Bologna

When you visit Bologna, you’ll see that it is everything cultural and culinary that you think of when it comes to visiting northern Italy, except its charm is in remaining lesser-known. Wedged in between the country’s more established and well-trodden cities of Venice, Milan and Florence, travel to Bologna is often bypassed. Yet, it is Italy’s seventh-largest city and the historical capital and hearty food epicentre of the northern Emilia-Romagna region. Lose yourself in the wide grid of elegant architecture and gritty side streets, food markets and coffee shops, crumbling historical houses and defining towers.
Live locally and give yourself more time than the average one to two-day trip normally afforded, and you’ll have the perfect Bologna itinerary and immersion in the city. The three connecting open squares are the very core of the action. Start at Piazza Nettuno, home of the cultural centrepiece that is the Salaborsa Library and the symbolic Fountain of Neptune. Walk along Via Santo Stefano and reach Piazza Santo Stefano. It’s symbolic as the square of “Seven Churches” with the Basilica of Santo Stefano at the helm, and surrounded by a cluster of 16th-century grandeur residences, including Palazzo Bolognini Isolani and the 16th century Palazzo Bolognini Amorini Salina. For more secluded streets in your time, I recommend heading south of the Piazzas, west of via d’Azeglio. I enjoyed the architecture and was hoping that the Chiesa Della Santa church was open, to see the mummified relic of St.

Catherine which sits on a golden throne. The spoiler is it’s rarely, if at all, open. The oldest university in the world is in Bologna and it’s still in operation today. Alma Mater Studiorum is the oldest University in the western hemisphere and the oldest in Europe, established in 1088. Look out for Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio, marking Bologna’s stamp on higher learning. Head west along via Rizzoli and you will find impressive the medieval towers that have come to symbolise the city. The two towers of Bologna – locally known as Le Due Torri – are a major attraction in Bologna since they are the last of what was once an original cluster of over 100 in the city’s medieval days. Not many have heard of the Emilia Romagna region of Italy but would immediately recognise its well-known gastronomy specialities like Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Parma ham, balsamic vinegar and Bolognese sauce. All of this puts Bologna food right in the beating heart of the culinary scene. One of the main things to do in Bologna is to eat, sample, indulge and enjoy it. Knowing where to eat in Bologna is a big deal because even you can easily visit the food areas that surround the city, you can just as easily indulge in these Italian delights in the foodie capital, exactly as they should be served. For a bundle of the best food picks head to the Quadrilatero district, which is a giant food market. During the day it’s humming with the sound of al fresco diners, food stalls, friends gossiping over coffee and family-run restaurants. For a list of the best restaurants, especially those serving the best pasta dishes with award-winning chefs and restaurants with rotating menus, this Bologna food guide will have you covered. At sundown, it’s time to enjoy an Aperol Spritz or two in one of its many bars.