Bologna, 4 nights too much?
 

Hi, well I thought I had the Italy trip all planned but now I'm starting to doubt the 4 nights I have booked in Bologna.

A brief outline of our Italy adventure:
4 nights CT
1 week Montepulciano (with car)
3 nights San Gimignano (agriturismo wih car)
3 nights Florence
4 nights Bologna
3 nights Venice (flying out)

I have booked accommodations for all places but if I make changes, because of car hire, only from Florence on would work best.

My original thoughts on Bologna was 1 day train to Ravenna. 1 day Food & Wine tour and the rest of the time?? Maybe I have gone cold on Bologna as that part of the trip was planned ages ago.Originally I would have really liked to head up to the alps region but did not think it would have been doable without a car.

So maybe some Bologna suggestions to refuel my enthusiasm would be appreciated.

We stayed in Bologna for 5 nights and made day trips (by train) to:
- Ravenna (exceptional mosaics on the walls of antique churches and mausoleums, Dante's tomb
- Ferrara – a very nice small town, with a lot of beautiful buildings and some palaces (like Este)
- Rimini - we visited only the city, we did not go to the beaches. We found it as less attractive than all other towns that we visited in this trip, as we did not found here too many interesting things, except Augustus arch, the main piazza – where is a statue marking the place where Caesar stood after he traversed Rubicon, and the Fish market.
- San Marino (we took the train to Rimini and from there is a bus). The travel from Rimini to there is very nice, its position is superb. We visited the palace, the old town, etc. Half a day was enough for us there

You can certainly spend a day or so within Bologna. Walk the arcaded streets, have a coffee and people-watch in the Piazza Maggiore, walk up (or taxi up) to San Luca for a beautiful view, and the walk down -- and down, and down, for 4 km along the colonnaded path to where it meets ground level, and have one of the lunches of your life at Trattoria Meloncello. You will have to make a reservation there, though.

Visit Tamburini, via Caprarie 1, one of the post amazing food shops, with heaps of fresh pasta in all kinds of forms. If you have a chance to cook get some of the ravioli, which have such a thin pasta cover that you can see the filling inside! They also have many many cheeses including the real Parmigiano Reggiano, prosciutto di Parma, salamis, and some prepared dishes. There are also other great little food shops in the same area. Very near our apartment which was just outside the old city walls, was Ristorante Cesoia, Via Massarent 90, the kind of neighborhood restaurant that puts out wonderful dinners every day.

You can also take tours to the Parmesan cheese makers around Parma and the Balsamico di Modena producers.

Thank you for your replies.

valtor, yes Ravenna is on my list. It may have to be a sunday visit so I hope it is not too busy. It will be late October. Did you go by train to Ferrara?

charnees, thank you for your recommendations. We are staying at B&B Antica Residenza d'Azeglio. I was thinking of maybe a walking tour run by the tourist office. We love food markets and sampling the local fare. So Tamburini is noted! I had read on Fodors a mention of a food & wine tour which takes in Parma and surrounds.

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up

Yes, we took the train to Ferrara and if I remember well, it was a very short ride.

We were there a month ago did the walking tour run by the TI - and it was very good. And we were the only 2 on it - so it was like a private tour! We spent about half a day going back to some of the places our guide took us to get a more in depth feel for the city. Loved the porticos for walking around and keeping cool.
The TI there is very good - for no charge they made all our remaining train bookings within Italy - and were very friendly and pleasant about doing it.
Enjoy!

If it were me, I would cut a day or two from Bologna and stay longer in Venice and do a day trip to Vicenza (stay late for dinner there), and a day trip to Padua. Both are really wonderful, but I love Vicenza and it gets a lot less notice from tourists.

Thank you for your replies
illnative, did you book your tour ahead or just when you arrived in Bologna? The tour sounds good. We had originally planned to do a cooking school day but I had gone cold on that idea of late.
Sassafrass I did think about adding a day to Venice but not sure whether I can extend the B&B stay. I will do some reading on Vicenza

The tours are at specific times on specific days - I think their website may have information. (I think we were there on a Tuesday and the tour was at 1:30 or something - please check though!) You don't have to book ahead - you just show up.

Thank you I will check out the website

We will be in Bologna from July 12 to 16 so I will let you know what we find after we return. We have scheduled a food tour based on Fodorite raves ([email protected]) and will be having a cooking lesson in Bologna conducted by Carmelita (cookitaly.com). Neither is inexpensive, but both sound memorable (and will obviate the need for meals those days for sure). There are, as others have noted, multiple close-by day trip towns. I suggest you do a search on this site for trip reports. There is an excellent and detailed report that is titled something like "blinging in Bolgna." It inspired me to rent the same apartment for our stay. Good luck!

It is worth four days, especially if you can find something to do between meals.

This is right up my alley, as my wife and I, and another couple, are starting our next Italy trip in early October with 4 days in Bologna. Staying here

http://www.anticaresidenzadazeglio.it/

No worries about getting bored during the 4 days.

Thanks LizTD - I will look up the past trip report. I have read quite a few and they seem full of ideas. I am more settled with our stay in Bologna thanks to the great replies from everyone here. That is the food tour I was looking at also. I will look forward to your comments on your return...have a great trip!

Aduchamp1..yes I think I will fill my 4 days in Bologna

phillyboy - that is where we are staying in mid October. What a coincidence! The B&B sounds great.

Bookmarking

aussie_10 - I will try to post some information/comments on the B&B after our stay, and before you arrive. It does look outstanding.

ttt

ttt

hello Aussie_10...
would u pls share the name of the BB..
There's a chance that I may need it if I end up in bologna..
Will pobably head to lecce for Italian classes..hmm
Not sure..there a huge choice of schools..

I am trying to work out a plan for sep/oct to spend a couple three mos touring in Italy..
Nice to have more time now that I am semi retired!
Thank u..LG