Bologna Itinerary Suggestions
 

Hello again Fodorites,

So we arrive in Bologna on Thursday, October 3rd and I just heard that Friday the 4th is a holiday in Bologna....Petronius....does anyone know if all things are closed that day...? Sounds like many things will be. If that is the case we might consider a day trip but not high on the list for that day as we will have just arrived mid-day Thursday and was hoping to be more relaxed on Friday. Also, does anyone know if that holiday extends to areas like Modena and Parma?

Also, we are now considering Savigno for lunch on Sunday at Amerigo....any opinions on Savigno or the restaurant? It sounds really great.

And then of course there is the Italian Food Tour which sounds great and goes to Modena on a stop but leaves at 7 AM and that's a bit early for us but we are still considering...I would like to get to Modena and will do on my own if need be....I know there have been many comments about Modena vs. Parma.....but if you would like to chime in on which one you like and why....again...I would love to do both but I don't want to short change our time in Bologna by trying to do too much outside of it.

Thanks as always for all the great comments.

Shall we assume that you've already been to Ravenna?

If driving to Ravenna, do stop and visit the ceramics museum in Faenza:

I know nothing about what happens on St Petronius day but I was in Bologna when there was a celebration for San Luca and the place was buzzing. Lots of craft and food stalls, drinks and of course, a huge church service and a short parade. It was a great day to be in Bologna, not least because it was entirely unexpected (by me at least).

Thank you for the responses. No we have not been to Ravenna....another one I would love to squeeze in but I don't want to take away too much time from Bologna. We won't have a car but i think train is pretty easy?

We took the train to Modena from Bologna to have lunch at Hosteria Giusti, which I highly recommend. I have not been to Parma, but thought that Modena was lovely. The Duomo is amazing, we enjoyed shopping, and the coffee was delicious. We didn't have much time in Bologna either, but am glad we did the trip to Modena.

Thank you so much. Another friend recommended Hosteria Giusti so I will definitely look into that.

We took the train from Bologna to Ravenna for a day trip (cost was about 20 euros roundtrip). Story (with photos) in link below. Astounding mosaics.

https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/cha...cs-of-ravenna/

I've done the Italian Food Days tour twice -- once in 2012 and once in 2017 and they are two of the best days I've had in Italy. 100% worth the early morning. IMO, it would be a terrible shame to go to Bologna and miss this.

If for some reason you don't do the aforementioned tour, there are many opportunities to tour in town. We did a really fun food oriented walking tour with Taste Bologna that was three hours long and started at around 10:00 am.

San Petronio is the patron saint of Bologna, and his feast day is the occasion for all sorts of celebrations. I wouldn't go anywhere else that day. There will be street parties, food stands, concerts, religious processions, and fireworks in the evening. All the churches will be open, restaurants will be open, many ships will be open, and usually museums have free admission.

I don't know what you were hoping to do that day, but the main things that would be closed are banks, schools, and public offices. If you tell us what you would like to do or see on your first full day in Bologna, I'll try to tell you whether it's possible.

Closer to the date, you can get more detailed information about special events. Just post again in this topic around mid-September.

If you feel like searching to the Bologna part of our trip, we had a wonderful meal on our last night there:

https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...gio-tr-947180/

We also took a train trip to Ravenna, and our dinner at Bertino (I think I wrote Bertina) was amazing. https://translate.google.com/transla...t/&prev=search

The mosaics in Ravenna are spectacular.

"The mosaics in Ravenna are spectacular."

Yep.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f406465b84.jpg

I've always wanted to see the mosaics in Ravenna. Now that I have seen the mosaics in Sicily, how do they compare? From Tom's pics, they look to be a different style, but so impressive. Leely2, I know you have seen both. Should I plan time in my next trip to visit Ravenna? Bologna is already on the itinerary!

Dayle, I thought I would be underwhelmed with Ravenna after having been to Monreale and the Cappella Palatina. Not at all. In fact, I think Ravenna's mosaics are perhaps a little more stunning.

I agree.