Emilia-Romagna

Bologna

Bologna is the capital in Emilia-Romagna and have an extraordinary citycenter.

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Bologna in 20 seconds

As the afternoon in Bologna begins to turn into evening, and you have experienced a long and divine day in the city, or in other parts of the fantastic region, the best place to contemplate all the good impressions is by visiting one of the many cafés in Piazza Maggiore. This is where you really realize that Bologna has plenty of life and authentic Italian charm.

Bologna is located in Emilia-Romagna

Holiday in Bologna

About Bologna

Bologna has it all

Sporting the oldest university in Europe, plenty of young people live in Bologna, and that creates a wonderful life of activity around you.

The city itself offers you plenty of beautiful churches and monuments, stunning and tall towers that serve as the symbol of the city at Torre degli Asinelli and Torre Garisenda, standing side by side in the city center.

Enjoy Bolognese life in one of the many parks, or take a pleasant walk along the Moline Canal where you can breathe and just enjoy life. Exactly like the locals do.

Experience Bologna year round

Piazza Maggiore is the large attraction, the place to go for your cappuccino or a drink as night falls, and it is also where the famous evening walk (passeggiata) takes place.

And as those of us who know Italy are well aware, the famous walk takes place every evening.

When we write that you can visit Bologna all year round, it is in no small part due to the many porticoes that you can seek shelter under, if the rain or cold should prove too much, which it can in this area during winter. All told, you can walk protected by the porticoes for more than 38 kilometers.

Gastronomy in Bologna

In Italy, and especially Bologna, the food and cuisine are second to none. Bologna is called the learned, the fat and the red, and it is precisely the fat that has given the name to Bologna’s cuisine, which can be quite fattening.

I will never be writing about bad Italian food, for I don’t believe it even exists, and every time I have visited Bologna, I have been eating world-class meals.

The fountain of Neptune in Bologna

We end this little journey, which you will experience much more of when you visit Bologna, by standing in front of Palazzo Re Enzo and looking over Piazza del Nettuno. This came into existence in 1565 and is an obvious extension for those continuing onwards from Piazza Maggiore.

In the center of the square you will see the Fountain of Neptune, which was also erected in 1565, and which is made of marble and bronze by the Flemish sculptor, Jean de Boulogne.

There is always more room to write even more about the impressive buildings in Bologna, as well as the many lovely attractions and sights, but after all you should experience it in person. That is the reason why we are here.

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The two towers

The symbol of Bologna, the Torre degli Asinelli and Torre Garisenda, function as the typical image of the town. The two crooked towers both stand swaying at Piazza Ravegnana, respectively reaching 97 and 47.5 meters up towards the sky.

Between the 12th and 13th centuries there was a very long period of construction, which meant that at the best of times more than 100 towers could be counted in the city. All the towers were the result of the city’s medieval period, when the richest and most powerful could show their strength and power. There are almost no towers left these days however, or rather, the vast majority from that time have been destroyed, and today we can count about 20 towers in Bologna.

We are headed back to Asinelli which you can visit in order to reach nearly 100 meters above sea level. And once you make it to the top, there are several things you should be prepared for. First of all you should know that the heights will probably give you butterflies in your stomach, and so will the view that you get out across the whole of Bologna and the red terracotta roofs.

Santuario della Madonna

We will be moving just a short distance away from the city center, more precisely just more than 5 kilometers from Piazza Ravegnana with its two towers, and all the way to the Santuario della Madonna. You can find it at Via di San Luca 36.

The enormous church looks as if it is keeping a watchful gaze over Bologna and the whole province, because at 300 meters above sea level, it can be seen from a great distance.

This church has a long and rich history, which was begun all the way back in 1194 and was not completed until 1765. You will get that story some other time, since that is not really why I want to mention it here.

The porticoes of Bologna

Very recently, in the summer of 2021, Italy got yet another place added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. A list that Italy still dominates with the most entries.

This time it was Bologna, which already is known for their beautiful city center, that got their beautiful and world renowned porticoes on the exclusive list.

You can find 62 kilometers of long porticoes in Bologna, where roughly 40 kilometers of them are in the historical center of the city. These porticoes are truly a unique sight in our world, which is why the city was rewarded as such.