The city of Ferrara is located in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. For its beauty and cultural importance it has been qualified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Ferrara is sometimes referred to as the Italian hot air balloon capital due to hosting an annual hot air balloon festival.
The Ferrara Balloons Festival was established in 2005 as a national event and became an international hot air balloon festival two years later. The ten-day festival features about 50 hot air balloons from all over Italy and Europe, including special shape balloons, and attracts over 120,000 visitors every year.
The festival is held at the Giorgio Bassani Urbana Park located just outside the Renaissance city walls. The balloons take off twice a day, at dawn and at dusk, weather permitting. Attendees can enjoy the view from the ground or experience a hot air balloon flight themselves. Hot air balloon flights are paid, a single flight will cost you at least € 150. The flight lasts for about an hour. You can also book an anchored flight in a tethered balloon, which is much cheaper.
Alongside balloon flights, the program of the festival includes various sports, cultural, and entertainment events for attendees of all ages. The festival site is divided into three areas (Children’s Village, Sports Village and Renaissance Village) that offer exciting activities.
The Children’s Village is a perfect place for family entertainment. It offers various inflatables and amusement rides, creative workshops for children, pony rides, and other children’s activities. The Sports Village features sports facilities and various kinds of free activities such as demonstrations, performances, and tournaments. Visitors get a chance to experience multiple disciplines, including dancing, skating, gymnastics, equestrian sport, oriental martial arts, and others.
Finally, the Renaissance Village provides the ultimate Renaissance fair experience. It features an art and craft marketplace, performances by various artists (musicians, magicians, buskers, dancers), sword fighting tournaments and demonstrations, historical reenactments, parades, and more.
Photo: Marco Libanori
