How to spend top weekend in Bologna - ideas on extraordinary attractions and sites

In Bologna offers plenty of interesting places to discover, including sightseeing, gastronomic, cognitive and romantic destinations. If you're a big fan of hiking and an inquisitive tourist, you probably know that Bologna has several picturesque canals. They are very close to many popular sightseeing routes and reliably hidden from prying eyes behind picturesque facades of old buildings. Want to take some unforgettable pictures in the Venetian style? Head to the area of via Augusto Righi and find a small window in the city wall. It offers a gorgeous view of the canal, which is in no way inferior to the panoramic views of Venice.

Tired of going on the tours during the daytime? It's time to change the good old tradition and go on an evening walk through Bologna. With the onset of darkness, its picturesque streets are illuminated by incredibly beautiful lighting. In the light of street lamps, the familiar historical monuments look quite different.

Cannot imagine your vacation without shopping? Take a walk along Via dell Indipendenza and find a modest gift shop with the name of La Coroncina . The choice of typical national-style souvenirs is really huge, while the prices are the most favorable in the city. Just for 3-5 Euros, you can buy excellent gifts for friends, from traditional pennants and plates to fashionable colorful T-shirts and exclusive decks of playing cards. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Exploring fashion boutiques and souvenir shops, be sure to leave some energy and money for gastronomic discoveries. It's best to start them with something light, for example, tastings the best ice cream in town. Near the central square is unique Gelateria Gianni store, and it wouldn't be easy to find a similar place anywhere else in Italy. Here you can try dozens of types of ice cream with a wide variety of flavors and additives prepared according to author's recipes exclusively from local farm milk. In addition to eco-friendly ice cream, you can order delicious cakes and other sweet specialties.

After warming up the appetite with ice-cream, it's time to go to PizzAltero. Think that Italian pizza is always round and abundantly flavored with Parmesan cheese? In the historic pizzeria, these myths dispel in a few minutes. A huge rectangular pizza has been baked here since 1957. Slices of the popular Italian delicacy flaunt behind shining glass showcases. Its visitors only need is to determine the appropriate serving size. Sellers will gladly cut a slice from a huge pizza, so it's very convenient to take pizza away from PizzAltero. Several comfortable tables are installed for guests inside the pizzeria.

Bologna is known for its meat delicacies. Keep in mind that experienced gourmets prefer to try them not in fine restaurants but in ordinary urban markets. Early Saturday morning, go to the nearby grocery market and be sure to try "Mortadella" sausage, which is produced only in Bologna. Local sellers are sure to treat you with special ham and cheese, and in small street tents, you can buy a portion of hot "Tortelli" - local dumplings.

Tourists can take with them a piece of unique gastronomic Bologna. In La Bottega specialized store, you can buy the most popular national delicacies. Wonderful olives and oil, meat delicacies and the best local wines, berry liquors prepared according to medieval recipes, and unique spices - all this culinary splendor is offered at the most attractive prices.

Falling Towers Climbing

Do you know what the Leaning Tower of Pisa is famous for? Of course, it is famous all over the world because of the fact that it has a fairly visible slope. There are also Falling Towers in Bologna. They are Asinelli and Garisenda. They are located in Piazza di Porta Ravegnana. They are symbols of the city. They are also often called the Two Towers. At first, they were used as observation posts. There are observation decks on them today. You will see the seashore located in the distance standing on them.

The towers are open to the public every day from 9 am to 6 pm in the summer and from 9 am to 5 pm in the winter months. You will pay 3 euros for the opportunity to climb to the top of these buildings. Asinelli Tower is the tallest of all the Falling Towers. According to legend, it was built by the order of a young man who spent all the gold that he had to marry the girl he loved.

There is nothing inside the Asinelli Tower. There are only partitions. They separate the floors. The distance between them is quite large. Therefore, you will be afraid when you'll climb along the inner wall and look into the central shaft. You need to climb 498 steps to enjoy the picturesque panorama. So you will be at an altitude of 97 meters above the ground. Garizenda Tower is located nearby. Its height is 48 meters. It was taller in the past. However, the ground sank in the 14th century. The tower was shortened so that it would not fall. You can also climb to its observation deck.

Parco Di Villa Ghigi Journey

You can enjoy the natural surroundings of Bologna while on holiday in this city. You can take a tour of Parco Di Villa Ghigi hills for that. They are located in the southern part of the city. It takes about 20 minutes to walk to get there. You will walk through the picturesque hills here. There are meadows, forests, terraces, vineyards, apple trees and trees that grow figs, pomegranates and persimmons here. You can also meet a wild boar or a roe deer. You will feel the harmony with nature during the journey. You will experience vivid emotions from the magnificent view of the city roofs and the Padan Plain. If you will be after sunset on the hills, you will see how the lights from the turning on electric lighting appear in Bologna. You also listen to the bell ringing.

View of the City from the Religious Complex of San Michele in Bosco

If you like to admire the view of the city from a height and relax in nature, you can see the panorama of Bologna not only from the top of the tower. The religious complex of San Michele in Bosco is located near it on a hill in a small forest. The church and monastery were here in the past. Monks lived and prayed here. The orthopedic hospital is open in this building today. You will take the bus number 30 and reach this attraction.

You will see frescoes, 5th-century buildings, and a garden in San Michele in Bosco. You will also walk along the corridor that leads from the church to the monastery. It is called a "telescope" due to optical illusions. For example, if you look at the Asinelli Tower from here, you will think that it is so close that you can touch it. You can also look through the dense forest thickets at Bologna from the height, being on the hill.

Indoor Galleries Promenade

You can go for a walk through the indoor galleries even when it rains in Bologna. Their total length is 36 kilometers. They appeared in the city due to the fact that homeowners added new premises to the houses on the side of the columns. This was done to accommodate visiting students. The longest of them consists of 666 porticos as a symbol of God's victory over the devil. It stretches for 3.7 kilometers. You will reach the hill by it. The church of Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca is located here. There is an icon in it, on which the face of the Virgin Mary is depicted. Its author is Luke the Evangelist. The climb will be difficult and long. However, the beautiful view of the city and the beautiful houses of the reach citizens of Bologna will be a reward for you.