Second trip to Bologna ideas

The small but once mighty Ferrara is a great day trip from Bologna with tons of historical things to see including the castle and frescos. Easy train access since it is the line that runs to Venice from Bologna.

Modena is another great day trip - quick access by train - the town is now large but the historic core remains small and manageable. Mostly a foodie destination - it is the home of balsamic vinegar - it has a lot of history and a great standing market.

If your tour didn't include Mercato delle Erbe I would check that out. I didn't get out to Le Serre Dei Giardini but it seemed like it might be a funky thing to do. The Archeological Museum is interesting (surprising amount of Egyptian) is that's your thing. If you keep diving into the museum you'll eventually get to the cluttered 50s style displays and just piles of finds that makes it feel like you are behind the scenes.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

I would book a daytrip to Ravenna. It is easily reached by train and there is plenty to keep you busy for a day. Lots of churches filled with mosaics. There is nothing like it in western Europe.

I second Modena and Ferrara as day trips from Bologna. Depending upon your interests, you could also consider Faenza.

If you are a museum person (I am), there are some great museums in Bologna you didn't mention seeing last time. Those include the Archeology Museum, the National Gallery and Palazzo Poggi. The archeological ruins in the basement of the Biblioteca Salaborsa are also interesting. Did you see the Lamentation sculpture at Santa Maria della Vita or the Michelangelo sculpture at San Domenico?

From Parma, you can get to the nearby 15th century castle of Torrechiara, full of wonderful painted rooms, each one different, and views over the countryside. I think we took the bus one way and a taxi the other way.

More about castles in the area: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/a-castle-near-bologna-for-my-grandchildren

100% visit Ferrara!

In Modena, our favorite place to eat was the bocce ball club, but that seems to be closed. We also loved the Trattoria Aldina across from the farmers market and a little hard to find because it's on the 2nd floor of the building.

Absolutely agree with Modena as a day trip. Also recommend a day trip to Padua, a fairly simple trip on the fast train, with the Scrovegni Chapel and St. Anthony's Basilica as the highlights. In Bologna, if you like antique keyboards, there's the Musei San Colomano. Also, the Oratorio of St. Cecilia, while rather small, is worth it if you're in the neighborhood. And I second the lamentation sculpture if you've not already seen it.

A few weeks ago, we did a day trip from Bologna to Caseificio Bio Reggiani for a parma tour in the morning then did the Lamborghini factory and museum tour in the early afternoon. The dairy was less than an hour drive from Bologna and the Lambo factory is only a 10 minute drive from the dairy.

If you want the Lambo factory tour, you'll have to book it well in advance. But you can just do the museum if you want.