Ravello tourist information, hotels and travel
Ravello is one of the most attractive destinations on the Amalfi Coast. With a population of around 2,000, the settlement perches high above Amalfi, overlooking the Mediterranean. A renowned musical festival is held in Ravello every year, with classical music concerts taking place in gardens with breathtaking views, all through the summer months.
Ravello holiday information
Ravello, perched high on the cliffs above Amalfi, is famous for its views and its gardens. The town was once part of the Republic of Amalfi; now it is a peaceful historic village popular with tourists and honeymooners.
The principal Ravello tourist attractions are the two famous gardens, Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo. Both of these panoramic gardens are open to the public, and you can wander through the tropical plants and enjoy fabulous views of the coastline.
Ravello also has an impressive cathedral, the venerable Duomo, dedicated to San Pantaleone whose blood is a treasured relic and supposedly liquefies every year.The Museo del Duomo, in the crypt, is worth visiting. Exhibits include a lovely sculpted marble head of a woman by Nicola di Bartolomeo da Foggia (although this has been absent on loan to various exhibitions lately; we saw it in Rimini).
Ravello Tourist Information Office is easy to find in Piazza Duomo.
Ravello concerts
The dreamlike setting of Ravello’s gardens inspired Wagner, and it’s fitting that today music is a major feature of Ravello. The Ravello Concert Society organises a long season of chamber music concerts (March-November), most of which are held against a backdrop of sky and sea in the panoramic gardens of Wagner’s inspiration for Parsifal, the Villa Rufolo. Tickets can be bought online from the Society’s website (see links panel on the right). If there’s a concert on when you’re in Ravello, you really shouldn’t miss the opportunity to attend. The combination of scenery and music creates an atmosphere that you’re unlikely to forget.
Ravello travel information
Get to Ravello
If you’re using public transport to arrive in Ravello, you should aim firstly for Amalfi. Buses run uphill from Amalfi to Ravello. For more information about travelling to the Amalfi Coast, visit the Amalfi Coast page.
If you’re driving along the famously nerve-wracking Amalfi Coast roads, bear in mind that the winding roads can get congested, and parking in Ravello can be a challenge.
Ravello is high above Amalfi, and if you’re feeling fit you can actually walk back down into Amalfi following pleasant footpaths through cultivated agricultural terraces and then along the sea-front. I wouldn’t advise attempting this in really hot weather, though – we enjoyed the downhill walk but it was rather an exertion in the height of summer.
Ravello hotels
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