Magnificently medieval, thoroughly food obsessed and with a friendly, laid-back vibe — thank all the students at the oldest university in Italy and the western world — Bologna is still mercifully free of the tourist hordes who are once again plaguing Venice and Rome.
What to do
Bologna doesn’t do big-ticket attractions but it’s not short of superlative sights, especially the 25 miles of distinctive terracotta-coloured porticoes — the colonnades originated in the 12th century and are now Unesco-listed. There’s an excellent new guided tour of some of the best (they differ in age, style and structure) and it’s a brilliant way to get your bearings as you wind your way from the main square, Piazza Maggiore, to Piazza Cavour (£13pp; bolognawelcome.com). Here, reward yourself with pistachio gelato and try to spot Dante and Galileo among the Italian heroes portrayed in the 18th-century frescoed portico ceiling.
En route you will have seen Bologna’s main landmarks, the looming pair of brick towers of Garisenda and Asinelli — relics of the city’s days as a medieval Manhattan. Only Asinelli can be climbed, and its 498 narrow, slippery steps are not for the faint-hearted — so instead head for the more satisfying view of the city rooftops from the clocktower inside Palazzo d’Accursio in Piazza Maggiore (£7; bolognawelcome.com).
You’ll want to explore the narrow lanes of the Quadrilatero hungry — in the ancient grid of streets around Via Clavature, market stalls burst with fresh produce and gourmet delis are crammed with Parma hams, slabs of parmesan, aged balsamic vinegar and homemade pasta. The choice is overwhelming but you won’t go wrong at Tamburini (Via Caprarie 1), Simoni (Via Drapperie 5), Ceccarelli (Via Pescherie Vecchie 8) or Atti (paoloatti.com).
Take a picnic and escape the hustle and bustle to hang out in the Margherita Gardens, where the old municipal greenhouses have been restored and films and concerts are put on from May to September (free; leserredeigiardini.it).
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The coolest neighbourhood
Bolognina (“Little Bologna”) in the north of the city is the nickname for the old working-class Navile neighbourhood that’s gradually being gentrified. Browse the Albani food market, grab a beer and salami panino in hip Fermento (Via Luigi Serra 11), then check out the Museum for the Memory of Ustica. Its centrepiece is an installation representing the wreckage of a plane that mysteriously crashed en route from Bologna to Palermo in 1980, killing all 81 people on board. It’s surreal and haunting (free; museomemoriaustica.it).
Where to eat and drink
Osteria del Sole
Unmarked (apart from the word “vino”) and down an alley in the Quadrilatero, this rustic 15th-century wine bar keeps it simple. It’s BYO food, so grab some mortadella and cheese from a nearby shop, order a bottle of pignoletto (the local fizz) and settle in with the students and tipsy pensioners (pignoletto £13; osteriadelsole.it).
Camera con Vista Bistrot
Perfect for that early evening aperitivo. Sit outside to admire the beautiful Piazza Santo Stefano. Inside, the bar is a riot of marble, mirrors and classical Greek and Roman busts. There’s a huge cocktail list but hipster mixologists are more than happy to go off piste (negroni £10; cameraconvista.it).
Caffe Terzi
It does the best coffee in Bologna but it’s no secret so expect to queue. Avoid the tables at the back of the narrow bar; you’ll have a better (and cheaper) experience standing at the counter, watching the serious but charming baristas do their stuff. Peckish? There’s a small selection of pastries (cappuccino £1.50; caffeterzi.it).
Osteria del Cappello
Just off Piazza Maggiore, Cappello is a small, casual spot with a short menu of traditional dishes made from scratch — waiting staff wear “hashtagnot spaghettibolognese” T-shirts to hammer home the point. The charcuterie board comes with divine fried bread (crescentini); the rich, meaty tagliatelle al ragu is one of the best in town (mains from £10; osteriadelcappello.com).
Banco 32
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Bologna’s largest covered food market, Mercato delle Erbe, is packed with tempting cafés and restaurants, including Banco 32, where the daily changing menu includes seafood and tapas such as tuna balls with aubergine and mint tzatziki. Go early because it fills up fast (tapas from £8, mains from £10; banco32.it).
Cesarina
On Piazza Santo Stefano, Cesarina is slightly more formal than most Bolognese restaurants but with wonderful service and a menu that includes fritto misto alla bolognese — an all-in-one trencherman’s combo of fried meat, veg, fruit — and fried custard (mains from £15; ristorantecesarina.it).
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Where to stay
Grand Hotel Majestic gia Baglioni
An 18th-century palazzo on the city’s main shopping street (Via Indipendenza), Bologna’s grande dame is resolutely old school. Prepare for rooms stuffed with antiques, fresco-covered ceilings, top-notch food and nothing-is-too-much-trouble service (room-only doubles from £337; grandhotelmajestic.duetorrihotels.com).
Il Guercino
Stay here, behind the station in Bolognina, and you’re still within easy walking distance of the main sights and with several gourmet spots on the doorstep, including the superb organic ice cream shop Stefino. Expect colourful rooms, a small spa and courtyard breakfasts, but bring earplugs because soundproofing is poor (room-only doubles from £58; guercino.it).
Phi Hotel Bologna
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The oldest hotel in Bologna has a prime location in a quiet spot off Piazza Maggiore, a restaurant loved by locals and particularly helpful reception staff. Themed rooms are decorated by artists and set designers; there are also ten apartments nearby. Skip breakfast in favour of the café round the corner in Piazza de’ Celestini (B&B doubles from £128; phihotelbologna.com).
If you only do one thing
Get up early on your day of departure to pay your respects to gregarious pasta-making sisters Monica and Daniela Venturi, and buy their tender, golden, ricotta-stuffed tortelloni to take home (lesfogline.it).
Julia Brookes was a guest of Bologna Welcome (bolognawelcome.com)
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