I love Italy and I cannot get enough of it! Anyone that feels the same?
I was not planning to visit Bologna. Ryan air had last minute discounted tickets available from Athens where I am based and I told myself… why not? It’s Italy! 
And yes, I was right… a lovely city that I had an amazing time & I truly recommend it.
Some more things about this trip …
✔️Bologna airport : 20 minutes from the city center & 20-30€ by taxi. I got one at the airport. There are buses that are cheaper but check if it gets you close to where you will be staying.
✔️ Accommodation: Stay in the center to be on foot, I did the same and used taxi only for/to the airport. Perfect?
✔️ When to visit: anytime of the year in my opinion
✔️ Duration: 2-3 days
✔️ Starting point: Piazza Maggiore
The view from Asinelli tower
✔️Landmark of Bologna: the two towers called Garisenda & Asinelli. Bologna has many towers that you can visit, with beautiful view of the city. Asinelli though is the most famous and tallest one where you can go up using the 500 stairs but you must book 1 day in advance at least. (3-5 euros per person) Angel’s tip: I liked more, though, the Prendiparte tower which is the second highest because you can see the 2 towers as well.
In Prendiparte tower
✔️ Must do: Stroll around the city and get lost among the colonnades in the whole city. Angel’s tip: One secret in Bologna is the Mayor’s Vault (Voltone del Podestà) close to Piazza Maggiore: the peculiar sound game that is created under its vault. Visitors can experience a “wireless telephone” by talking to each other from one corner of the structure to another facing the wall. Try it, so crazy!🤪
The area of the university of Bologna-the oldest in the World.
✔️Must see: The little window in Via Pella , you open it & you can see Reno canal! Take a picture like this below.
✔️ Eat, eat, eat! Did you know that Bologna is the foodie capital of Italy? Who hasn’t eaten Bolognese pasta?
✔️ Specialties of Bologna: Bolognese or tagliatelle al ragu, Green Lasagna, Tortelloni en brodo (in the pic below).
✔️ Restaurants I tried and I recommend: Osteria dell Orsa, Trattoria dal Biassanot, Trattoria Osteria Buca Manzoni, 051 Osteria, Botanica lab for vegan/plantbased food and Ristopizza Nicola’s for pizza.
✔️ Breakfast: I loved “Pappare” & “PianoPiano”. “Mò Mortadella Lab” is another great one for mortadella-based sandwiches with gourmet cheese & veggie add-ons
✔️ Gelaterias I tried and I recommend: Cremeria La Vecchia Stalla, Gelateria Gianni & of course Il Gelatauro in Via San Vitale 98. In any case you can get everywhere wonderful ice cream. 
✔️ Bars I loved:
- Bar Senza Nome(in Belvedere street 11/B), a wonderful bar with hearing-impaired bartenders where you order using cards with drawings of the drinks you want!
- Il Mistico cocktail & wine
- Bar Altro
but there are soooo many more! Comment below to give me ideas for next time!
✔️ Relaxing view with good weather: in 051 Osteria in the beautiful Piazza Stefano.(Piazza=square). I had a glass of wine and a tortelloni dish enjoying the sun! 
✔️A popular closed market : Mercato delle Erbe (07:00-24:00 on weekdays & 07:00-02:00 Friday-Saturday) where you can buy fresh fruits and vegetables, cheeses & many other things. I liked more though the Mercato di Mezzo. Mercato Ritrovato is a farmer’s market on the street.
✔️Palaces: I visited Palace of the Archiginnasio in the city center with the anatomical theater which was nice and Palazzo Re Enzo but It was not something extraordinary in my opinion.
✔️Churches: Many exceptional churches in Bologna. The 2 -must see- Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca outside the city and Basilica di San Petronio in the center.
✔️ Some more:
- Check online for Cooking classes in case you are interested- there are available.
- If you love books you can visit the public library Sala Borsa with the Roman ruins underneath.
✔️ If you want to make an excursion around, you can visit :
- Parma city , famous for the Prosciutto di Parma ham and Parmigiano-Reggiono cheese.
- Modena city, famous for the barrel-aged balsamic vinegar and Enzo Ferrari Museum .
- Ferrara city
- Ravenna city
- Venice – Florence (about 1.5hr away by train)
Angel’s tip: If you have only 1 day in Bologna and you don’t know from where to begin, you can just start with the 7 secrets tour of Bologna! What is this? A fun way to discover the city by yourself! Google or check the link below and visit these 7 places in this beautiful Italian city!
https://www.bologna-guide.com/the-seven-secrets-a-journey-through-mystery/
*Check my Bologna highlight on Instagram and relevant posts for more*
IG : angeliki.a_