About twenty-five kilometres northwest up the Via Emilia from Modena, REGGIO EMILIA is a very different place from Modena, a quiet, ancient town that makes a good place to rest up for a while. It's admittedly sparse on sights, and has an air of neglect about it, but it's a pleasant enough town to wander through and is a feasible jumping-off point for travelling into the Reggiano Apennines.