Bologna is a gem on so many levels. I have no idea why it had never come to my mind in the past to pay this beautiful city a visit. Bologna is definitely the greatest overlooked city in Italy that frequently lies in the shadow of its more glamorous sister cities such as Rome, Venice, Milan, Naples, and Florence. Big bonus: Bologna is not overrun by tour buses and tourists and can be explored without the annoyance of big crowds and long lines.

We started our Bologna trip at the amazing Basilica di San Luca which is located on a hill a bit outside of the city and has been the symbol of Bologna for centuries.

When strolling through Bologna we found a little place that reminded us very much of Venice. My favorite thing to do though in Bologna was walking down the narrow streets of the bustling Quadrilatero, the beating heart of this culinary city that is charming for its medieval character and lined with shops, vendors and amazing places to eat homemade tortellini pasta and have an aperitivo or two. The most perfect way to relax and getting into the local vibe and feel of Bologna.

Food plays a big role in Bologna. Yes, it’s heaven for food lovers. I already miss the smell of the cheese, the vibrant colors of the produce, the beautiful handmade pasta, and the leg after leg after leg of prosciutto.

Bologna has so many churches. One is more beautiful than the other. We were also quite impressed by the two leaning towers Garisenda und Asinelli. They had been built in the 12^th century and are known as the landmark of Bologna. On top of the Asinelli tower you are rewarded with a breathtaking 360 ° view of the city.

The University in Bologna is the oldest in the world. Bologna is a real student city. I heard that out of the 400,000 inhabitants that live in Bologna, 100,000 are students. Which explains the amount of young people that flood the city.

We were very intrigued by the beautiful and very many porticos (covered walkways) that are the main architectural features of Bologna.

But maybe the best part was our sweet little hotel we had found not far from the heart of the city which had the cutest roof top terrace with amazing views of the hills of Bologna and the city center …. where we happily enjoyed our delicious breakfasts and late afternoon aperitivi.

Bologna, we will definitely come back and visit again!