Bologna

Bologna is an Italian university city with a beautiful historical centre, typical red roofs, and excellent cuisine. You can start your visit in Piazza Maggiore, which is dominated by one of the largest churches in the world, the Basilica di San Petronio. Don’t miss the Palazzo Comunale (officially the Palazzo d’Accursio) and the 14th century town hall with its distinctive clock tower. Other important monuments include the Two Towers (Asinelli and Garisenda), the oldest university in the world, the Università di Bologna, and the Piazza del Nettuno with one of the most beautiful fountains in Italy, the Fontana di Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune).

The city is also characterised by its arcades, the famous porticos, with a total length of 38 km, which are included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The longest of them (3.5 km) leads to the Santuario Madonna di San Luca church at the top of the Monte della Guardia hill. Another point of interest are the canals with which Bologna is interwoven. That is why the city is often nicknamed “Little Venice”. Although most of them are now built over or hidden underground, you can still see some of these original waterways in the neighbourhood of La Piccola Venezia.

After visiting the sights, local famous cuisine will certainly be a welcome treat. Try some of the traditional dishes, for example, pork stuffed tortellini, tagliatelle with pork ragout, and the famous Mortadella salami.