DAY 1 - MARINA DI RAVENNA to RAVENNA - 21 April 2026

Ceremonial selfie to mark the start of the walk - Marina di Ravenna

After a wonderful week with family and friends we were very excited to begin our walk today! 

We flagged down the 5:30 am bus to get to Marina di Ravenna, our starting point,  in time for sunrise over the Adriatic. We walked along the breakwater, marvelling over the fishing huts jutting out into the sea.  One of them provided a temporary shelter as we scrambled into wet weather gear when the weather changed. 

Luckily the rain and wind did not last for long.  The wet boardwalk and early morning light made for good photography as we followed a coastal bike path. Many of the beach shack restaurants,  closed at the moment,  looked as if they could be washed away in a good storm! 

Leaving the coast, our path took us through fields of crops and workers planting trees before heading back into Ravenna for breakfast and a rest at our hotel.

Ravenna is known for its wonderful mosaics. We had viewed two glorious UNESCO listed sites the evening before, the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia with its starry dome and the Basilica di San Vitale with interest everywhere,  including religious scenes in mosaics above and a labyrinth in marble on the floor. This afternoon we continued our explorations with visits to three more sites featuring amazing mosaics, as well as Dante's tomb,  a sunken crypt complete with goldfish in the Basilica di San Francesco and the covered market. Our lunch was the delicious local speciality of piadina, a stuffed flatbread. While wandering the streets we found a second hand book shop, and as fellow bookshop owners were delighted to have a chat with Fabrizio.

We didn't have time to view all of Ravenna's treasures but are looking forward to continuing our walk tomorrow. 

Sunrise over the Adriatic Sea

Fishing huts on the breakwater

Where the breakwater meets the shore, Marina di Ravenna

Boardwalk by the sea

We followed the coastal cycle path for a few kilometres

As the rain eased off, we stopped for a few photos

Heading west towards Ravenna

A short stretch of road-walking

The cycleway was mostly divided from the road 

Cyclists and walker using umbrellas to keep off the rain

Australian long-distance walker enjoying the sights of Ravenna

Piadina for lunch

We found a secondhand bookshop . . . 

. . . and had a pleasant conversation with the owner, Fabrizio

Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo 

Museo Arcivescovile

Basilica di San Vitale - labyrinth and mosaics

Mausoleo di Galla Placidia 

Day 1 - Map

Day:                                1

Distance:                       13.58 km

Walking time:               2 hrs  24 mins

Elevation gain:             9 metres (yes, it was flat!)

Cumulative distance:  13.58 km