Nestled within the coronary heart of Italy’s Meals Valley in Emilia-Romagna sits the historic metropolis of Bologna. Though first-time guests to Italy typically overlook Bologna in favor of cosmopolitan Milan, Venice, Rome and Florence, vacationers “within the know” take the time to go to Bologna — a vibrant and foodie heart of Italy. There’s a lot to see and much more to eat, however you may “do” Bologna in sooner or later, whether or not you’re visiting on a day journey or staying in a single day in “La Grassa” (the fats one.)
A visit to Bologna needs to be in your “must-see” Italy checklist. Even in case you are quick on time, you and your loved ones can simply navigate compact and charming Bologna in sooner or later. If you’re questioning what to see in Bologna, properly it’s chock filled with medieval towers, beautiful colonnades, atmospheric cafes, Renaissance structure, and the tastiest pasta round.
For those who take an additional day whereas transiting between Florence and Venice, you’ll enjoyment of exploring certainly one of Italy’s finest meals cities. And, for those who can spend two days in Bologna, you may eat, I imply see, much more.
I’ve put collectively this 1 day in Bologna itinerary to make planning your journey simple. It cowl what to see in Bologna, one of the best excursions in Bologna, the place to remain in Bologna, and a few locations to eat that you simply don’t wish to miss in your go to. Plus, I’ve added some foodie bonuses you probably have slightly extra time in Bologna.
Is Bologna Value Visiting?
The quick reply is sure, Bologna is properly value not less than a brief go to, particularly in case you are trying to expertise extra of Italy’s meals tradition. However Bologna isn’t simply in regards to the meals. It’s also the house to the oldest repeatedly working College on the planet, with the College of Bologna courting again to 1088. Don’t be shocked for those who see younger individuals parading round with wreaths on their heads to point they’ve simply completed their coursework on the College.
With over 90,000 college students, Bologna is an brisk and thriving “scholar metropolis” that feels way more like a metropolis the place individuals reside, work, and research, than different Italian cities that appear like they’re largely populated by vacationers. This can provide a little bit of a chaotic vibe, with college students on bikes zipping right here and there, disregarding the visitors guidelines, and making cross the road really feel a bit like a sport of Frogger.
So in case you are searching for an genuine Italian expertise, with nice meals and a wealthy historical past and progressive tradition, put Bologna in your Italy itinerary!
Bologna first got here on my radar over 10 years in the past when a good friend shared images of the attractive porticos in Bologna. On the time I believed, if I ever go to Bologna, I want to search out out the place these porticos are to verify I see them. Later I realized that there are 42 kilometers of porticos within the historic metropolis heart of Bologna, so discovering some to {photograph} shouldn’t be a problem.
A few of these have been broken throughout bombings in World Warfare II. Even then, Bologna was an anti-fascist capital (resulting in the nickname as a “crimson” metropolis even right this moment with left-leaning tendencies). These at the moment are protected and since 2021, Bologna is called the “Metropolis of Porticoes” following its nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Web site. In 2006, Bologna was additionally named the UNESCO “Metropolis of Music”, which contributes to a wealthy musical custom and a vigorous nightlife.
The meals. The frenetic power. The training. The music. The tradition. There are numerous causes that make Bologna value visiting.
What to See In Bologna in One Day
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With 24 hours in Bologna, you may tour town, eat your approach by way of city, store beneath intricate porticos, and even rejoice with locals. And in case you are staying longer, be sure you try this first-timer’s information to Bologna.
Morning: tour town
Exploration of town of Bologna virtually all the time begins in Piazza Maggiore, the beating coronary heart of town. That is the place you can find The Basilica di San Petronio, Palazzo del Podesta (a civic constructing with a quiet courtyard), and the well-known Neptune’s Fountain.
Piazza maggiore
By the best way, for those who go to with a information, be sure you ask them to point out you the angle of Neptune that’s sculptor Giambologna’s little FU to the Papacy that commissioned the fountain, however who later objected to its Pagan sensuality.
The Basilica di San Petronio is the most important within the metropolis (and the sixth largest in Europe), devoted to Petronio, the Patron Saint of the Metropolis, who was a Bishop within the fifth century. This church dominates the sq. however shouldn’t be town’s official cathedral, that’s the Duomo di San Pietro (not the identical saint), simply down the street. Whereas the facade of the church is unfinished, this was all the time meant as a public area for the individuals and the church really wasn’t even consecrated till 1954. Simply do not forget that for those who go to, you’ll need coated knees and shoulders for entry.
BOlogna Excursions
It’s simple to discover these landmarks by yourself, however for a extra in-depth have a look at Bologna and its historical past, I’d suggest taking a metropolis tour.
There are numerous methods to discover Bologna’s highlights and hidden gems. I took a three-hour strolling tour within the morning with WithLocals. My information was Margherita and she or he was full of information and enjoyable tales, serving to me get my bearings and be taught a bit extra in regards to the lengthy and attention-grabbing historical past of Bologna. She has a Bachelor’s Diploma in International Languages & Cultures in Bologna and nice perception into the previous streets, lovely monuments, Medieval towers, church buildings, museums, and the meals traditions of Bologna.
One other option to discover, which is particularly enjoyable with teenagers is by segway! Lisa and her daughter took a BolognaAway Metropolis Tour to zoom round this spectacular Italian metropolis. Their energetic and lovely tour information, co-owner Vanessa, expertly led them by way of this colourful metropolis on petite Ninebot-like transporters. (Observe: contributor Lisa and her daughter got complimentary excursions for functions of evaluation.)
These slighter smaller and lighter weight Segway sort machines make metropolis maneuvering really easy…and a lot extra enjoyable for teenagers (and adults too). This firm prioritizes security, ensuring that we felt snug utilizing the Segway earlier than setting off by way of the streets.
I’d additionally suggest a non-public strolling tour of Bologna with LivTours, certainly one of my favourite companions for small-group and personal excursions in Italy.
TIP: Schedule a tour early within the day so you may orient your self and determine the place you wish to spend the remainder of your afternoon.
Most excursions will cowl the primary highlights of what to see in Bologna, however it would be best to test the tour description to see for those who merely see these sights from the skin or have a guided tour of the within as properly. It will typically depend upon how lengthy your tour is (and clearly you aren’t going inside many locations with a segway!)
Whether or not you tour by yourself or with a information, there are a number of must-see sights in Bologna that you simply wish to squeeze into your sooner or later in Bologna. You’ll be able to match many of those into one morning.
Two Towers
After beginning on the Piazza Maggiore and seeing the Neptune fountain the Basilica di San Petronio, it’s five-minute stroll to the Asinelli Twin Towers. These buildings have been constructed by rich Bolognese households to exhibit their wealth, which is why you’ve got two proper subsequent to one another — making an attempt to compete to be the tallest. At this time these towers lean barely and aren’t in a position to maintain an elevator.
So if you wish to climb the Asinelli tower, which was constructed between 1109 and 1119, you’ll need to come back again after your tour and climb 498 steps to the highest. Simply be sure you ebook your tickets a number of days upfront! Once I visited in October, it was nonetheless fairly heat and I had no need to get sizzling and sweaty climbing to the highest. (Tip: in order for you one other view with out fairly as many energy traces from the cable automobiles, it’s also possible to climb to the panoramic terrace on the Basilica di San Petronio.)
Seven Church buildings
From the Two Towers, it’s a 5 minute stroll to the advanced of the Seven Church buildings at Basilica di Santo Stefano and Piazza Santo Stefano, one of many prettiest squares in Bologna. The doorway to this advanced of church buildings begins on the Church of the Crucifix (Chiesa del Crocifisso). Your information can discover the distinctive historical past of how these church buildings happened and their distinctive histories.
In between the varied buildings you may take a peaceable break within the Pilato Courtyard and medieval cloister.
Teatro Anatomico
From the Seven Church buildings it’s a seven-minute stroll over the Teatro Anatomico. At first I believed, why on earth would I wish to see an previous anatomical theater, the place college students realized to function utilizing cadavers? However not solely is that this room an architectural marvel, its historical past, in excessive distinction with the management of the church and papacy which was decidedly anti-science, was equally fascinating. This can be a tiny glimpse into Bologna’s buzzing College Quarter.
This amphitheater was was designed in 1637 for anatomical classes and it was constructed by the Bolognese architect Antonio Paolucci. The partitions are product of spruce wooden and festooned with statues depicting twelve well-known physicians. The ornate wooden ceilings are a masterpiece. As gory because the historical past of the room is perhaps, it would be best to sit down and take time to understand the small particulars.
By this time you’ll most likely be getting hungry for lunch. There are extra landmarks to see however these are the highest highlights and can go away you loads of time to discover the attractive streets by yourself later. Some excursions may embrace a go to to the Bologna’s “secret window” that gives a view of the “Venice of Bologna.”
Simply understand that these canals in Bologna are generally drained to be cleaned through the fall, so your view is probably not as fairly as it’s at different occasions of 12 months.
Afternoon: Eat and Discover Some Extra
In any case that strolling you may be hungry so attempt to beeline it over to Sfoglia Rina. This famend pasta store can have a line out the door by midday. For those who get there late and aren’t ready to attend, there are many tempting cafes to be discovered at each nook. However ready at Sfoglia Rina is value it.
The women at Sfoglia Rina make tortellini by hand. You’ll be able to select recent pasta to go on the counter (no wait) or sit within the cafe, opened in 2010, and revel in a scrumptious meal. I’d extremely suggest the easy dish of tortellini in brodo, which is simply the small stuffed pasta in a wealthy hen broth that’s higher than any tortellini soup you’ve got ever had.
The desserts are additionally scrumptious. I attempted a fig cheesecake that was unimaginable. As soon as your abdomen is full, it’s time to discover extra of Bologna. Perhaps it’s time to climb these 498 steps up the Medieval Asinelli tower to burn off these energy.
Different highlights embrace the beautiful Library of Archiginnasio, stroll by way of the previous Jewish ghetto, or simply benefit from the many miles of porticos!
For a style of the oldest procuring space, meander alongside the By way of Drapperie and discover the atmospheric Quadrilatero space. If your loved ones prefers to buy till you drop, take a break from sightseeing and stroll beneath the porticos procuring in lovely boutiques.
Early Night: Take a Meals Tour!
An absolute should in Bologna is to eat and eat and eat some extra. This culinary epicenter of Italy has a bounty of tasty treats. To be taught extra in regards to the foodie tradition of this area, Lisa joined proprietor of Scrumptious Bologna, Mattia Tozzoli, on his expertly curated mouth-watering meals tour to point out us the place to eat in Bologna.
From hidden, small family-owned connoisseur shops, to sitting right down to share a tasty meal, 4 hours with Mattia leaves friends educated about wine, home-made pasta, pizza, native cured meat, cheese, balsamic vinegar, espresso, and small batch gelato!
This tour allows you to pattern all kinds of Bolognese merchandise in just some hours. If your loved ones wish to go to an operational pasta manufacturing facility as a part of the expertise, try Scrumptious Bologna’s morning tour.
A spotlight on our meals tour was our enjoyable sit down dinner at a neighborhood conventional trattoria sampling hundreds (actually heaping plates) of varied native pastas. Proprietor Mattia’s ardour for meals and his roots within the surrounding Emilia Romagna area are instantly evident! This gastronomic tour contains hidden spots and attention-grabbing historic tidbits.
Once I went to Bologna, I wasn’t in a position to match a tour with Scrumptious Bologna into my schedule so I booked a Bologna meals tour with Style Bologna as a substitute. It was a shorter, much less formal tour with stops in a bakery, butchery, cheese store, the well-known Osteria del Sole (see beneath), a stroll by way of a neighborhood meals market (Mercato del Herbe), a sampling of varied pizza, and ending with a cease at an artisanal gelato store.
Fortunately there are lots of meals excursions to select from in Bologna together with:
Anytime: Hold Out with the locals
Bologna is the last word school city and the youthful vibe that permeates town is contagious. Our spotlight was visiting through the world-famous Sotto Le Stelle Del Cinema or open-air film pageant situated within the heart of town, Piazza Maggiore.
You’ll be able to pay to order a seat upfront or mimic the locals grabbing some takeout pizza and gelato and lounging on the church steps picnicking through the movie. Some nights, such because the evening we visited, even characteristic English-language motion pictures.
A priceless reminiscence for us was ending our go to to this magical metropolis experiencing what it’s wish to be a neighborhood on this area of Italy.
One other enjoyable option to socialize with locals is by selecting up some mortadella, cheese, and bread on the markets and head over to Osteria del Sole, the oldest enoteca in Bologna. Welcoming locals since 1465, this osteria doesn’t serve meals however you may deliver your personal picnic. This no-frills surroundings is a real native institution.
Extra Meals Experiences
If in case you have extra time in Bologna, you’ve got time for extra meals experiences!
Cooking Class with Cesarine
On my second day in Italy, I made a decision to take a cooking class. There are numerous choices, however I needed to strive a cooking class with Cesarine, a community of over 1,500 house cooks throughout Italy who train cooking lessons utilizing their household recipes of their houses. I met my information and instructor Paola in Piazza Maggiore. From there we toured the markets, selecting up elements that we might use throughout our cooking demo. We then walked to her charming residence simply exterior of the historic heart.
Over the course of the following couple of hours, I realized to make piadina, a delicate Italian flatbread that we later served with cheese and meats that we picked up on the markets as an apertivo. Subsequent, we made the dough for tagliatelle pasta — certainly one of my favorites. After making ready a tiramisu for dessert and taking a break for the apertivo, I realized (or tried not less than) easy methods to roll out the pasta by hand to that excellent, delicate thinness essential to make the proper pasta bolognese.
We didn’t make the bolognese meat sauce within the class, since that takes hours to simmer, however Paola did share her personal recipe and we used the bolognese that she ready earlier than I arrived. When the whole lot was ready, it was time to eat! Whereas I took a cooking class by myself, this may even be such a enjoyable exercise to do with a household or mates. I extremely suggest making an attempt to slot in a cooking class if you are in Bologna!
Tour Meals Valley
From Bologna, I continued on to Parma, from which I took a full day tour of the Meals Valley, however it’s also possible to take this tour from Bologna. If in case you have ever seen the Bologna episode of Stanley Tucci’s Looking for Italy, you’ll respect this tour as you’re mainly following in Stanley’s footsteps!
My tour with Meals Valley Journey was unimaginable! I began out visiting a cheese manufacturing facility and obtained to see how parmesan cheese (and a few ricotta) is made and aged, which was fascinating and a glimpse into the place meals comes from. In fact, every cease ended with a tasting (belief me there was no want for dinner once I was lastly deposited again on the lodge.) Our subsequent cease was at a parma ham producer and wow, I’ve by no means seen a lot pork in my life.
Though I used to be already getting full, it was subsequent time for lunch at a neighborhood vineyard with superb views of the meals valley. There was wine, there was cheese and meats, and, after all, pasta. Fortunately the following cease was at a Balsamic vinegar producer at a household vineyard, since tasting small quantities of this liquid gold is sweet to your digestion. Attending to style the varied agings of each cheese, ham, and vinegar was such a incredible foodie expertise!
Fico Eataly World
Sadly, each Lisa and I weren’t in a position to go to FICO Eataly World (situated simply exterior town) once we have been in Bologna both for lack of time or as a result of they have been closed on these days. Eataly has been described a theme park-like sprawling campus devoted to the tradition, traditions and craftsmanship of Italian meals (free entry, pay per exercise).
Your loved ones can take insider excursions of culinary factories, join cooking lessons, and actually style your approach by way of all of Italy’s culinary delights. Eataly presents many family-friendly actions for all ages.
Attending to Bologna
You’ll be able to typically discover reasonably priced flights to Bologna that join by way of Europe to G. Marconi Airport Bologna (BLQ). Getting from the airport to town heart is straightforward utilizing the brand new Folks Mover practice from the airport to the Central Station (Stazione Centrale). This high-speed practice takes solely seven minutes and is kind of reasonably priced (you should buy tickets utilizing contactless cost on-site.)
For those who want to go on to your lodge while not having to tug your baggage by way of busy streets, a taxi from the practice station will take roughly 15-Half-hour and value about 20 euro. There are taxis out there on the airport however if you wish to prepare a switch out of your lodge to the airport with out worrying about ready time, I’d suggest scheduling a visit with Welcome Pickups.
Many guests arrive in Bologna by way of practice into Stazione Central from cities throughout Italy. Personally, I discovered the practice from Verona to Bologna very simple to make use of, at the same time as a solo traveler with massive baggage. From the practice station, it’s a 15-20 minute simple stroll to the middle of city. Nevertheless, for those who don’t wish to drag your baggage, you may simply seize a taxi. Simply understand that that practice station in Bologna is kind of massive, so when departing you wish to give your self time to get to the correct platform.
The place to Keep in Bologna
Lisa discovered the well-centered boutique Artwork Resort Novecento to be the best base for our keep in Bologna. This lodge nestled within the historic heart of town at Piazza Galileo is simply across the nook from the vigorous Piazza Maggiore.
The included bountiful breakfast buffet that includes native culinary merchandise supplied us with a hearty begin to our day by day adventures. The employees at this contemporary lodge went above and past to reply all our questions and assist us map out our day’s plans.
Once I visited Bologna in October, I stayed on the Grand Majestic Resort “Glia Baglioni”, a 5-star property in a wonderful location within the metropolis heart. Whereas it’s pricier than different resorts I stayed at in Northern Italy, for a brief keep and luxury, the situation can’t be beat. My room wasn’t massive but it surely was pretty, with a view looking on the Duomo di San Pietro.
The Grand Majestic Resort is a part of American Categorical’ assortment of High-quality Inns, which suggests for those who ebook by way of American Categorical Journey utilizing your AmEx Platinum, you’ll obtain sure perks like a possible improve and a $100 meals and beverage credit score, which I used at I Carracci, a superb eating restaurant within the lodge. At the moment, I used to be additionally in a position to obtain a $200 credit score for reserving a High-quality Inns Assortment property on my AmEx Platinum, which made this luxurious lodge very reasonably priced for a brief keep.
It’s well-worth spending sooner or later in Bologna (or extra.) I’d wish to return to strive extra eating places and get slightly extra off-the-beaten-path. On the similar time, I’ll admit that I take pleasure in a number of the quieter cities like Parma and Verona a bit extra, however I’d nonetheless say to go, not less than as soon as.
This text was initially written by Lisa Grabelle and I’ve since revised and up to date it primarily based by myself expertise spending two days in Bologna. Lisa is a journey author for Hilton Suggests and has been touring all her life. You’ll be able to observe Lisa on Twitter or Instagram.
