Bologna Travel Guide

Travel guide to Bologna, Italy with comprehensive information about events, shopping, and major Bologna sporting events to help you enjoy your visit more.

Bologna Overview

The city of Bologna is one of Italy's most historic places, and capital of the beautiful Emilia-Romagna region in the north of the country. Perhaps most famous for the pasta sauce that bears its name, the cuisine of this city is a real highlight of any visit, but there is far more to Bologna than just food.

The architecture of Bologna is one of the real highpoints of the city, and it is beautifully coloured in rich reds, oranges and yellows that make it seem like an autumn landscape.

With plenty of historical attractions both within the city itself, and close by, it is sometimes easy to overlook the fact that like most Italian cities, Bologna is a place that is very much alive, and constantly changing. The nightlife is first class, and a real highlight of any visit, while the countryside that surrounds the city is some of the most beautiful in Europe, and a genuine reason for leaving the town and exploring further afield.

Top Bologna Attractions

The main tourist area of Bologna can be found clustered around Piazza Maggiore and includes many cultural and culinary highs: The Pinacoteca is one of the best galleries of renaissance art in Europe, and boasts a number of well known pieces in its collection; and the Museo Morandi, which has the world's largest collection of art by the famous 20th century artist are both real high points of a tour.

The Torre degle Asinelli offers amazing views over the red roofs of the city, and just around the corner on Strada Maggiore, there are some great restaurants that serve the signature dish of the city - Spaghetti Bolognese.

Shopping in Bologna

As the home of Europe's oldest university, Bologna has quite a reputation as a place to pick up the best in literature, and there are plenty of bookshops in the city. The downside for many readers is that the books are generally in Italian.

Antiques are also very popular, as is food, with the many treasures of the Emilia-Romagna region given pride of place in markets and food stores. Truffles from Bologna are considered amongst the best of Italy's output, and can command large amounts of money from aficionados.

Designer clothing seems to be an important part of Italian culture, and some of the best-known shopping areas are in the northeast of Bologna close to the university, and also in the centre - not far from Piazza Maggiore.

Bologna Sporting Events

Aside from the local football team, one of the main sporting attractions of Bologna is around 30 miles north of the city. In the beautiful countryside around the town of Modena, you can visit the factories owned by Ferrari and Maserati - and of course try your hand on a lap of the Modena test track.