Five Gasp-Worthy Experiences in Bologna

1 Quadrilatero, Bologna's Old City Market

Fred Plotkin, author of the extensive food guide (that I most highly recommend!) called "Italy for the Gourmet Traveler", calls Bologna the best food market in Italy. We ran right into it after we've gotten our map and it was such a pleasant and special sight, although I am not sure why. The old alleys were narrow, clean, and bustling with activity centered around food. And I guess this was so exhilarating for me because this is Italian life happening before me. This is what I traveled to Italy for!

2 Il Cibo. Food!

One of Bologna's many specialties is the mortadella, which is a thinly sliced ham with bits of fat and sometimes, pistachios. This is my absolute favorite, even more than prosciutto! Bologna is also popular for tortellini, tagliatelle, and ragu Bolognese.

I don't have pictures, but we brought home some chocolate from Majani and it must have been the best chocolates I've ever had. They were not too sweet and came in a multitude of varieties. One bite tells you though that they were made painstakingly and with great care. It's no surprise they've perfected the art of making chocolate. They've been doing so since 1796! Majani's website can be found here.

3 Torre di Asinelli

There are a lot more towers in Bologna. In the middle ages, towers symbolize a family's power. Torre di Asinelli and Torre di Garisenda are the two most symbolic ones in the city, with the former being the taller. One can climb all 498 steps to the viewing deck, but I would only recommend it for those who are somewhat fit and are not acrophobic. Once you make it, the views are spectacular!

4 Santo Stefano

This church is remarkable since it supposedly was erected in the 1st AD as a temple to Isis. As with all temples that survived Christianity, it was later on converted to a church. That is about 2,000 years of history right there. What I also found fascinating is that in this church, despite its history and importance, most of everything is accessible. There are no ropes barring access to certain areas, nor were there thick crowds. In other words, this felt like a true church, a real place of worship, as opposed to the mega churches in bigger cities of Rome and Florence.

5 Walkability

We had a rental car in Italy, but we parked it outside the city center and walked all over Bologna. It was the best way to see the city any way especially since Bologna is very pedestrian-friendly. The lack of tourists was also noticeable, which for us, was a huge giant plus. At one point, I was trying to find a postcard which I finally found at one place. One.

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