Bologna

Information

Bologna is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy, with a population of 390,000 inhabitants and about one million in the metropolitan area. Famous for its towers and churches, Bologna has a well preserved historical centre, thanks to a careful restoration and conservation policy which began at the end of the 1970’s. Home to the oldest university of the world, the University of Bologna, established in 1088 AD, the city has a large student population that gives it a cosmopolitan character. Bologna is an important agricultural, industrial, financial and transport hub, where many large companies have their headquarters. 

What To See...

Piazza Maggiore

Piazza Maggiore is the most central spot of Bologna and definitely one of the sights worth visiting. Neptune’s famous fountain and the beautiful temple of Santo Petronio are the two most impressive buildings of this square.

Basilica di San Petronio

The Basilica of San Petronio is the most beautiful church in Bologna and dominates the center of Piazza Maggiore. Its strange facade is unfinished, yet it is one of Bologna’s most famous attractions.

Due Torri

The impressive twin towers of Bologna, which are also symbols of the city are definitely one of the few sights of this city. The Asinelli tower, which is the tallest one (90m), has a clear bent that can be easily seen from every corner. Among the most bizarre buildings in Bologna that surely deserves a visit. The second tower, called Garisenda, is 48 meters high and is located right next to Asinelli. Note that these two towers were built during an atypical contest between two of the strongest families of this period. The two towers date back to 1119.

Via dell Indipendenza

Via Dell Indipendenza is the most beautiful street of Bologna in our opinion. The street starts from the main train station and ends at Piazza Maggiore. Along the street, which is the heart of the city, there are many shops, restaurants and cafes. If you are in Bologna, you should definitely take a stroll along this street.

Piccola Venezia

The little Venice of Bologna is not even close as beautiful as true Venice of course, yet it is one of the most touristic places in the city without any special reason to be honest. Beyond an almost indifferent canal, you don’t have to expect something shocking from this place. If you get close to it anyway, a stop for a photo is required.

Nearby Excursions

Bologna is one of the few cities on our trips that left us relatively indifferent to be honest and we think that a maximum of two days is enough to see everything that it worths. One of the greatest advantages of Bologna (apart from the incredible bolognese that we will mentioned below) is that it is only 100 kilometers away from one of the most beautiful cities of Italy and of course one of our favourites, the enchanting Florence. A fairly easy excursion by car or train and also very cheap. The train ticket to Florence costs 8 euros per person one way and the trip lasts 35 minutes.

What To Eat

What else could we suggest you to try in this city? Of course the trademark dish of Bologna , which is no other than the world famous bolognese! There are countless restaurants serving the traditional bolognese in the city and it is almost impossible not to eat an excellent bolognese here. I wish we had more time to try this particular dish in as many restaurants as possible, since it is one of our beloved ones! The Scalinatella restaurant, which we visited, very close to Piazza Maggiore, left us fully satisfied and we suggest it to you unreservedly, although it will not impress you with its decor at first sight. Indeed, this incredible bolognese we tried, is a reason to get back to this city again and to be absolutely honest and the only one.

How to move

Bologna is not a small city, but thankfully all of its sights are near Piazza Maggiore and we really don’t think that you need to use any means of transportat to get around. Bologna’s central station is also close enough to the above attractions, just a 15 minute walk from Piazza Maggiore.

Where to stay

Accommodation in Bologna is relatively expensive compared to other Italian big cities. The fairly high prices in the city center for mediocre almost bad accommodations are very common. Unfortunately, due to the huge traffic that the city has, because of the many students, we did not avoid a very bad experience during our stay, so it would be good to look carefully before you decide. You can make your reservations via Booking.com

Booking.com

Bologna Through Our Eyes...

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