We will be traveling by train from Venice (having stayed a week) to Orvieto, and want a stop in between, and are thinking of Bologna. Is there a place to lock one's luggage (standard 21" tall carry-on rolling bag), and how far is the train station from the main town? What would you do with a few hours there?
Thank you for your ideas!
Laurel
Google maps will show you where the train station is in relation to the historic center. It's a major station, so yes they do have a Left Luggage facility. You hand them your luggage and pay a fee depending on how many hours you will leave it there.
Here's a link to a map I created in Google Maps when we were thinking of doing the same thing last year:
Bologna stopover
It shows the location of some restaurants. We were going to hit one for lunch, since Bologna is esp. famous for its food. It just didn't work out.
Bologna has lots of towers, so you can go climbing at least one of them to get a view of the city: http://www.bolognawelcome.com/en/places-to-see/history-art/params/CategorieLuoghi_10/ref/Towers
Or just wander the center through the arcades and visit the food markets and the cathedrals. http://www.bolognawelcome.com/en/places-to-see/highlights/
From the station, go to Piazza Maggiore. Find Vicolo Colombina and halfway down the block is La Colombina restaurant, tiny but excellent. The two leaning towers are nearby. Piazza Maggiore is the center of the city and there is always something going on.
