Things to do in

Bologna

Take a classic walking tour through the streets of the Bologna city center. With this guided tour, discover the history of Bologna and its major cultural attractions. Make stops at the Asinelli tower, Neptune fountain, and the Basilica of San Petronio. Meet your guide and walk through the city streets admiring the architecture and discovering the most-famous cultural attraction. See the towers of Bologna and marvel at their height and significance. Then, stroll through the Quadrilatero Market, and learn important historical facts. Make a wish at the Neptune fountain and see if it comes true. Then, gaze at the Basilica of San Petronio, as your guide shares its story and welcomes you into the city of Bologna.

Yet another great artist is invited to exhibit in the splendid sixteenth-century spaces of Palazzo Boncompagni in Bologna: after the exhibitions of Michelangelo Pistoletto, Marino Marini and Aldo Mondino, the Palazzo Boncompagni Foundation is now organizing an exhibition of works by Mimmo Paladino, an internationally renowned artist. Mimmo Paladino will thus return to exhibit after years in Bologna, a city that he has always loved in a particular way and with which he has had close ties, from the fraternal friendship with Luico Dalla to the Honorary Degree awarded to him in 2020 by the Alma Mater University. Paladino, an all-round artist, has successfully challenged himself with multiple creative languages, from painting and sculpture to writing, theatrical scenography and cinematographic direction, bringing his particular poetics to every area. The exhibition, curated by Silvia Evangelisti, will present around twenty important works, paintings and large sculptures, particularly significant in the artist's poetics, documenting his research over the last twenty years. At the center of the Papal Audience Hall will be a monumental installation of thirteen black horses ; two tall and hieratic figure of a Warrior in bronze will welcome visitors at the entrance to the covered Loggia, which will also host the evocative installation of the seven character-ideograms of Respiro from 1995, and a large bronze helmet from 1998 furrowed in relief by arcane signs – numbers, labyrinths, letters of an unknown language. In the internal rooms there are paintings, including a new series of 6 black Madonnas set up in a single suggestive room.

The Basilica of San Luca is one of the symbols of the city of Bologna. Situated on the Monte Guardia, the Sanctuary connects to the city center through the longest continuous portico in the world, made up of 666 arcades. At the meeting point, you'll receive a map and a timetable of the return train, which is available every 45 minutes. You’ll also receive a voucher for the food tasting.  This tour departs every day and will help you discover the city from aboard the San Luca Express train, where the audio guides, available in 8 languages, will tell you about the city until your arrival at the Basilica of San Luca. Here, you can visit the Basilica at your own pace and decide what time to return by consulting the schedules on the map. On board, you will find a member of staff who'll welcome you and provide any information you may require. When you return, you will get to taste typical products in one of the historical markets.

Get to know Bologna at your own pace on this interactive scavenger hunt walking tour that is played on your phone. Decipher riddles, interact with the most important attractions of the city, and unlock interesting facts and legends. Enjoy an ideal outdoor activity for first time visitors, couples, groups, families, and children which can be used as a great team-building activity. Solve puzzles outside of ten Bologna attractions. Use clues at each attraction to find your next destination. Enjoy the challenge of using logic, imagination, observation, and team spirit to complete the game. Feel the satisfaction of solving each riddle. At each stop, learn about the attraction and solve a location-based riddle that can only be solved if you reach the specific location. Use logic, imagination, observation, and team spirit to unlock the correct code and reveal the next destination of the city sightseeing game. Have the freedom to pause or resume the tour whenever you want. Admire the city at your own pace. Uncover interesting information and facts about the city. Snap as many pictures as you want.  You can start playing anytime, the schedule is indicative. Start your tour at Towers of Bologna. Visit the Biblioteca Salaborsa with its unique archives. Photograph the municipal complex of Palazzo d'Accursio and the chapel and admire the Santuario di Santa Maria della Vita with its original Gothic style and lifelike sculptures. Then head to the Salina Palace and Osteria Le Sette Chiese for some unbeatable photo opportunities. Admire the beautiful Piazza Minghetti and the interior of Basilica di San Domenico. The small but miraculous Oratorio dello Spirito Santo is well worth your time, and the icing on the cake is the Church of the Holy Savior.

Discover Bologna in comfort via an open top bus, enabling you to admire and photograph all the major attractions of the city.  Upon arriving at the meeting point, staff will welcome you onboard. Choose from an audioguide available in 10 different languages to learn more about the specific landmarks as well as the general history of the city. You will then journey across the city, capturing views of some of the most famous points of interest. Hop on and off at your leisure at some popular spots such as: • Basilica San Petronio • Palazzo dei Notai • Palazzo Comunale • Palazzo di Re Enzo • Palazzo del Podestà, • Tower of Asinelli and Garisenda • Museo Civico Archeologico • Archiginnasio • Palazzo Bevilacqua • Porta Saragozza • Palazzo Bentivoglio • Fontana del Nettuno • Teatro Comunale. After the tour, enjoy a food tour in a historical market in Bologna, where you will try local delicacies.

Go on a gastronomic journey with a local in Bologna and explore hidden gems that only locals know about. Taste cold cuts, different types of cheeses and wine, and discover what makes Italian cuisine special. Upon meeting your guide, experience what a local's daily life in Bologna is like. Start with a proper Italian breakfast in the best pasticceria in town, before moving on to purchase and try cold cuts, cheeses, and breads. You also get to taste some local wine. Then, walk through the old town center and hear some historical anecdotes about the city and its cuisine. Try two iconic homemade pasta in a classical Osteria Bolognese, paired with local wine, along with a surprise local dish. Conclude your gastronomic journey with the best gelato in town.

Take in the incredible views from the tallest leaning medieval tower in the world, built between 1109 and 1119. The panoramic view from the Torre degli Asinelli will take your breath away.  After the tower visit, enjoy a food tasting of Bologna's typical products in the city center.

Head to the Quadrilatero area, the vibrant heart of Bologna, to start your 3-hour food tour. Step off the beaten paths, discover unexpected sights and hear amazing stories about the origins and traditions of the city. We'll start with a traditional welcoming sweet. Then, we'll visit one of the oldest Salumeria of the city to sample a selection of local charcuterie. You'll enjoy Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma and many more regional cold cuts. Next we'll visit a pasta shop for a demonstration and taste of fresh, handmade pasta made just for us. At the Quadrilatero, we'll sip different types of 8,12,25 year old balsamic vinegar from Modena. We'll stop in Bologna's oldest tavern for a glass of the best local wine. You'll end on a sweet note, with a traditional artisanal gelato. As with all our tours, there's our delicious Secret Dish.

Avoid the hassle of public transport before or after your airplane journey. Sit back and relax aboard an air-conditioned Appennino Shuttle with extra legroom as you are taken to the airport or Piazzale Montelungo in Florence city center. Benefit from helpful staff who will assist you. Choose a 1-way shuttle service to or from the airport. Be greeted by staff who will wait for you to board the bus. Hop on board and have your luggage safely stowed away. Relax on a modern air-conditioned bus and enjoy the view of the Tuscany region. Arrive at Bologna airport or Florence city center.

FOLLOW and TEXT me on IG @stayhungrystaybologna BEFORE BOOKING class to get a special GIFT from me! A bottle of wine from my private collection for you! Also you can see more pics about class LISTED IN TOP 50 WORLD'S EXPERIENCE IN 2023!! Meal will be served in my cozy living room with a relaxing candle's light athosphere at night and jazz music in backgorund Air conditioning in all apt for complete relax, candle light and italian jazz music as background during your meal :) We will start with a Aperitivo with a glass of wine and my HOMEMADE PIZZA very tasty! As main course YOU will learn how to make 2 DIFFERENT KINDS OF PASTA typical of town Tortelloni Tagliatelle COOKED WITH TWO SAUCES: Ragu' (Bolognaise sauce) Fresh cherry tomato sauce and basil You will turn a simple egg into a real dish starting from the scratch. YOU will make the dough manually and I teach you all the chef's secrets During meal, I'll offer a relaxing wine tasting, guiding through some of the best italian grapes. You learn about the story behind each bottle and producer and how to match the perfect wine for the right food. A very accurate selection of the BEST grapes of italy you can CHOOSE from: sangiovese, merlot, chianti, pinot grey, chardonnay from organic italian producers UNLIMITED WINE is included, we can open whatever bottles you like :) Vegetarian Menu' 100% possible, all organic veggies DESSERT: Best TIRAMISU of your life I promise! my grandma recipe that we pass on by generations in my family since 80 years..! Super creamy and tasty! I got a nice and cute little red cat in the house names Ragu' :)