Bologna — known as La Grassa (The Fat), La Dotta (The Learned), and La Rossa (The Red) — is Italy's undisputed food capital and one of its most liveable, walkable cities. Home to the world's oldest university (founded 1088), 40 km of medieval porticoes (UNESCO Heritage), and the cuisine that gave the world bolognese, tortellini, and mortadella, Bologna is the city that Italians themselves choose when they want to eat well.
Getting to Bologna
By train: Bologna Centrale is Italy's rail crossroads — high-speed trains to Florence (37 min!), Rome (2 hours), Venice (1.5 hours), Milan (1 hour). By air: Bologna Airport (BLQ) is 6 km from the centre (€6 by bus, 20 min).
The Two Towers
Bologna's medieval skyline is defined by the Due Torri — the leaning Torre Garisenda (48m, closed for stabilisation) and the taller Torre degli Asinelli (97m, 498 steps to the top). In the Middle Ages, Bologna had over 180 towers built by noble families competing for dominance — about 20 survive today. The view from Asinelli is one of Italy's finest — terracotta rooftops stretching to the Apennines.
The Porticoes — 40 km of Covered Walkways
Bologna's signature feature is its portici — 40 km of arcaded walkways that line almost every street in the historic centre. You can walk across the entire old city without ever getting rained on. The most spectacular is the Portico di San Luca — 3.8 km (666 arches!) climbing from Porta Saragozza up the hill to the beautiful Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca.
La Grassa — The Food Capital
Bologna's food scene is legendary. The Quadrilatero market district (the medieval food market) is a sensory overload of fresh pasta shops, cheese wheels, hanging prosciutto, and fishmongers. Essential dishes:
- Tortellini in brodo — tiny hand-folded pasta parcels in clear broth (the real dish, not cream-drowned)
- Ragù alla bolognese — slow-cooked meat sauce served with tagliatelle (never spaghetti!)
- Mortadella — the original Bologna sausage (nothing like cheap supermarket "baloney")
- Parmigiano Reggiano — aged 24-36 months, crumbled fresh
- Crescentina/tigelle — flatbreads filled with lardo, cheese, or prosciutto
Practical Tips
- Food tours: Essential — from €70-100, 3-4 hours, covering markets, pasta workshops, and tastings
- Piazza Maggiore: The city's heart — the unfinished facade of San Petronio, the Neptune fountain, the archaeological museum
- Day trips: Modena (balsamic vinegar factories), Parma (Parmesan cheese and ham), Ferrari Museum in Maranello
- Bologna Welcome Card: €25 for 48 hours — museums, tours, and discounts
Bring Bologna Home
The medieval towers, the endless porticoes, the incomparable food — Bologna is the city where Italy eats best. Our MemBoards souvenir cutting boards capture the terracotta warmth of Emilia-Romagna.