King Charles and Queen Camilla will visit the beautiful Italian city Ravenna to mark 80 years since its liberation from Nazi occupation. Ravenna is about 75 miles south of Venice and can be overlooked as hordes of tourists flock to the watery city.

When they are in Ravenna, Charles and Camilla will see the tomb of the Italian writer, Dante, with plans for the King to also pay a solo visit to the Basilica di San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia - two of the city's highlights. Camilla, meanwhile, is expected to make a trip to the Byron Museum, which is dedicated to the flamboyant poet who lived in Ravenna, where he had an affair with a married Italian noblewoman.

The King and Queen will no doubt draw cheering royal fans when they visit the city, which when I went in March was surprisingly free of tourist crowds. The sites and streets were busy, but mostly bustling with Italians.

Ravenna's biggest draw is its mosaics, which date back to the 5th and 6th Century and really are breathtaking. Arguably, the most famous mosaic is in the Basilica of San Vitale.

Made up of thousands of small tiles, the mosaic is a feast of colour, depicting the Byzantine emperor, Justinian, and his consort, Theodora.

A stone's throw away is the Mausoleum of Galla Placidiaz, where light filters through alabaster windows to illuminate an enchanting mosaic of a night sky filled with stars under the vault.

History buffs will want to have a look inside the National Museum of Ravenna, which is next door to San Vitale. It includes an impressive array of Roman relics dating back to the 1st and 3rd centuries.

If two stunning mosaics aren't enough already, Ravenna boasts even more at Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Neonian Baptistery and Arian Baptistery. There is also a whole floor of Ravenna Art Museum dedicated to mosaics and, for the eagle eyed, there are mosaics on street signs, designed to look like video game characters by the French street artist, Invader.

At Piazza della Resistenza stands the beautiful monumental fountain Ardea Purpurea by artist Marco Bravura. Easily overlooked, it is well worth a look.

Definitely not to be overlooked is Sant'Apollinare in Classe, which features an iconic mosaic showing an emerald green garden and haloed Saint Apollinaire, his hands raised in prayer. Classe itself is about five miles away from Ravenna, but easily reached by public transport, taxi or bike. The museum behind the Church also gives a great insight into the history of the region, which acted as the capital of Byzantine Italy. Opposite the museum is Bar al Museo Cafe, where you can grab a coffee among the locals.

Apart from Sant'Apollinare in Classe, all Ravenna's main sites are within walking distance of each other. The city makes a perfect weekend city break, particularly outside high season.

I stayed at Casa Gugù, a Bed and Breakfast in the centre of Ravenna hosted by the friendliest staff. It's also seconds away from I Furfanti, a popular restaurant with a very decent selection of wine, pizza and pasta dishes.

There are lots of eateries worth checking in Ravenna, including Mercato Coperto, an indoor market where you can also buy fresh pasta, cakes and pastries.

At the time of writing there weren't any direct flights to Ravenna. I flew from London Luton to Bologna with Ryanair then jumped in a taxi for the 20 minute ride from the airport to Bologna's central railway station. From there, I took a train to Ravenna. The journey took about 90 minutes. A one way ticket cost eight euros. It's about 10 minutes on foot from Ravenna Station to the centre of the city.