Bologna > Bologna Experience

Advantages: A real Italian city, without many tourists
Disadvantages: Lots of students (but then that also adds to the charms of the city)

I've visited Bologna in excess of 20 times in the last 7 or 8 years, and every visit I discover something new and exciting about the place. As a single young female that travels alone, I actually feel safer in the city of Bologna than I do in my small home town in England!! It's such a warm and welcoming place, and due to the relative lack of tourists - although it does have a high student population (compared to the likes of Venice, Florence, ...
...other major Italian cities! Bologna is located in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, just north of Tuscany - about an hour by train from Florence and the beaches of Rimini and Riccione, and a couple of hours by train from Venice and Milan. The climate is usually VERY cold in the winter, but by about April it begins to warm up. In July and August it can be unbearably hot and humid (which is why Italian cities tend to shut-down during the summer, ... Read review

Advantages: antique buildings, simply RED!
Disadvantages: simply RED!

...leaning twin towers here in Bologna too. There is a good place to have lunch. it is in the market district. the price is reasonable and visitors that do not speak Italian can order the dish just by pointing. I enjoy the Parma Ham with cheese and sweet melon, I am in paradise! bottle of wine in italy is cheaper than bottle water. so i end up drinking wine for every meal. ... Read review

Advantages: quite small, but still very vibrant
Disadvantages: expensive to stay

Bologna is the capital of the province of Emilia-Romagna, and is about an hour north of Florence, and a bit further from Milan in the other direction. It is famed for primarily for its culinary produce and also the university, which is the oldest in Europe. It is also known as 'Red Bologna' or Bologna Rossa, both because it's left-leaning politics (which led to the tragic bombing of the railway station in the early 80s which killed 80 people)and ...
...a communist council, and also because of the clay-like stone which makes up the colonnades, and gives the city a reddish tinge especially as the sun is setting. One of the most famous landmarks though, are the 'Due Torre' or two towers, whereas many towers once dominated the skyline of this city, somewhat like San Gimagnino, now, only two remain, and one of them leans a bit. You can walk up to the top of one of them, but it was closed when I went ... Read review

Advantages: Clean, lots to see and do.
Disadvantages: Too hot in high summer!

Bologna is about an hour and a half away from Verona and it has a great deal to see from the wonderful panorama overlooking the city from the suburbs to the towers, and the countless churches. There are plenty of reasonably cheap restaurants in the city and the city is clean and well maintained. If you are intending to stay at teh Youth Hostel, a word of caution, it is 7 km from the City Centre, and the buses aren't very regular. It is wonderful ...
...and it can be a great base to explore the surrounding area. The University is one of the crucibles of european learning and should be visited. Tehre is a great deal of renaissance art to be seen in Bologna, and the town is very pleasant to walk around in the evening under the stars. ... Read review

Advantages: BIG and small
Disadvantages: none

Bologna is the city were I studied. Arriving every morning at the train station was very boring. 'Via Indipendenza', with a lot of bars, used to offer me gently the croissant with the divine italian espresso. Both were necessary to wake up in the early morning. Bologna is a city full of live, either if you are young or if you receive your pension. I always complain the fact, I never lived there, but if you will go to Bologna , probably you will ... Read review