Bologna

Bologna is a budget destination for UK tourists, and even without the incentive of cheap flights, the city is an ideal and popular destination for Italy weekend breaks.

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Bologna Holiday Information

Bologna began life as an Etruscan town, and relics of the town's early phase of development can be seen in the town's archeology museum, the Museo Civico Archeologico. Bologna is a handsome, red-brick city, packed with palazzi. One of Bologna's defining features for the last thousand years has been its university, the oldest in Europe. Many of the buildings and museums which dominate the town's historic centre are legacies of this heritage. There was a shortage of roomspace for university's many students; Bologna's solution was to build porticoes over its streets, extending the houses above to create more accommodation. These sweeping porticoes are a striking feature of the town's distinctive architecture. Today Bologna is still noticeably a student town, lively and entertaining. The town is also renowned for its left-wing politics and freedom from the Italian blight of political corruption.

Bergamo tourist attractions are centred around the town's main square, Piazza Maggiore, and the adjacent Piazza Nettuno (complete with fountain of Neptune). The large cathedral is the Basilica di San Petronio, which has impressive reliefs on the doors, and interior fifteenth-century frescoes of heaven and hell. Like so many Italian cities, medieval Bologna was the scene of inter-clan rivalry, and two of the towers resulting from the competition between the town's families are now famous tourist sights. The Due Torri of Bologna are two leaning structures, built in 1119. The shorter, Torre Garisenda, was immortalised in Dante's Inferno. The taller tower is the Torre degli Asinelli, which is over 300ft tall, and which is open to the public. It leans about 3ft, and if you're not feeling too giddy, the views are worth the climb. Bergamo's principal art gallery is the Pinacoteca Nazionale, containing works by local artists and others, including Guido Reni, Raphael, Giotto, Titian and Perugino.

The main Bologna Tourist Information Office is located in Piazza Maggiore; there is another branch at the railway station.

Bologna Travel Information

Getting around Bologna
Bologna has a good local bus network. You'll need to buy tickets in advance at bus offices, new kiosks or tobacconists, and then validate them in the machines on board the buses. You may be able to get good value tickets combining transport with museum entry; check at the tourist information offices or museums.

Bologna's railway station is called the Stazione Centrale, and connects the town with most of Italy's big cities. The bus station is nearby, with services to local destinations such as Modena, Ferrara and Ravenna.

Arriving in Bologna

Ryanair fly to Forli Airport nearby. A bus service meets each flight, and runs into Bologna.

Easyjet use Bologna Airport, about 6km from Bologna. A taxi to the centre should only cost around€15; alternatively there are frequent bus services (Aerobus, every 20 minutes) into the centre.

Bologna Hotels

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	Grand Hotel Baglioni ***** The Grand Hotel Baglioni is Bologna's luxury hotel. The hotel is in a perfect central location close to Piazza Maggiore, in a sixteenth-century palazzo. Luxuriously furnished with antiques, the hotel also boasts a restaurant serving Bolognese specialities, frescoed by the Caracci. More information / Make a booking
	Corona D'Oro 1890 **** The palazzo in which the Corona d'Oro is housed contains frescoes and coffered ceilings for a historically atmospheric stay. The four-star hotel is handily located near Piazza Maggiore and Bologna's two famous towers. Guest reviews More information / Make a booking
	Internazionale **** A centrally-located and business-like four-star hotel, with comfortable rooms and an American bar. Guest reviews More information / Make a booking
	Paradise *** The promisingly-named Paradise Hotel is a reasonably-priced three-star hotel. The 18-room hotel and its staff have received warm praise from past guests. Guest reviews More information / Make a booking

Bologna Guidebook

Cadogan Guide to Bologna and Emilia Romagna Cadogan guides are great for learning about the history and background of your destination, as well as the tourist basics. As well as practical advice, restaurant recommendations and so on, you'll also end up with a fair idea of what makes Bologna tick. Buy now from Amazon.co.uk