From Wikitravel

Bologna is a historical city, the main city in Emilia-Romagna (a region in northern Italy) famous for its cuisine (la cucina Bolognese), and for its architectural palette of reds, oranges, and yellows, hence the name of Bologna la rossa (Bologna the red), as well as its twentieth-century history as a communist stronghold in Italy. The city has grown more and more popular with tourists, who see it as an excellent destination for a one-day-stopover on their trip-route, expecially between Venice and Florence. Bologna is not typically a tourist city, do not be surprised with the excessive graffiti, unclean streets, and difficulty in communication (as most people do not need to learn English). However, if one is looking for an authentic Italian experience in a working city, then Bologna is a wonderful option. The town centre is one of the best preserved throughout Europe, the Bolognese porticos are particularly interesting because of their history, and the city is home to the first university in the world.

Contents 1 Understand 1.1 When to visit 2 Get in 2.1 By plane 2.2 By train 3 By Car 4 Get around 4.1 Layout of the city 5 See 5.1 Museums and Art Galleries 5.2 Sightseeing 5.3 Landmarks 5.4 Parks and Gardens 6 Do 7 Buy 8 Eat 9 Drink 10 Sleep 11 Get out

Understand

When to visit

Bologna's at it best from March-April to October, when it's warm and people stay outside, sit in squares such as Piazza Santo Stefano and Piazza Maggiore. However, during July it is particularly hot, making the pollution problem worse. In August as with the much of Italy in the summer, many shops and restaurants are closed for the summer vacation. Winter can be bitterly cold and snow is common over Christmas.

Get in

By plane

• Bologna's closest airport is Guglielmo Marconi (Bologna) International Airport (BLQ) [1], just a few minutes from city center, served by taxi and a special bus line.
• Ryanair [2] flies from Forlì, a moderately long taxi (80 Euro) and rail ride away from Bologna (Also, some buses run from the city bus terminal to the Airport, in connection with some flights).

By train

On account of its central location and geography, Bologna has emerged as the main rail transport hub of northern Italy, making it extremely well-connected with other major Italian centres. Considering Eurostar schedules (Italian high speed trains), it is just 1.46 hours from Milan, 1 hour from Florence, 2.45 from Rome, 2 hours from Venice, 1 hour from Ferrara, etc. A new high speed train line between Rome and Milan is under construction and in the near future will make many of these trip much faster.

By Car

The city is at the junction of the A1, A14 and A13 highways, and as such is easily accessible [to its outskirts] from anywhere in Italy. Most traffic from Milan would exit the A1 and take the Tangenziale, but beware this road at rush hour because it is horrendously packed. Expect to take 2 hours from the A1 exit to the Tangenziale to the centre at certain peak times over summer busy week ends, especially at the beginning and end of August.

Get around

Layout of the city

Looking at the map of the city, (it's possible to get a free one at the Tourist Information Centre in Piazza Maggiore), the first thing to do for orientating yourself is to find the Due Torri landmark, which stays in the centre of the free map. The centre of the city is surrounded by the Viali, a circular road easily recognizable. The northeast quadrant of the map is the university district (which unlike US campus is an integral part of the city and not a separate compound). The two southern quadrants of your city map are residential sections of the city, and it's not a common tourist-area. However, walking outside the city centre, further to the south, you will come upon hills. There is, as well, the Giardini Margherita, the largest park of the city.

See

Museums and Art Galleries

Museum Card (Carta Bologna dei Musei) – Bologna's museum card is available for either one or three days. The museum card is for free access to the city's main museums and discounts to some others. It is available at museums and tourist offices.

• Museo Civico Archeologico (Archaeological Museum) - Via dell'Archiginnasio 2, Tel: +39 (0)51 233 849. In the building of an old hospital a comprehensive collection of antiquities. Examples from: Egyptian civilazation –(mummies and sarcophagi,) Iron age Villanova culture, artifacts from Etruscan Velzna, funerary art, terracotta urns, ancient vases a items from Roman times. Don't miss the bronze Certosa jar whcih is over 1,500 years old open: Tuesday - Friday: 9 -15 Saturday - Sunday and holidays: 10 - 18,30 Closed on Monday. Full price ticket €4, discounts available.

• Jewish Museum - via Valdonica 1/5 Tel. +39 051.2911280. Located in the area of the former ghetto. Museum hours: Sunday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Friday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Tickets sold until 5:15 PM (3:15 PM Friday); Closed Saturdays and on Jewish holidays.

• Gallery of Modern Art of Bologna - Piazza Costituzione, 3. Open 10:00-18:00 Tuesday–Sunday, closed on Mondays.

• Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna (National Picture Gallery) - Via Belle Arti 56, Tel: +39 (0)51 421 1984. Containing the cities's most important art. The gallery houses works by many major Italian artists. Open: Tuesday to Sunday – 09:00 to 19:00 free for children under 18.

• The University Museums – via Zamboni,

There are a number of interesting, small museums at the University in the Palazzo Poggi. These include:

1. The Museo Navale (Naval Museum) – 18th-century model warships (some very large) and collections of early maps 8.30-17.30 - closed Sat. and Sun. Admission free;
2. The Museum of Military Architechture – models of Bologna's fortifications Mon. to Fri. 8.30-17.30 - closed Sat. and Sun. Admission free;
3. Museo Ostetrico (Obstetric Museum)
4. The Museo Aldovrandi – the collections of the Renaissance naturalist Ulisse Aldovrandi;
5. Museo della Specola. Occupies the Specola, the astronomical tower built in the beginning of XVIII-century over Palazzo Poggi. Tours begins at the following hours for groups of 15 people maximum. June 24 till July 31 and from August 22 till September 18 from Monday to Sunday: 10:00; 11:30; 14:00 closed August 1 to 21; Sep.19-Dec.31 from Monday to Sunday: 10:00; 11:30; 14:30; 16:00. Free admission;

• Museo di Antropologia – Via Selme 3, B . Bones, and artifacts of prehistoric Italians. Open: Monday to Friday – 09:00 to 13:00. Closed: Saturday, Sunday and completely in July and August free admission.

• Museo di Mineralogia – Piazza di Porta San Donato. Rocks, precious stones, rare minerals and meteorites. Open: Monday to Saturday – 09:00 to 13:00 Closed: Sunday

• Museo di Anatomia Patologica – Via Massarenti. Studies of human and animal deformities. Open: Monday to Friday 09:00 to 17:00, Saturday 09:00 to 13:00. Closed: Sunday. Free admission.

• Museum of Giorgio Morandi - Piazza Maggiore 6 (in the city hall). Tuesday to Friday, 09.00 - 15.00, Saturday and Sunday 10,00 - 18,30. Full price entrance €4, discounts available.

• Collezioni Comunali d'Arte (Communal Collection of Fine Arts) - Piazza Maggiore 6 (In the city hall) Tel. 051-2193631/2193526. Tusdays-Fridays 9-15 Saturday, Sunday, and holidays 10-18,30. Closed mondays.

• [3] Museo Internazionale e Biblioteca della Musica di Bologna Strada Maggiore, 34 - Palazzo Aldini Sanguinetti Tel. 051/2757711 - 051/221117. From Jan 1 to May 31: Tues-Sun 10am-5pm; From June 1 to July 14: Tues-Thurs 10am-1:30pm, Friday-Sun 10am-5pm; From July 15 to September 15: CLOSED; From Sept 16 to Dec 31: Tues-Thurs 10am-1:30pm, Friday-Sun 10am-5pm; CLOSED Mondays, Jan 1, May 1, Dec 25.

Other Museums in Bologna

• Museo Civico Medievale Via Manzoni
• Museo Di Fisica Via Irnerio;
• Pinacoteca Nazionale Via Belle Arti;
• Museo Dello Studio dell'Ottavo;
• Museo Degli Studenti E Della Goliardia Via Zamboni;
• Museo Marsili Via Zamboni;
• Museo Indiano Via Zamboni;
• Collezione Cospi Via Zamboni;
• Museo Delle Cere Anatomiche Via Zamboni;
• Museo Delle Navi;

Sightseeing

Guided bus tours and walking tours are available in Bologna.

• Piazza Maggiore - Large pedestrian square in the center of the old part of the city. Surrounded by Renaissance and medieval buildings and landmarks.

• Fontana di Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune) - Piazza del Nettuno. A fountain built in 1563 by Tommaso Laureti of Palermo later embellished by Jean de Boulogne (called Giambologna).

• University Quarter - Via Zamboni. Full of bars and cafés. The University of Bologna is the world's oldest university founded over 900 years ago.

Landmarks

• Torre degli Asinelli (Tower of the Asinelli) and Torre dei Garisenda (Tower of the Garisenda) - Piazza di Porta Ravegnana. Main symbols of Bologna. Torre degli Asinelli (built between 1109 and 1119) is 97.20 meters tall (330 feet), with 498 steps and an incline of 1.3 meters (4 feet). Torre dei Garisenda (closed to the public)is 47 m (162 feet) tall and has a lean of over 3m (10 feet). Both were built in the 12th century. Open: daily, 09:00 to 18:00 3€ to climb Torre degli Asinelli.

• Palazzo Comunale - Piazza Maggiore 6, Tel: (0)51 203 111. Bologna's city hall, with a very rich collection of Renaissance paintings, sculptures and antique furniture, is a 14th-century palazzo. Don't miss its enormous main staircase, which was designed to be used by horse drawn carriages. Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 18:00 children under 14 get free admission.

• Tombe dei Glossatori (The Glossatori tombs) Piazza San Domenico e Piazza Malpighi. Named for the lawyers who used to add glosses (aka: notes) to documents. The tombs, which date from the end of the 13th century, are home to many Bologna's famous scholars.

• Basilica di San Luca (St. Luke's Basilica) Located on the Colle della Guardia (Guardia hill). Built in mid-XVIII century, offers a panoramic view of the City, and can be reached by walking along the 666 archs of its unique portico. It has a peculiar layout, being of round shape. A widely city-know icon, the Madonna di San Luca, is held there.

Parks and Gardens

Many parks were former private gardens of nobility.

• Giardini Margherita (Margherita Gardens) - Viale Gozzadini. Bologna's main park created in 1875. The chalet converts to a nightclub in the evenings. Open: daily 06:00 to midnight.

• Parco Montagnola - Piazza VIII Agosto. Public park since the 17th century. Much of the current landscaping comes from the early 19th century. The pond in the centre of the park was added in 1888. Open: daily 07:00 to midnight.

• Orto Botanico (Botanical Gardens) - Via Irnerio, 42 Tel: (0)51351280. Created in the mid-16th century for medicinal herbs. Currently the second largest park in the city the Botanical gardens are home to over 5,000 plant species. Some of the highlights include a full-grown sequoia, and a greenhouse for cacti and canvivourous plants. Open: Monday to Friday - 08:30 to 15:00, Saturday 08:00 to 13:00.

• Villa delle Rose - Via Saragozza, 228/230 Tel: (0)51 436 818. Donated to the city in 1916 the gardens were originally owned by the Cella family. The 18th-century Villa delle Rose, which was the Cella's residence, hosts art exhibitions throughout the year. Open: Tuesday to Sunday 15:00 to 19:00.

• Villa Guastavillani - Via degli Scalini, 18 Tel: 051 239 660. Designed and built by Tomasso Martelli in the 16th century. Open: Monday to Saturday - 08:00 to 14:00.

• Villa Spada - Via Casaglia, 1 Tel: 051 614 5512. On the grounds of the Palazzo Ravone an 18th century villa, it was opened to the public in 1970. Open: April to September - Tuesday to Sunday 07:30 to 22:00; October to March - Tuesday to Sunday 07:30 to 18:00.

• Parco Cavaioni - Via di Casaglia. A large park featuring meadows, fields, wooded areas, and a lake. Open: April to September - 06:00 to midnight, October to March - 07:00 to 18:00.

• Certosa - Via della Certosa, 18, Tel: (0)514 12606. City's main cemetery with beautifully carved tombstones, built over the ruins of an ancient Etrusan necropolis. Open: daily 07:00 to 18:00.

Do

• Via Mascarella, in the northeast area of the city, has nightspots, among them two jazz clubs;
• There's a great film festival with restored silent and sound films throughout July in Piazza Maggiore. In the past, these have included foreign film (especially Italian and French), animation shorts from Annecy, archive footage of Bologna (e.g. of its liberation by British and American troops) and modern classics such as The Third Man, Raging Bull, Apocalypse Now and The Pianist;
• Many bars and pubs host music contests and concerts, from rock to jazz to "liscio", the traditional folk songs of Emilia-Romagna.
• Bologna is an Italian hub for rock, electronic and alternative music. There are almost a hundred concerts every year by international bands. Unfortunately many of these locations have moved outside the city center. The main places where to look are:

• The "Estragon", in Parco Nord, a big ex-industrial hangar, features dj-sets and concerts by international rock bands almost every night.
• The "Link", recently moved outside the city, is a large, beautiful 2-floors club that features mostly avantgarde electronic, techno and hip-hop gigs and dj-sets. A little book shop, mainly on "alternative" subjects, is inside.
• The "XM24" is an occupied ex-agricultural market located in Via Fioravanti 24. Punk-hc, rock and electronic concerts are often featured. A good and very cheap place, if you don't mind the punk atmosphere.
• The "Livello 57", just under the bridge of Via Stalingrado is now only seldomly opened, and it mainly features raves and techno gigs in an industrial, darkish atmosphere.
• The "TPO", in Viale Lenin, is another occupied location that mostly features experimental music festivals and rock concerts.
• The "Kindergarten", in Via Calzoni, next to the "Fiera", is a recently opened club that features punk and new wave concerts.

Buy

The key to shopping in Italy is to look in every little shop as you walk around, paying attention to price tags. Please take note that the hours listed usually specify a closure in the afternoons. There is no one place to get the perfect pair of shoes or the perfect ties or the perfect anything: you have to look all over, but this is half the fun. If you can't find what you want at the price you want to pay for it, keep looking, chances are you will find something somewhere else that will work perfectly.

Eat

There are many choices for where to eat, among them the McDonalds near the tourist landmark of the Due Torri in the centre of the city. There are plenty of other options of good quality.

• Consider eating at a foreign restaurant, which are quite well-expanded in Bologna;
• Being in Via Zamboni (a street which begins at the Due Torri) you will find on your right, a few shops down, a Libreria Feltrinelli (bookshop). Go here, browse the tourist section for an English-language guide to the city to find places to see and the recommended restaurants.
• Via del Pratello has lots of bars and restaurants/osterie. There's lots to choose from here. Walk past, look at the menus. It is located towards the middle of the 'western' part of the map. Via Mascarella/Largo Respighi is another zone with a lot of Osterie.
• The "Diana" on Via Indipendenza is probably the most famous restaurant in the city (quite expensive but not the worst one). Foreign tourists - the Japanese, and businessmen, primarily - come here.
• "Il Pappagallo" ("The Parrot"), found at the top of the street leading into Piazza Santo Stefano was a famous haunt of the stars during the '60s and '70s and still attracts an exclusive clientele. Its mix of traditional Bolognese fare and nouvelle cuisine gives the "Diana" a run for its money.
• The really good ice cream can be had at "Gianni's", a traditional Italian gelateria found near Via Ugo Bassi and the top of Piazza Santo Stefano. In 2006 a third gelateria opened at the corner of Via San Vitale and Via Zamboni, just under the Asinelli Tower.
• Another ice cream must-try is "Il Gelatauro", in Via San Vitale. It has many unique ice cream flavours, mostly of Sicilian origin, and it is considered one of the best gelateria of Italy.
• If you are just hungry and really out of money, next to Il Gelatauro is the chinese take-away "La Fenice". Don't be appalled by the really unimpressive appearance: the food is quite good (although stereotypical in its genre) and the portions are as big as they are cheap. With 1.50 Euros you can buy a cantonese rice portion able to fill up two persons.
• Via San Vitale also features "L'Antica Bologna", a chic but good and not particularly expensive bar and patisserie. Good Italian coffee is served too.
• "L'antica Trattoria Spiga" on Via Broccaindosso is a bit hard to find, but has the best risotto in Bologna and wonderful traditional cucina Bolognese. And as with most places in Bologna, be prepared to know a little Italian.
• "Osaka", in Via Calori next to Piazza Azzarita is a Japanese restaurant. Not exceptional in its genre, but allows for take-away sushi and it is relatively unexpensive.

Drink

Consider visiting the many pubs and clubs of Via Zamboni (university zone); some, such as "The Irish Pub", popular with students and foreigners, give happy hours on Tuesday/Wednesday. "Al Piccolo" down the road in Piazza Verdi is another famous student haunt, a live DJ playing techno into the early mornings.

Otherwise, the Via Pratello has many bars and is the centre of the city's alternative scene. Worth a look in particular is "Mutanye" whose owner is reputed to have been part of the Red Brigade in his youth, hence the many soviet posters...

For a good enoteca (winery), "Ai Vini Scelti" just outside the centre in Via Andrea Costa and only a few moments from Via Pratello, is considered one of the best in Bologna, though there are many others in the centre, providing everything from a quick aperitivo to proper wine-tasting.

A very plesant outdoor trattoria and wine bar on Piazza San Martino called "Golem" has a relaxed, modern italian atmosphere and is great for people watching. Reasonable prices, excellent wines, and a small appetizer bar make it ideal for a long evening of good drink with friends or family. Also, the gnocchi with crab sauce is superb, although you might want to order it without eyeballs.

Sleep

• Hotel Fiera, Via Stalingrado 82, 40128, Bologna. [4], A very nice hotel in the Merchant district with clean rooms and wonderful bathrooms. If you are lucky enough to get a room with a balcony, you will be rewarded with an outstanding view of the Appenines in the distance. Friendly staff, and a very nice little restaurant. Breakfast here was outstanding. If you want a place on the outskirts from which to plan your stay, you could do much worse. Doubles from 55 euros, singles from 45 euros. All rooms have a minibar at very reasonable prices (euro 2.60 for amything as of June 2006). One of the cleanest rooms I saw in Italy. However, it is a significant distance from the centre and so public transport is a must.

• A complete list of hotels is available from the Bologna Comune website.

• Hotels can become shockingly expensive and city quite packed over the days in which fairs are hosted in the local Fiera District (especially beware of Saie and Cersaie). You can check the calendar on Fiera di Bologna web site [5].

Get out

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