Attending

About Bologna

Bologna is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy, with 390,734 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its metropolitan province is home to more than 1 million people as of 2025. Bologna is most famous for being the home to the oldest university in continuous operation, the University of Bologna, established in AD 1088. Bologna is an important agricultural, industrial, financial and transport hub, where many large mechanical, electronic and food companies have their headquarters as well as one of the largest permanent trade fairs in Europe. Famous for its towers, churches and lengthy porticoes, Bologna has a well-preserved historical centre, thanks to a careful restoration and conservation policy which began at the end of the 1970s. In 2000, it was declared European capital of culture and in 2006, a UNESCO "City of Music" and became part of the Creative Cities Network. In 2021, UNESCO recognized the lengthy porticoes of the city as a World Heritage Site.

Sights and Attractions

Two Towers

The Two Towers (Italian: Due torri), both leaning, are symbols of Bologna, Italy, and the most prominent of the Towers of Bologna. They are located at the intersection of the roads that lead to the five gates of the old ring wall (mura dei torresotti). The taller one is the Asinelli; the smaller, with a greater lean, is the Garisenda. They are named for the families which are traditionally credited with having constructed them between 1109 and 1119. Their construction may have been a competition between the two families to show which was the more powerful, but the scarcity of documents from this period makes this uncertain. The name of the Asinelli family, for example, is documented for the first time in 1185, almost 70 years after the presumed construction of the tower.

Porticoes of Bologna

With a total length of 62 kilometres (42 kilometres of which lie in the historical centre), the porticoes of Bologna, The most famous and longest portico in Bologna is the Portico of San Luca, at 3,796 metres long, with no fewer than 666 arches, while the Portico Dei Servi, which extends towards Porta Maggiore, holds the record for the greatest width.Strolling through Bologna’s streets, you find yourself surrounded by these architectural masterpieces, built since the 12th century out of brick, stone or wood.

Fountain of Neptune

The Fountain of Neptune (Italian: Fontana del Nettuno) is a monumental civic fountain located in the eponymous square, Piazza del Nettuno, next to Piazza Maggiore, in Bologna, Italy The fountain is a model example of Mannerist taste of the Italian courtly elite in the mid-sixteenth century.The Neptune stretches his left hand in a lordly gesture, appearing to be aiming to placate the waves.

San Petronio Basilica

The Basilica of San Petronio (Italian: Basilica di San Petronio) is dedicated to the patron saint of the city, Saint Petronius, who was the Bishop of Bologna in the fifth century. Construction began in 1390 and its main façade has remained unfinished since. The building was transferred from the city to the diocese in 1929; the basilica was finally consecrated in 1954. It has been the seat of the relics of Bologna's patron saint only since 2000; until then, they were preserved in the Santo Stefano church.

Nearby cities

Modena
About 20 minutes from Bologna Centrale to Modena by Trenitalia.

Modena is known for its car industry since the factories of the famous Italian upper-class sports car makers Ferrari, De Tomaso, Lamborghini, Pagani and Maserati are, or were, located there and all, except Lamborghini, (having their factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese), have headquarters in the city or nearby. One of Ferrari's cars, the 360 Modena, was named after the town itself. Ferrari's production plant and Formula One team Scuderia Ferrari are based in Maranello south of the city.

Firenze
About 40 minutes from Bologna Centrale to Firenze by Trenitalia.

Firenze attracts millions of tourists each year, and UNESCO declared the Historic Centre of Firenze a World Heritage Site in 1982. The city is noted for its culture, Renaissance art and architecture and monuments. The city also contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Pitti, and still exerts an influence in the fields of art, culture and politics. Due to Firenze's artistic and architectural heritage, Forbes ranked it as one of the most beautiful cities in the world in 2010. Firenze plays an important role in Italian fashion, and is ranked in the top 15 fashion capitals of the world by Global Language Monitor; furthermore, it is a major national economic centre, as well as a tourist and industrial hub.

The Mall Firenze
About 40 minutes from Bologna Centrale to Firenze S.M.N. station by Trenitalia, follow signs for the dedicated "THE MALL shuttle" bus.

Located in the town of Leccio on the outskirts of Firenze, THE MALL is Europe's second-largest luxury outlet mall, hosting over 20 top luxury brands such as Gucci, Prada, Fendi, Armani, and Burberry in independent boutiques. Renowned for offering year-round discounts on both current and past-season merchandise, the complex features the globally recognized largest Gucci outlet store, where select items are available at up to 35% off compared to downtown retail prices.

Parma
About 1 hour from Bologna Centrale to Parma by Trenitalia.

Parma is known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 202,111 inhabitants as of 2025, Parma is the second most populous city in Emilia-Romagna. The city is home to the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world. Parma is divided into two parts by the stream of the same name. The district on the west side of the river is Oltretorrente, meaning The other side of the stream.

Rimini
About 1.5 hour from Bologna Centrale to Rimini by Trenitalia.

Rimini is a major international tourist destination and seaside resort, among the most well known in Europe and the Mediterranean basin,thanks to a long sandy beach, bathing establishments, theme parks and opportunities for leisure and spare time. From Rimini, it takes only 40 minutes to reach the Republic of San Marino, a microstate within Italy.