With its beauty and charm, Bologna is a destination not to be missed. The city has much to offer and if you haven’t considered visiting it until now, let me give you a few reasons why to do so. You’ll easily fall in love with this stunning city that deserves to be on the top of your Italy bucket list.
So, get inspired and start planning your trip to Bologna as soon as possible!
I was a little shocked by the fact that many people asked me where exactly Bologna is. So, if you don’t know, Bologna is in Italy. And yes it’s not one of the most famous cities in Italy but it doesn’t mean that Bologna is less amazing than other popular destinations on the boot. So, here are 6 reasons to visit and fall in love with Bologna.
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Reasons to visit and fall in love with Bologna: Food
Because who doesn’t love to eat?! And the food in Bologna is great! Pizza, pasta, cheese, hams, fruits, all delicious things.
Bologna is the home of the Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese, which is a typical Italian food in that region. However, I didn’t try any. I ate different types of pasta, took a cheese and ham plate, and ate other delicious stuff. But, yeah, overall everything that I had was very good (except one of the hams, it was not my type of food at all, which doesn’t mean that is bad, of course).
Ohh, and wine, of course, and Negroni! I don’t need to say anything about the wine but let me tell you what Negroni is. Negroni is a cocktail, a very strong one, made with gin, Campari, and vermouth. It’s perfect for those hot Bolognian evenings!
Reasons to visit and fall in love with Bologna: Gelato
Okay, the gelato absolutely deserves his own place on that list, because the gelato is wait for it.. abso-fucking-lutely amazing!!!
And although for the Italians was not that hot when I was there for me it was and the gelato was saving my life every day, a couple of times a day.
Thanks to my Bolognese friend, Giorgio, I now know and I can share with you where you can find the best gelato in Bologna. The place is called Cremeria Funivia and the address is Piazza Cavour 1/d. They have lots of different flavors to choose from but I would suggest sticking to the first column.
I tried the pistachio one, which was great and I can also highly recommend Contessa and Cavour. You will thank me later!
Reasons to visit and fall in love with Bologna: The people and the atmosphere
The atmosphere in Bologna is wonderful and I loved it, especially in the early mornings having breakfast with my Bolognese friend, Giorgio who was taken me to very local places.
And now I will reveal another secret place to you! Are you ready? It is where to find the best cappuccino in Bologna.
To be honest, I rarely find a good cappuccino anywhere but this was absolutely how it has to be.
The place is in the heart of the city at Piazza Maggiore. The exact address is Piazza Re Enzo, 1/C.
Let’s get back to the point now!
People and atmosphere, yeah, totally one of the reasons to visit and to fall in love with Bologna. There are Italians that I have met with, which were not lovely at all, but there are others that are amazing. And what makes one place? The people of course! And all the Italians I meet in Bologna were nice, friendly and funny. Maybe this also affects my overall experience in Bologna, the nice time that I’ve had, and the atmosphere that I felt.
Reasons to visit and fall in love with Bologna: The narrow streets and the porticoes
The narrow streets, of course, my favorite ones! In Bologna, there are plenty of narrow streets that just invite you to get lost around them.
Bologna is the city of porticoes, with the worldwide biggest number of arcades.
Reasons to visit and fall in love with Bologna: The views
Even if you’re not somewhere high, just walking the streets, you are still gonna get wonderful views. There are beautiful squares, towers, markets, churches, etc everywhere.
However, the views from above are always amazing and in Bologna especially they are WOW!
I went to two places in Bologna from where you can have amazing views over the city and the surroundings.
The first one was the Terraza di San Petronio. The panoramic platform is in the city center and it’s actually very close to the best gelato mentioned earlier, so it’s a great idea to pass by the gelato place and get one before or after going to the Terrazza.
From there, you will have a view over the lovely, orange rooftops, churches, towers, surrounding hills, and also to the other place I went to for a great view, San Luca.
If you would like to go to the Terraza that will cost you 3 euros.
UPDATE: The Terraza will be closed soon, so visit while you can! As an alternative, you can get to Asinelli Tower and the Campanile of San Pietro.
The second one was San Luca. San Luca is a church on a hill and to get there, you will need to climb 86368343 steps. Don’t panic! Actually, the only problem with the steps is to climb them in the heat. So, the recommended time to go there in the early morning.
I went there with Giorgio and one of his friends Luca, in the late morning and it was very hot but we made it for not more than half an hour, I think.
Going to San Luca to have a view is one of the best free things to do in Bologna, without a doubt. When you look to one of the sides, there is nothing really impressive actually, as you get to see not the most beautiful looking part of the city. But when you look to the other side, well then you will see endless mountains. Enjoy!
Reasons to visit and fall in love with Bologna: Emilia Romagna connection
The city of Bologna is situated in the Emilia Romagna region. Getting around the region is easy and fast. You can get to the closest places to Bologna in less than a half-hour.
I went to visit Modena as a half-day trip from Bologna. The train ride was 30-40 minutes long and very convenient.
Modena, on the other hand, is a very lovely place. I think that half a day would be enough to walk around the town and explore it. In Modena, there is a museum of Ferrari and there is also one of the best restaurants in the world, which from the outside doesn’t look like anything.
Other places that are in the Emilia Romagna area and can be visited as a half a day or a day trip from Bologna are also Ferrara, Rimini, Ravenna, Parma.
I’m sure that there are many other reasons to visit and fall in love with Bologna. I was there for four days and that was the thing that I like the most about the city. For more, you can check this guide to Bologna filled with useful tips and info.
Have you been to Bologna? Is there anything you would add to the list?
Thanks for reading,
Bilyana
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