We will be getting off our cruise in Ravenna on a Monday morning and have a hotel there until we head to Venice on Wednesday. We are considering a day trip over to Bologna. Is it worth it or would it be too rushed and/or spend more time in Ravenna?
TIA
If it's something you want to do, then why not? It's a short, cheap train ride. If you can see the mosaics in Ravenna on Monday, then go see Bologna, and taste the food they are known for, on Tuesday.
We did it the opposite way. We stayed in Bologna and day tripped to Ravenna. We took a tour of churches in Ravenna offered by tourist bureau that was very good. We didn’t see the churches outside the center but felt we were able to see those in walking distance in a day.
If you decide to visit Bologna as a daytrip, make sure to visit the Basilica di Santo Stefano and Piazza Santo Stefano. This was our favorite part of Bologna. The Basilica is Bologna's most unique religious site. It's a medieval labyrinth of 7 interlocking religious structures dating back to the 11th century. It is so unique and so interesting. And we preferred the smaller and more intimate Piazza Santo Stefano over the much larger Piazza Maggiore.
We did the opposite of you, however. We spent 3 nights in Bologna and visited Ravenna as a daytrip. I know that Rick prefers Ravenna but to us Bologna is more interesting.
We did a day trip to Bologna from Florence last fall -- I planned my itinerary by going on line and looking for 'a day in bologna' posts and found 3 blogs that laid out itineraries with pictures -- I picked the one that appealed to me and did that. It was lovely. Bologna is beautiful. We walked from the train station past the open section of canal, got coffee and pastries at a lovely little place recommended by the blogger, did the 7 church complex, the Cathedral and the terrifying frescoe of heaven and hell and the oldest medical school in Europe which turned out to be the highlight of the visit. Don't miss the old medical school anatomy dissection room and frescoed classrooms and library. Beautiful town, good food, wish we had been able to stay a few days.
Yes, a day trip to Bologna is worth it!
