Bologna is delicious, and I’m not talking about the lunchmeat. Bologna Italy is a foodie paradise in Northern Italy. It is the region where tagliatelle al ragu was invented or as we know it in North America, bolognese pasta. Sure, it may not be the first place people think of going when travelling to Italy, but if you do find yourself in Northern Italy I argue it is a must see!

Bologna is a city big enough to get lost in but small enough to see in a day.  Here is a rough outline of my itinerary for the first day I got there…

• Neptune’s Fountain (in Piazza del Nettuno next to Piazza Maggiore)
• Piazza Maggiore 1min from fountain
• Visit Basilica de San Petronio (1 min from Piazza M) open 8-2 / 3-6pm 3 euros.
• Santa Maria della Vita ( group of seven churches) 5-7 mins away from the Basillica
• Le Due Torri ( two leaning towers) 5 mins away walking from Santa Maria
• Basillica de Santo Stefano ( free admission 5 mins away)

Once you are in the main square of the city (Piazza Maggiore) you’re able to easily navigate to most of the sites and restaurants the city has to offer.

A note – *most churches require you to be dressed more conservatively so carry an extra shawl in your bag just in case you want to pop into a church while you walk around the city*

In the bigger cities I found a lot of the food would cater to tourists, or just be more expensive but this was NOT a problem in Bologna. I originally chose to visit this city because I heard it’s a city where Italians go to eat. The food was fresher, cheaper and tastier than most of the places I went to in the bigger cities. You didn’t need to research 10 restaurants before visiting one, you could just stroll down the streets and walk into almost any restaurant and the food would be excellent.

tagliatelle a ragu

tigelles filled with assorted meats

At night people would fill the sidewalks on patios drinking wine, hopping from bar to bar, eating the best food and being so stylish regardless of age. I was lucky enough to be staying in an Airbnb that was a 1 min walk from Via Del Pratello which is a strip of bars and restaurants. Every night I would visit 3 or 4 new bars and soak in the vibrant joie de vivre attitude of everyone in the city.

Bologna is a place that will steal your heart if you love good food and culture. It’s a place a little off the beaten path, but the path less travelled often leads to the best adventures!