My husband and I are planning our trip to Europe this summer and have decided on spending some time in Bologna. I think we want to make it our home base for about a week. We will likely be there the last week of August after my husband finishes a course in Ireland. I have read things are quiet in Bologna at that time, but that is really what we are looking for. We are considering a day trip to Venice and a trip to Parma to do the food factories. Would you have any other suggestions? Any must-sees or eats in Bologna or other cities to visit? I really wanted to see more of Tuscany, but didn’t think that was possible without a car which we won’t have. This will be our first trip to Italy and we are really looking forward to it. We did way too much hopping last year so while we want to see a lot of things we are also looking forward to some relaxing dinners and great wine.
– Lori, Blondie in Brazil
Good choice! Bologna is a lovely city, and there are tons of great day-trips you can take from there – Ravenna, Ferrara, Modena, Verona, Florence, Milan… you can check out the Trenitalia site for travel times. Bologna is a train hub for northern Italy, and the number of interesting destinations within 1-2 hours is practically endless. Since this is your first trip to Italy, I’m tempted to encourage you to hit some of the big, famous bits, such as Venice and Florence, both quite convenient to Bologna, but make sure you fit in at least one smaller town, too.
Since you also mention wanting to see some of Tuscany, consider Siena or Montepulciano. Both can be reached from Bologna by train/bus in around 3 hours (so maybe you’d want to go for an over-night).
In Bologna itself, I’d recommend: the museum at the Accademia; gelato at Grom; pizza at La Mela; a stroll through the small food vendors in the area between Piazza Maggiore and the two towers; a look around the interior of San Petronio (keep your eye out for the fresco of the two-headed people eater); several hours of just wandering around exploring the city center. If you’re up for a longer walk, head up to San Luca, a basilica up on a hill just outside of the city. You can walk under zig-zagging porticoes most of the way up.
Now for the big caveat: August can indeed be very, very dead in Italian cities. Not just slow, but practically shuttered down. In Milan at least 3/4 of restaurants and shops were closed down for multiple weeks if not the whole month. It got very hot and felt deserted. Bologna is similar, from what I remember (it was many years ago that I lived there). Honestly, it could get pretty boring spending a whole week there with not much open, and not much restaurant choice. The main holiday is August 15th, so the farther away from that you get (ie, as late as possible in the month) the more open you will find things. If you can re-juggle your schedule to push your time in Italy into September, all the better. Cities in other European countries don’t get nearly as ghost-towny as Italian cities do in August.
Bologna is known for its food, and the wine is cheap and plentiful, so you should have no trouble fulfilling that part of your vacation goal.
Have a great trip!
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Thanks for that — we've got a five-day trip to Bologna coming up soon.
Oh! You've immediately sold this to me 🙂 I really would like to visit Bologna. Thanks for sharing about this!
Good summary, Jul: we were there last summer for a conference and hit all of the highlights that you mention. It's a wonderful walking and eating city: use your hotel's concierge to help find some good neighborhood restaurants. Ours sent us to some wonderful small spots that we never would have found otherwise.
Cliff – I had no idea Bologna was such a popular destination. Enjoy!
A Touch of Dutch – I may be a little biased because I lived there, but I think it's a wonderful city.
Dave – I especially like all the porticoes, so you can walk around even on a rainy day. And I agree – a good concierge can be a great way to discover new restaurants.
interesting article. wish to taste the bolonga. I love wine very much. your article seems to be mouth watering,
Do be mindful, Bologna visitors… portico-protected streets allow you to walk throughout town regardless of rainy days.
But Italiani love their small dogs… and rarely clean up after them. Thus portico-ed streets lack rainy elements to keep them clean. Be sure to watch your step!
Beth – Thanks. 🙂
MBNSL – Alas, so true. That's something I appreciate about Switzerland – you don't have to walk around with your head down. In Munich you sort of do, but you're generally looking for puke instead of dog poo.