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THINGS TO DO
Eat your way through the Quadrilatero food market
The medieval market quarter behind the Piazza Maggiore — a grid of narrow lanes of food shops, salumerias, pasta makers and trattorias, the food heart of Italy’s food capital.
Cities & Culture
Bologna
A medieval university city of porticoes and brick towers — Italy’s food capital in the heart of the Po valley.
QUICK INFORMATION
- COUNTRY
- Italy
- REGION
- Emilia-Romagna
- BEST TIME TO VISIT
- April to June and September to October
- DURATION
- 1–2 days
ABOUT THE DESTINATION
Bologna is the capital of Emilia-Romagna, home to the oldest university in the western world and a medieval centre of nearly 40 kilometres of porticoes and two leaning towers. Long nicknamed La Grassa for its rich cuisine, it sits at the crossroads of the Po valley and the Apennines and is one of Italy’s great food cities.
MAP & LOCATION
Bologna
HISTORY & CULTURE
The Story Behind the Place
Bologna was an Etruscan and then a Roman settlement, named Bononia, on the Via Emilia. In 1088 its university was founded — the oldest in the western world — and the city became the centre of European legal learning, drawing students from across the continent. As a medieval commune it was one of the wealthiest cities in Italy, and its families built the towers that still dot the skyline; its porticoes, built to enlarge the upper floors of the houses, grew into the nearly 40 kilometres of covered arcades that are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The papacy took the city in the 16th century and held it until the unification of Italy, and the Archiginnasio was built to consolidate the university under papal control. Today Bologna is the capital of Emilia-Romagna, the food capital of Italy, and a university city whose historic centre is one of the best preserved in the country.
TOP THINGS TO DO
Experiences Not to Miss
TOP ATTRACTIONS
Sights & Highlights of Bologna
FOOD & DRINK
WHERE TO EAT
01
Trattoria di Via Serra — a beloved trattoria for handmade pasta and Bolognese classics, book ahead
02
Osteria Bottega — a wine bar and trattoria for the best tortellini in brodo in the city
03
Trattoria Anna — a no-frills trattoria in the market quarter for tagliatelle al ragù and boiled meats
04
Salumeria Simoni — a salumeria in the Quadrilatero for a mortadella sandwich and a glass of Lambrusco
05
Drogheria della Rosa — a romantic trattoria in a vintage grocery for refined Emilian cooking
HOTELS & STAYS
WHERE TO STAY
01
Grand Hotel Majestic gia Baglioni — a grand hotel in a 16th-century palace near the station, with a rooftop
02
Hotel Porta San Mamolo — a charming garden hotel just inside the old walls, a quiet base
03
Art Hotel Commercianti — a boutique hotel near the Piazza Maggiore, in a medieval building
04
Hotel Al Cappello Rosso — a historic hotel near the Piazza Maggiore, in business since 1375
ITINERARIES
Keep Driving
More here soon — the road is still being mapped.
NATURE & WILDLIFE
The Living Landscape
Bologna sits at the foot of the Apennines, where the Po valley meets the hills, and the green slopes of the Colle della Guardia and the Monte della Guardia rise immediately to the southwest. The portico of San Luca climbs through the woods to the sanctuary on the hill, and the parks of the Montagnola and the Giardini Margherita give the city its green spaces within the walls. Beyond the city, the Apennines and the regional parks of the Emilian foothills are within a short drive, and the Po valley stretches north to the river and the rice fields.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Practical Information
Getting There
Bologna is reached by air via Marconi airport (a monorail to the centre). High-speed trains run to Bologna Centrale from Rome (2h), Florence (35min), Milan (1h) and Venice (1h30) — it is the main rail junction of northern Italy. The station is a 15-minute walk from the Piazza Maggiore.
Park Entrances
The Asinelli tower climb is ticketed and timed; book ahead. The Archiginnasio Anatomical Theatre is on a small ticket. The churches and the squares are free.
How Long to Stay
Allow two full days. The centre, the Two Towers, the Archiginnasio and the food market fill a day; a second day lets you walk the San Luca portico and reach FICO or the Apennines.
When to Go
April to June and September to October are ideal — mild, bright and perfect for the portico walks. July and August are hot; winter is quiet, with the food festivals in January.
What to Wear & Bring
Comfortable shoes for the porticoes and the towers, a healthy appetite, and a reservation at a trattoria — the best book up.
Accessibility & Mobility
The centre is largely flat and porticoed, which makes it one of the more accessible Italian old towns; the Asinelli climb is stairs only and not accessible, and the San Luca portico has slopes.
WEATHER
Bologna — Current conditions & forecast
Forecast data from Open-Meteo. Updated regularly.
TRAVEL GUIDES · STORIES
More here soon — the road is still being mapped.
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