuments have their own tickets, sold online or at the Fondazione RavennAntica ticket offices: Mausoleo di Teodorico daily 8:30am–5:30pm (€6), Battistero degli Ariani Monday to Thursday 9am–12pm and Friday to Sunday and public holidays 9am–12pm and 2pm–5pm (€3), Sant'Apollinare in Classe Monday to Saturday 8:30am–7:30pm and Sundays and public holidays 1:30pm–7:30pm (€6); combined ticket with the Museo Nazionale and the Palazzo di Teodorico €14. All three are free on the first Sunday of the month and on 4 November. Dante's Tomb is free to enter: 10am–7pm from 1 April to 31 October, 10am–6pm from 1 November to 31 March. The centre has camera-controlled restricted traffic zones (ZTL). Free car parks include Antico Lazzaretto (224 spaces) and Piazzale Natalina Vacchi (248), as well as the Pala De André and Cinema City park-and-ride car parks served by buses. You can get to Sant'Apollinare in Classe on bus no. 4 from Ravenna railway station, by train to Classe station or by bike, and has a large car park.
Opening hours, prices and dates may change: always check the official website before you go.
Sources: ravennamosaici.it · turismo.ra.it. Information checked in October 2026.
05How to get there from Hotel Viking
By car: 47.7 km, about 70 minutes. Ask at reception for the easiest route and the best places to park. Your space at the hotel stays free in our private car park, fenced and covered by CCTV.
Without a car: bus no. 4 stops 100 metres from the hotel (stop 25) and goes to Rimini station, where you can catch a regional train to Ravenna.
06Nearby
- Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe and the Museo Classis (Classe, about 5 km from the centre)
- Pineta di Classe, the pine forest Dante called "divina foresta spessa e viva" (the divine forest, dense and alive)
- Mirabilandia (about 10 km)
- Safari Ravenna
- Ravenna's beaches: Marina di Ravenna, Punta Marina, Lido di Savio
- Cervia, Milano Marittima and the salt pans (about 20 km)
- Cesenatico and Milano Marittima
- Mirabilandia
- Safari Ravenna
More ideas for days out on our things to do in Rimini and inland hills and villages pages.
07What our guests say
What guests say about the hotel's location and days out.
Day trips
«You can book trips inland with the help of the reception staff»
Handy for everything
«excellent location, close to everything, the sea included, but on a quiet street.»
08FAQ
How much is the combined ticket for the Ravenna mosaics?
In 2026 the "4 monuments" combined ticket (Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, San Vitale, Galla Placidia and the Battistero Neoniano) costs €12.50. The "5 monuments" ticket, which adds the Museo Arcivescovile and the Cappella di Sant'Andrea, costs €14.50. The Battistero degli Ariani, the Mausoleo di Teodorico and Sant'Apollinare in Classe are run by the state and need separate tickets (a combined ticket with the Museo Nazionale and the Palazzo di Teodorico costs €14).
Do you need to book to see the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia?
Yes. For the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia and the Battistero Neoniano (and the Museo Arcivescovile, with the 5-monument ticket) you need to pick an entry time. Booking online is free and you can do it up to two hours ahead. On busy days you only get 5 minutes inside these small monuments.
Is Dante's Tomb free?
Yes. Dante's Tomb at Via Dante Alighieri 9 is free to visit every day (10am–7pm from April to October, 10am–6pm from November to March; closed on 25 December).
How far is Ravenna from Hotel Viking?
47.7 km, about 70 minutes' drive from Viserbella di Rimini. Without a car, take the bus to Rimini station and then the train.
How long do you need to visit Ravenna?
A full day. The monuments in the centre take 4–5 hours on foot, and Sant’Apollinare in Classe is just outside the city.
Where should I stay to explore the Romagna Riviera?
Hotel Viking in Viserbella di Rimini: a 3-star hotel 150 metres from the sea, with a private car park, open all year and halfway between Ravenna and Gabicce.
