Bologna and Emilia Romagna

I have some great books on that area--Northern Italy: Emilia-Romagna: including Bologna et al. by Bradt and Insight Guides Pocket Bologna. It looks like both are available in ebook format as i know you are currently on the road. There are also plenty of YouTube videos on that area. I haven't been myself yet, so i don't have any specific recommendations for you. But, Bologna looks like a great place, and hopefully less crowded.

Here some videos mainly about Emilia-Romagna: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkCki7cclUNZGLjjuYGrtTg
There are some good suggestions about where to go. We did even some video of some hidden gems, but are in Italian only at the moment :-(

Best resource while currently traveling...GOOGLE.

The official website for Bologna's TI is bolognawelcome.com. A quick look shows they have an app available to access tourist info. I don't know if their office on Piazza Maggiore is currently open to visitors; if it is, be sure to visit as they are very helpful with current info for Bologna and the surrounding area. Be sure to take their Bologna walking tour-when I did (almost three years ago) it was excellent. Ditto for the Parma TI's walking tour.

I found Bologna to be very interesting, and highly underrated. It is a great city for walking. Public transit was easy to figure out, and as it is a train hub there is easy access to transit for day trips. Enjoy!

Bologna is a wonderful city to visit. Historic and filled with the energy a university gives a place. Oldest university in Europe.
Great local food scene.
there and in surrounding towns and cities.

The tourist office used to list a walking tour that included visiting one of the distinctive siege towers. On that day the tower was open (it was a b&b, surely one of the most distinctive possible) and the stiff climb to the top offered a great view across the top of the city.

Be sure to walk up the portico covered 2.2 km walkway to the church of San Luca at the top.
It's a steady climb, but worth it.
Or you could take the bus or little "train" up, and walk down.
Easy to find the starting point on google maps, and which bus to take get to the start point.

We stayed in Bologna for a week exactly a month ago, and were there again 2 weeks ago to turn in our rental car. Of many printed guidebooks checked out at the library before we left for Italy, including Rick Steves, Lonely Planet, Fodor’s, and DK Eyewitness, Frommer’s Italy had by far the most extensive chapter for Bologna and Emilia Romana.

Frankly, the best planning resource was from our lodging - we rented an apartment on the south end of town, and our landlady had many personal suggestions (and loaned us her own pasta board and roller to make fresh scialatielli), plus loads of printed material she had collected, plus stuff left by previous tourists.

The TI did a dual-language walking tour (in Italian, then in English at each stop) covering a few blocks around the TI. Helpful for deciding where to go back and visit later on. Like most Italian TI’s this trip, they were closed for several hours for lunch, then open again later in the afternoon. Many places and parts of town were not included, and walking around (or biking - which lots of riders were doing, but I wouldn’t try it - especially without a helmet, which almost no one wore) was a great way to discover other places of interest. The extensive covered porticoes around town helped stay kind-of dry during a long, heavy rainy day, but it was still soggy. Most days had fair weather.

Of the Two Towers, both leaning, and one closed to the public for safety reasons, the tallest is open for climbing. Reservations required, 14 people allowed per time slot, book online. Most days sold out before the end of the day.

The best gelato in town, and the best fragiola (strawberry) sorbetto anywhere in Italy on this trip, was at Cremeria D’Azeglia, at the southern end of Via D’Azeglia, close to the apartment. We tried many places, and theirs was superior.

A few doors down, Ristorante Alice da Oscar was an outstanding place for lunch and dinner. Oscar’s daughters were making tortellini by hand at a table inside all afternoon. The signage outside says the restaurant name is just Alice (Alice’s Restaurant !?!), but that was a previous owner. The other outstanding restaurant (of many we tried), for quality, welcome atmosphere, and value, was Osteria la Traviatta, on Via Urbana. Reservation advisable for either lunch or dinner.

“Italian Days” food tour included a very early (when milk is being delivered by farmers, and the only time of day it gets processed) visit to a Parmesano Reggiano cheese opereation, a DOC (accept no substitute) balsamic vinegar and wine producer - see their cask of 180 year old vinegar, getting better with age, and a prosciutto plant, followed by a sumptuous lunch up in the hills. That was an all-day event, so not much need for dinner that night. The ride through the surrounding countryside and dramatic wine country slopes was a bonus to the eating parts.

This forum has had details about visiting nearby Ferrari, Maserati, etc. factories and museums, although we didn’t partake.

Highly, highly recommend this experience if you're at all interested in parmiggiano. It leaves from Reggio Emilia. One of the best things we did during our month in Italy this past summer.

https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/91363

Great info, Cyn, thank you! I have bookmarked this post for your recommendations — and the link to Ricky’s video.

I started my Italy trip this summer with a week based in Bologna, doing day trips out into Emilia Romagna. I visited Parma, Modena, Ferrara, Ravenna and San Marino. I used Lonely Planet as my guidebook and was pleased with the information. Travel was easy to each town via train (and bus for San Marino). Don't know what the weather is going to be like in two weeks, so that will determine how much you want to be out and about. I enjoyed all the day trips.

A huge video resource is the Youtube channel of the Regional Touristic Office: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2CSZcBwa4tu8bFHY-tL3ag/playlists
Focus on Castles, craftsmen, motors, bicycles... A lot of ideas for what you like more!

Thanks all...I've decided to wait until the spring.