Towards the end of 2013 I had the good luck to spend a couple of days in Bologna, on my way between Dublin and Rimini – a small Italian beach side town that was hosting a travel conference.
I’d never been to Bologna, and whilst a couple of days wasn’t exactly a huge amount of time to explore everything on offer, I did have the advantage of being accommodated by the “BlogVille” program. This is an award winning initiative set up by the Emilia-Romagna tourism board, where bloggers such as myself are offered lodging and access to local tourism sights, with the hope that we’ll write wonderful things about the city and encourage lovely folks like you to visit.
And eat bolognaise.
Which was of course the main reason I visited Bologna.
Anyway, these nice people of “BlogVille” helped me figure out the best way to spend my time that would let me take lots of pictures, climb the tower (the most important part of visiting any new city in my mind), eat gelato, and of course, find the best place to eat the pasta sauce that is world famous.
Whilst that amount of time wasn’t really enough for me to give you a pile of thoroughly researched recommendations for your own trip to Bologna, it was at least enough to take some pictures, and come up with some ideas for your adventure. Without further ado, let’s take a quick walk around Bologna’s attractions, via the medium of the photograph.
These are the famous two towers of Bologna. Bologna was once home to almost 200 towers, although the reasons for this number aren’t quite clear. Maybe when you were rich in Bologna in the 12th century, you just *needed* a big tower.
There are fewer than 20 remaining now, with these two being the highest, the larger topping off at 97m. You can climb up the taller one, an activity I highly recommend if you’re feeling slightly fit, as it will present you with a fantastic view of the city.
Here’s that tower from the inside.
Lots of stairs. Nearly 500 of them, in fact. If you go up, keep an eye out for the plaque which points out when you’re higher than that famous leaning tower in Italy.
Another thing Bologna is famous for are its porticos, or covered walkways. In fact, Bologna has the longest covered porticos in the world. These provide respite from the heat in the summer, and from the rain when, well, it’s raining.
Lovely door knockers, of course.
And this being Italy, naturally there are scooters everywhere!
That was my brief experience of Bologna – a city that clearly warrants further attention next time we’re back in that area. I did eat excellent gelato and feast on fine bolognaise, although as you’re probably all too used to by now, I didn’t get any photos of those events.
All I can offer you is a glimpse of the menu where we ate, to give you an idea for your next trip…
And that’s it! Have you been to Bologna? Any tips for others planning a visit, or for what to see on our inevitable return? Let us know in the comments below!
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