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' ... Read review
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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 ... ...to elect 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 ... more
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 because it was the first city in Italy to elect 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 the first time, and to be honest, I wasn't really sure of the point unless you like climbing towers!
As for things to do in Bologna, being a university city, and quite a 'young city', there are great bars/clubs/discos around the central university area. It has also one of the most active gay communities in Italy, and is proud of its tradition of tolerance. There are also the ubiquituos irish pubs, which are quite fun and attract much of the younger populace. It certainly has a far livelier night life than a lot of cities of comparable sizes, which I can only put down to the University, and it has a wide range of things to do, from classical concerts and recitals to clubs and pubs.
There is a small expatriate community here, due, mainly to the university, and the exquisite charm of the city itself, there is an English language bookshop which is a good place to meet locals eager to practice their English. They are remarkably friendly, the Bolognesi, and very proud (unsurprisingly) of their city.
Another good way, if you are travelling alone and a bit starved for company, is just to hang around in the Piazza Nettuno long enough, someone will talk to you eventually (ok, it worked for me... it's amazing what loneliness can drive you to!).
There are a couple of museums of interest, and two, in particular, art galleries, attached to the university. The shopping is fine and offers a good range, and there is a very good market on Fridays and Saturdays in the main park area which is close to the railway station.
As for the food, is a famed throughout Italy, and something the Bolognesi are extremely proud of. Even the smallest (and cheapest) trattorie, will find a pride in serving a gem of a meal. I can't remember the names of any restaurants in particular but there are many dotted around the city.
It is quite expensive to stay, although there are a number of cheap hotels and the hostel is quite far out. THere is an information desk in the station where they can help out.
It is a very popular place for Italian companies to have conferences and fairs, so it is worth making sure your visit doesn't coincide with one of these because the hotel prices are hiked up astronomically.
It's a great place to spend a few days away from the tourist trek that is Italy in the summer. The countryside is also beautifully understated, perhaps not quite Tuscany, but not far off, and there are some excellent smaller cities in the immediate vicinity making this a great place to spend a little time.
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, ...
annawalduck 16.02.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Bologna (Italy)
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 ...
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. ...
Morgenhund 15.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Bologna (Italy)
Advantages: Local specialities Disadvantages: Terribly stuffy in summer
...often in the province around Bologna on may way to ro back from Florence. Bologna is deservedly well known for the good food, plus some monuments. My favourite restaurant ...is actually the house of a couple of friends of mine. Funnily enough, this is not the best palce to taste traditional Bolognese cuisine, since she is from Paraguay and cooks local dishes, while her husband is from Bologna and knows how to keep up with the tradition. They also ... ...tower, selling all kind of aromatic herbs. If it is still there, ask for the torre and then when you are there I am sure everyone knows about this shop. Apart from the herbs you can find there, which are really worth the trip, the shop itself is worth a visit, since it has been left intact since the earky fifties. ...
FRADUC 15.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Bologna (Italy)
...To be honest with you, Bologna is nothing special, although the centre is nice, but I remember it as a bit noisy. What was very good was the food we had the night before the wedding, and at the wedding. Tortellini are a speciality from Bologna, and you can also have plenty of good cheese Parmigiano and cured meat, like Prosciutto di Parma. What I found nice, are the mountains just out of Bologna, called Appennini. In summer it can be very stuffy ...
CICLISTALOCO 14.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Bologna (Italy)
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