The region of Emilia-Romagna is home to sweeping farmlands and some of the best food in Italy, and to dozens of castles, many of which are free or very cheap to enter. Here is a list of nine of our favorite castles, each paired with an excellent local restaurant so you can enjoy a long, leisurely meal after your visit.

Little Roads now offers day-trip planning - from cities like Milan, Florence, Dublin, Cork - out into the countryside.

Prospective visitors to Rome always want to see the same things: The Vatican. The Colosseum. The Forum. The problem is, everyone has the same ideas, and everyone is there. But there are alternatives to the typical Roman visit, offering visitors a chance to take in every bit of the beauty and antiquity of this storied empire without being caught up in jostling swarms of noisy tourists.