Bologna 2021 Holidays

Bologna City Guide

Escape the crowds in this beautiful historic city, where you’ll find Europe's oldest university and some of the best restaurants in Italy – and that’s saying something. With its medieval city walls and tiled roofs that make the city look like a giant, beautiful red mosaic, it’s not for nothing that Bologna is known as one of the most photogenic cities in northern Italy. While Florence, Milan and Venice are awash with tourists, Bologna is pleasingly quiet with a close knit community, giving the city an intimate character.

Bologna has the oldest university in Europe, and the large number of students gives the city a great, lively nightlife with plenty of affordable bars and venues. While the history of Bologna is long and fascinating, its modern culture is in full bloom, with some of the best restaurants, galleries and festivals in all of Italy.

Everyone knows Italy’s reputation as a gastronomic giant. Now take into account that Bologna is considered the culinary capital of Italy and surely the mouth will start to salivate just at the thought of visiting. Here the ingredients are top quality and a real care is taken in cooking, so it's almost impossible to find a bad meal. One of the regional specialities is a dish that you undoubtedly know; pasta with a tasty meat sauce, also known as spaghetti Bolognese.

Bologna is connected to all major Italian cities by high-speed rail and also has its own international airport, making it easy to reach no matter where you’re from. Once in the city, you can take a bus or taxi or walk, but you can also do what the locals do, rent a bicycle and explore the city with the wind in your hair.