Bologna

Top 10 to see and do:
https://www.10cose.it/bologna/cosa-vedere-bologna

If you get bored, Ravenna, Parma, Ferrara, Florence, etc. are just a short train ride away.

The first thing on my agenda would be seeing the very large historic district. The tourist office offers a walking tour that I liked. If you happen to be unlucky with the weather, many streets in that area are arcaded, thus offering considerable protection from precipitation.

The city has a considerable number of museums and historic churches, as one would expect. It is also know for having fabulous food. Lots of food-related shops in the historic area.

As a major transit hub, Bologna offers a lot of great day-trip opportunities. Some are food-related (Parma and Modena), but the destination I chose was Ravenna. It has a lovely historic center and 6 or 7 mosaic sites that are just wonderful. It is amazingly non-touristy, or at least it was in 2015.

Ravenna was lovely in 2017, too! Felt less stressed than Florence, where we went next.

Headed back to Ravenna for 4 nights this Oct. Our first was a day trip and always wanted to get back there.

One of the things I enjoyed most in Bologna was the food. One of the specialties there is Tagliatelle al Ragu, which I believe is the original version of Pasta Bolognese. One guidebook that I read stated "The concoction made at Osteria del'Orsa is popularly considered to be the Verdi of its field." I visited the restaurant several times, and quite enjoyed it.

I liked the tour of the University (think medieval) and simply walking around in the historic center. Ravenna is a little far but well worth the time to see the well-preserved early Christian buildings and mosaics.

The FOOD is fantastic. We enjoyed San Petrino church with the meridian line, the Neptune fountain is close. Great walking around town with lots of brick arches. Climb one of the towers for a great view of Bologna. Good night life as Bologna is a university city. Enjoy!

Thanks for the replies and information. We have some extra days before and after Venice so I will look into your suggestions for other towns to visit. Sounds like Bologna is the place to eat!
Dana

The civic tourism office sells walking tours, including some devoted to the siege towers that are such a distinctive characteristic of the medieval city. Try to find one that includes access to a tower. The climb is likely to be steep and tight but the views can be spectacular.

I would stay in Bologna for the 2 days and not do a day trip out. There is just so much to see and explore. If you like medieval and renaissance art, the National Pinoteca is excellent. And just wandering around the historic center never disappoints. And the food.....amazing.

While we were in Bologna we did a food tour with Italian Days Food experience. We toured a Prosciutto ham, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and Balsamic Vinegar factories. We had the most amazing 2 hour lunch in the countryside after. Although, we ate so much at each factory, lunch was the icing on the cake if you will. Alessandro picked us up at our hotel. It was an all day event. At the time it was 150 euros per person. Not sure if this is something that interests you, we enjoyed it.

Bologna is the city of towers and porticos. I think there are 14 medieval towers still standing in Bologna and if it's raining you can pretty much get around under the beautiful porticos. Stop in to visit Mercato delle erbe.... Bologna's version of a food court. If you like architecture stop in the library in the center of town . Visit the statue of Neptune and the 4 mermaids. You could visit the Ferrari and Lamborghini museums. Grab a treat at Gamberini. We loved our visit to Bologna!

Would anyone recommend the day trip from Bologna to Ravenna and then proceeding on to San Marino to then return directly to Bologna?

I echo Joyce's recommendation... We also went on Alessandro's food tour and it was once of the highlights of our trip.

I visited Bologna in 2014 and really liked it. I preferred it over Ravenna which I found kind of boring. I liked the big bustling feel of Bologna better (I live in L.A. so this may be why I liked it better).

Visit the historic area and eat and eat. I found the food in Bologna some of the best while visiting Italy.

We recently returned from doing day trips from Bologna. I think Ravenna and San Marino are too much for one day. We did them in two separate day trips and enjoyed both.

Thanks David!

Are you thinking they're too much for travel time concerns, or because there's just too much to see in both places for basically only half a day?

Nevermind...I realize I forgot to factor in the 45 minute bus trip from Rimini to San Marino. Thanks !!

Adding to Donna, the porticos are a protection not only from rain but also from the Italian sun!