Bologna?? Worth it??

There have been many reviews/discussions of Bologna on this forum and here they are

click here

However, whether it will be "worth it," to you, depends on your personal preferences and is of course something no one here can answer. But hopefully the past discussions will help you decide.

I haven't actually been yet so I can't help you really, but all I know is, I skipped it on my first trip to Italy, but on my second upcoming trip this fall, it was at the top of my MUST-SEE.... because well, I am a foodie...:)

We are planning to spend one day exploring Bologna this Fall. I have heard great things about their resturants.

Bologna has been our best travel experience, but for you it will depend upon what you want. We were there for three weeks (home exchange) and lived as much as we could like natives. Bologna was perfect for that because it is not a tourist city, and nobody really knew, or cared, that we were Americans (the downside is that fewer people there speak English, but I had the greatest time using "sign language" to tell the hardware store owner I wanted epoxy).
Bologna is a very old city, and seeing how the city's architecture changed over the centuries is facinating. Its history is just as interesting.
Bologna is the food capital of Italy, referred to by Italians as "The Fat," because of the richness of the flavor of the foods produced in Emilia-Romagna, the gastronomic center of Italy. The best pasta in the world is created there--where the good chefs of the world go to learn how to make it. Browsing, and shopping in the produce markets and stalls on the narrow cobblstone streets was a great experience.
We used the city as a base, visiting Venice for three nights and Florence for two, both easy and enjoyable train rides. Over the years I have been to Florence three times, and although I have had some good experiences there, I have always felt some disappointment. It is quite noisy, and is so set up to get the tourist dollar.
In Bologna the people were friendly, the sightseeing and food were great. We look forward to being there again.

P.S. How does one append "Send Private Message" with the info to the left of the message? Everyone else seems to know how to do that, but I can't see how to.

I just got back from Italy in May and went to Bologna for the first time. I went there to pick up a puppy that I had purchased from a breeder on the coast. I found Bologna to be very un-touristy and I felt relaxed there. There is still great shopping and all, but they are not out to rip you off like you WILL BE in Rome, or Florence. The cab drivers were honest and worked strictly off the meters unlike those elsewhere. I like it there, and yes the food is wonderful. The cathedral is unfinished but ENORMOUS!

Bologna is comfortable city with friendly people and great food. If your trip is short and you want to see lot's of art and be amongst a lot of tourists you should focus your time on Florence. If you want to sample some of the differences between these cities and take in the local sights I would make a stop in Bologna.

Florence is prepared for tourists, expensive, crowded, and familiar sites and art of the renaissance.

Mike

Hi Bob,

We spent 2 nights in Bologna for the first time this past September and loved it. We stayed at Hotel Albergo alle Drapperie very near Piazza Maggiore. Our favorite restaurant was recommended by hotel staff and was called Cesari (memorable dinner of veal with truffles, roasted potatoes, warm chocolate tart and good house wine.)

We liked seeing the fresco at Saint Cecelia Church, a small Michelangelo sculpture at Basicila San Domenico, the towers, and the beautiful porticos all over the city.

As others have mentioned, it's not touristy, has great shopping and excellent restaurants!

Two nights is a good amount of time to spend. Go!

No. We spent 3 nights there after a bike trip in southern Italy. Figured we'd go someplace tourists skip. Once we walked the city, climbed the tower, we were bored. Bologna was a jumping off point for us to get to Verona and Ravenna. We thought we could get to some points further north, but the train travel time was too great. Those towns will be left for another trip.

If you want to spend 2 days and one night there,just to say you did it, go for it. But in my opinion, spend the time in Florence and take some day trips from there if you want. It's not worth the time/expense to move there for any length of time.

It could be that people who love Florence aren't as happy with Bologna. I've been to Florence twice but if I had to chose between the two I'd pick Bologna to return to. If you decide to go, here's an article that helped us plan our time there. It was first printed in 2007 but much of the info is still relevant.

36 Hours in Bologna

Bologna is more of a challenge for the average American tourist, since it doesn't have any really major tourist sites. Bologna centers around the university and business conventions. The food there is phenomenal, but there is really good food in lots of places in Italy. (duh) So I would put it lower down the list on places to go.

Liked Bologna a lot, and fortunately it isn't in the RS book so you get off the blue-book clutching path :-) Also stayed at Hotel Albergo alle Drapperie and recommend it. TI office has walking tours several times a week, it was informative. Enjoyed climbing the tower, walking around the miles of covered sidewalks, the museum, the great food, and used it as a home base to visit Parma.