First Time in Bologna: What You Need to Know

Bologna is not a day trip from Florence. It is a city with three nicknames (La Grassa, La Dotta, La Rossa), each accurate, and each worth understanding before you arrive. La Grassa (the fat one): this is where ragù, tortellini in brodo, mortadella, and tagliatelle were invented. Italian food at its most serious and most specific. La Dotta (the learned one): the University of Bologna was founded in 1088. It is the oldest continuously operating university in the Western world. The student population (about 100,000) gives the city its energy, its cheap bars, and its left-wing politics. La Rossa (the red one): the terracotta buildings that make the city look warm, and the politics that made it a communist stronghold for 50 years.

40 kilometres of covered walkways run through the city centre, UNESCO-listed since 2021. What this means practically: you can cross the entire historic centre without getting wet or sunburned. You navigate by portico, not by street. The most beautiful sections are around Piazza Maggiore, along Via dell'Indipendenza, and the San Luca portico (666 arches, 3.8 km, the longest in the world). The porticoes are not tourist infrastructure: they are how the city works, and Bolognesi use them constantly. You'll share them with students rushing to lectures, elderly couples taking their evening walks, and locals doing their daily shopping.

The city is compact and flat. The historic centre fits inside a ring of boulevards (the Viali), and almost everything worth seeing is within 20 minutes' walk of Piazza Maggiore. The train station (Bologna Centrale) is at the top of Via dell'Indipendenza, 15 minutes from the square. You do not need a car or public transport for the centre. The hills to the south (and the San Luca sanctuary) require a bus or a 25-minute walk from Piazza Maggiore. If you're staying near the centre, your legs will be your best transport.

The must-do list is short: climb the Asinelli Tower (EUR 5, 498 steps, the best view in Bologna), walk through the Quadrilatero food market, visit the Archiginnasio Anatomical Theatre (EUR 3, genuinely strange and worth it), and eat tortellini in brodo at a traditional trattoria at least once. The Complesso di Santo Stefano (EUR 5, seven churches, Piazza Santo Stefano) is the most underrated site in the city. The medieval complex feels like a miniature city within the city, with courtyards that echo your footsteps and chapels that smell of centuries-old incense. Day trips to Modena (25 min by train) and Ravenna (75 min) are both worth planning if you have 3 days.

May to September gives you the best weather and longest days, but July and August can be sticky and humid. October through April means cooler temperatures but also means the porticoes make more sense: you'll appreciate the covered walkways when it's raining. University holidays (July, August, and Christmas break) make the city quieter but less energetic. The student energy is part of Bologna's appeal, so visiting during the academic year (September to June) gives you the full experience.

Every restaurant claims to serve authentic Bolognese cuisine, but most are tourist traps with mediocre ragù and overpriced wine. The real places don't have English menus, don't take reservations for lunch, and close between 2:30 PM and 7 PM. Look for handwritten menus, tables full of locals speaking Italian, and tortellini made fresh that morning. If you see ragù served on spaghetti, leave immediately. Proper ragù goes on tagliatelle, and tortellini go in brodo (broth), never with cream sauce.