After exploring Venice along the Grand Canal, the journey continued towards Bologna – home to the oldest university in the world and worldwide known and acclaimed for its Bolognese cuisine. Since we arrived only in the late afternoon, we went out for an aperitivo and then had dinner later.
The following day was our only full one to explore Bologna. And while there are some must-sees around the city, which you shouldn’t miss, due to its smaller size, it’s best simply walking around and enjoying the city’s historical landmarks. However, we actually came to Bologna for its food and, thus, spent the rest of the afternoon trying some of Bologna’s best food spots – from the (unfortunately not veggie) tortellini in brodo to the best ice cream in town. Back in the city center and after a short rest at our accommodation, we ended the day with some drinks at a closeby bar.
Wednesday morning, we left Bologna quite early and took the train to Reggio Emilia, where Claudio, our host, picked us up at the train station for our Airbnb tour. Starting with breakfast typical for the region, he later introduced us to the making of the famous parmigiano reggiano, which we also got to try at the end of the tour with Lambrusco and local ham. So, if you visit Bologna, check out this outstanding Airbnb experience as well – book here!
Eat & drink here
Forno Brisa: bakery and coffee roastery with a modern touch
Trattoria Meloncello: Old trattoria, serving traditional Bolognese dishes, such as meatballs, pasta with ragù or tortellini in brodo
Cremeria Funivia: Bologna’s best and most creamy gelato place, where they fill the bottom of your cone with liquid chocolate
Cantina Bentivoglio: restaurant with live jazz music serving traditional Bolognese food
Bottega Ranocchi 1972: a butcher shop & deli serving e.g. ham and cheese platters
La tua Piadina sui Viali: food stop serving the typical Romagna region flatbread “piadina” with several different fillings
Pizzeria Due Torri: counter-serve classic pizza place in the very center of the city and always open
Things to do
Visit the classics such as Two Towers, Piazza Maggiore, Basilica di San Petronio, or Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca
Have a drink at one of the many bars around the city, e.g. at Marcondo, Camera A Sud, or Il Barattolo
Do it like the locals and bring your own food to Osteria del Sole, where you then only need to get your drinks
Visit Mercato delle Erbe and enjoy some food at the restaurants or check out the market there
Try the city’s famous tortelloni, tortellini, ragu, and lasagna at a pasta fesca place, e.g. Pasta Fresca Naldi, Pasta Fresca Nonna Cesira, and Voglia di Sfoglia
Go on a tour to the closeby towns of Reggio Emilia, Parma and Modena to learn more about the making of the famous parmigiano reggiano, aceto balsamico or parma ham
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