APARTMENT RENTAL: 2 BEDROOMS, SLEEPS 5 IN FERRARA CITY

We have spent four wonderful days in November 2011 in Ombretta Fabbri's comfortable apartment. The apartment is spacious, beautifully decorated, equipped with all you may need and right in the city centre. And we had a chance to live in a Renaissance palace! Ombretta was very kind and helpful - a perfect guest. We're looking forward to the day when we can return.

The two bedroom accommodation was charming and perfect for ourselves and our adult daughter-everything was provided and of a high standard , and the airconditioning was a boon in the glorious hot weather we enjoyed.
Our host was extremely gracious providing some great advice on restaurants and tips about local travel etc.
The apartment is well located with a bar,gelateria and coffee shop downstairs, supermarkets close by and the centre and old town only a short walk away.There is a convenient and frequent bus service to the railway station with Venice , Ravenna and Bologna less than an hour away by train.
Being at the top of a beautiful restored building there are several flights of steps to contend with-we are over 60 and found them no trouble but needs to be considered if accessibility is a priority.
Bottom line-we loved it and would highly recommend this property.

Ferrara appeared to be the right place from where to explore this part of Italy, with easy train connections to Bologna, Ravenna, Padova et cetera. Ferrara is a lively city without tourist groups blocking the doors of its great attractions or spoiling the beautiful squares and car-free streets. It happened to be the town where we really wanted to be and stay longer if we could. We visited the finest palazzo’s and museums, we strolled around and had a “spritz” in the afternoon at Barraria Giori near the Castle to observe street life with groups of old fashioned men gathering in the middle of the street for their daily conversation. The cobbled streets in the centre are for walkers and slow bikers. Everyone goes on a bike. We biked over the city walls and out of town to the river Po too. Our kind hostess Ombretta Fabbri had three bikes ready for us in her garage beside the court of the palazzo. We adored her spacious apartment and its tasteful interior. We felt at home too. It was exactly what we were looking for. Really a wonderful classic palazzo, divided in chic apartments. A quite famous writer stayed here for two months we noticed from the guest book. Such a place it is. We had breakfast with fresh bread, strawberries and prosciutto from the little shops just down the sidestreet. Each morning I stepped out of the court into the arcade with Bar Ariosto on my left hand for a cappuccino (you can sit under the old vaults of the arcade in the shade for hours) and an ice cream parlour on my right hand for the best ice cream in town (but not tasted by us before breakfast). I was reading Giorgio Bassani and at the same time following him into the Via Borso from the apartment window. Reading him gives Ferrara extra flavour, because he wrote topographically so beautiful of the town of his youth, and very little has changed, I believe. The piazza Ariostea has a great atmosphere, rather quiet during daytime, vivacious in the evening. Ombretta collected and delivered us from and to the airport bus with her teenager car (18 years old). Even the weather was perfect during our one week holidays in the spring with one or two cooler days for a change. Yes, we’ll be back to re-sense Ferrara and add to our perception Mantova, the Adriatic Coast and other places which we missed yet. My favorite book in the apartment was a picture book with old postcards. We wish Ombretta good luck in maintaining the apartment for her visitors.
Luka (12), Erika & Leendert, Amsterdam