2. Bologna has several nicknames – la dotta (the learned) and la
rossa (the red, for its leftwing politics) - but it is la grassa (the fat)
that’s perhaps the most fitting. Food is a very big deal here, as it is
throughout the Emilia-Romagna region – the home of parma ham,
balsamic vinegar and parmesan. Cured meats, aged cheeses, cream,
butter, game and truffles abound in this most indulgent of cuisines
– and autumn, with its plentiful porcini mushrooms and sweet
chestnuts, is a great time of year to visit.
Many of Italian cuisine’s heavy hitters – tagliatelle al
ragù, mortadella, tortellini, lasagne alla bolognese – originate and
are at their finest here. The classics still have pride of place, but in
the past few years the range of restaurants has broadened. And
next month sees the opening of Fico Eataly World, a long-awaited
€100m foodie theme park.
The opening of a foodie theme park will further elevate
Bologna’s reputation as Italy’s culinary capital but the city has
plenty more to offer, including superb art, music and medieval
architecture.
Europe’s oldest university town (it was founded in 1088) has
been a haven for intellectuals and creative types since
luminaries such as Dante and Petrarch passed through in the
14th century. Cultural capitals can ossify with time, but the
constant influx of young blood into Bologna has kept the city
alive. In the evenings, cafes flood with Bolognesi, from high-
society ladies to stylishly scruffy undergraduates arguing
politics and sipping Aperol spritzes.
Piazza Verdi attracts musicians and dreadlocked punks, while
bars under the arches of Piazza Santo Stefano are a lovely spot
for a sundowner. At weekends the central Via Ugo Bassi and Via
Rizzoli, along with perpendicular Via dell’Indipendenza, are
pedestrianised and fill with shoppers and street performers. At
nightfall, crowds from the student bars along Via Zamboni and
the more upscale options on Via del Pratello spill into the
streets.
3. WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Eataly World opens on 15 November, with rides, workshops,
restaurants, pastures, an orchard and a vineyard for tasting
and learning about everything from dairy farming to prosciutto
production. There will be tricycles to explore the 20-acre
complex, entry is free, the various activities start at €10pp and
a hotel will open there next year.
This may be the city’s flashiest culinary attraction, but it’s
hardly the only one. For a more personal look at la cucina
bolognese, book one of Rita Mattioli’s intimate cooking classes,
which feel like a warm, sophisticated dinner party. Whether
you’re a novice learning to roll translucent sheets of pasta or
trying to reproduce a professional tiramisù, make sure to book
well in advance (from €60pp, +39 348 341
0168, bolognawelcome.com).
4. The Carpigiani Gelato museum
Davide Simoni’s family has run
the Salumeria Simoni shop in the city
centre for generations, and he leads
tours (from €10) peppered with
anecdotes about the city’s pork
butchers.
Those with a sweet tooth may prefer
the Carpigiani Gelato museum, which
offers sessions for casual ice-cream
enthusiasts (€20) and masterclasses
(€45). It’s a schlep out of the centre
and booking is essential. For a more
spontaneous sweet treat, Il
Gelatauro on Via San Vitale, Cremeria
Funivia off Via Farini and Cremeria
Santo Stefano on Via Santo Stefano,
south of the centre, all serve sublime
scoops.
5. Shop at the food markets
Bologna’s food markets are among the best in Italy: stalls in the Quadrilatero, the centuries-old grid of streets south of Via Rizzoli, are
the place to try fine cheeses, at La Baita Vecchia Malga on Via Pescherie Vecchie; pastries, from Paolo Atti & Figli on Via degli Orefici; and
anything else, from wine to charcuterie, at Tamburini on Via Caprarie. Pick up your delicacies and head to Osteria del Sole on Vicolo
Ranocchi, a raucous bar dating back to 1465, where the wine is cheap and food is BYO.
Bustling Mercato di Mezzo on Via Clavature is great at any time of day for a casual bite, while Mercato delle Erbe, at the western end of
Via Ugo Bassi, is where chefs load up on Emilia-Romagna’s premium produce in the mornings. Though the rustic ambiance remains
intact, the market now hosts the cool Altro? food hall and occasional live music events.
For slow food straight from the source, head to the weekly Mercato delle Terre on Via Azzo Gardino, in the courtyard of the Cinema
Lumière, where more than 40 vendors offer everything from artisanal cheeses to cooking demonstrations.
6. Art, history and music Those planning to visit several museums can save money
with a Bologna welcome card (from €20).
There’s an impressive collection of works by Giotto,
Titian, Raphael and other old masters at the Pinacoteca
Nazionale di Bologna (€6 adult, €3 for 18-25s), plus
contemporary art at MAMbo (€4-€6, children free). The
latter also houses the Morandi Museum, a tribute to local
still-life artist Giorgio Morandi. In the early evening, wing
by MAMbo’s bar for a drink and a sumptuous aperitivo
spread (€8 with first drink). Museo della Storia di
Bologna (€10 adult, €8 19-26s, €6 6-18s) in Palazzo
Pepoli has interactive, hi-tech exhibits on Bolognese
society through the years. Exhibits are in Italian, but
there’s an engaging English-language audio guide.
Film fans can journey back to the golden age of Italian film
making at the vast library on the history of
cinematography at the Cineteca di Bologna art-house
theatre (Via Azzo Gardino 65).
No visit to this Unesco world city of music would be
incomplete without a stop at the Museo Internazionale e
Biblioteca della Musica di Bologna (€3-€5, children free)
in the frescoed Palazzo Sanguinetti. Small in size, yet
broad in scope, the museum displays an array of historic
portraits, documents and more than 80 instruments.
7. Scale the
heights
The Santuario della Madonna di San Luca
basilica keeps an eye on Bologna from a hill
10km south-west of the centre. It can be
reached on the San Luca Express, a tourist
“train” running from Piazza Maggiore, but it’s
more enjoyable to spend an afternoon trekking
the twisting path, with its (supposed) 666
porticos, from Piazza di Porta Saragozza on the
western edge of the centre. Scholars believe the
demonic number is no coincidence – the final
stretch can feel particularly devilish.
Back in the centre, it’s considered bad luck for
students to climb le due torri (the two leaning
medieval towers in Piazza di Porta Ravegnana
that are a symbol of the city) before graduating,
but travellers need not fear such superstition.
The smaller Torre Garisenda, which leans the
furthest of the two, is not open to the public,
but the 498 steps to the top of Torre
Asinelli (€3-€5) reward climbers with a
postcard-perfect vista of the city’s red rooftops.
