Kevin Raub is an American travel journalist based in Bologna. He is co-author of more than 100 Lonely Planet travel guides.
meal
Bologna is the capital of arguably Italy’s most important food region, Emilia-Romagna, an area steeped in history whose cuisines have produced a long list of specialties famous around the world. Lasagna, ragù, tortellini, mortadella, Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar all come from here.
At Pasta Fresca Naldi, a tiny shop/cafe west of the historic center, pastaphiles line up for the hand-rolled specialties of owner Valeria and her nun (grandmothers) team. Offers that change daily (from around €7) such as tagliatelle with ragù or prosciutto and lemon; tortellini al pasticcio (baked with pork and cream); and gramigna alla salsiccia (curly pasta with sausage) will blow your mind. With only six stools inside, most people opt for a takeaway package.
Trattoria Bertozzi regularly tops the long list of excellent traditional restaurants in Bologna. It’s nearly a mile from the center, far enough away to retain its authentic ethos, with local dishes like gramigna with salt pork, zucchini, saffron and shaved parmesan.
Handmade tortellini, a specialty of grandmothers in Bologna. Photo: Maria Moratti/Getty Images
inspiration
For five decades, until his death in 2012, Lucio Dalla was Italy’s most revered singer-songwriter. In 2019 his fascinating home in the 15th-century Palazzo Casa Fontana poi Gamberini opened to the public. Casa di Lucio Dalla (€15 per person) is a wild ride through the eccentric mind of a musical genius, complete with a dizzying potpourri of provocative knick-knacks, personal artifacts and priceless artworks.
neighborhood
Bolognina (“little Bologna”) lies behind the main train station and is a center of working-class life. Bolognina is fairly poor in attractions – they include a (free) museum about the mysterious 1980 Ustica plane crash and the 19th-century Sacred Heart Church with its huge dome – but plenty of personality. It’s an up-and-coming, multicultural neighborhood with markets, ethnic eateries and myriad accents. Gentrification isn’t quite here yet, but streets like Via Luigi Serra (home to the fantastic Trattoria di Via Serra, fantastic value for money; the hip bar/cafe Fermento; the artisanal bakery Forno Brisa; and the organic Gelateria Stefino) make it possible to make sense of the direction of travel from Bologna and reward those who venture out of the centre.
Margherita Gardens, Bologna. Photo: Luca Antonio Lorenzelli/Alamy
green space
No park in Bologna satisfies a yearning for green spaces like Giardini Margherita, a 26-hectare expanse inaugurated in 1879 and inspired by English landscape gardens. The city’s former municipal greenhouses have been repurposed into one of Bologna’s coolest venues, home to Vetro (for drinks and vegan bites) and Le Serre (with co-working spaces, exhibitions and cultural events). Whether it’s for happy hour or an hour or two of outdoor work, it’s easy to laze an afternoon here.
nightlife
Via del Pratello is Bologna’s famous nightlife district, but if you want to add some character to your cocktails, set up a date with Davo, Don, Jack and Ricky at Ruggine in Vicolo Alemagna. Four friends from different corners of northern Italy opened this cocktail bar in a narrow, orange-lit alley 450 meters from Piazza Maggiore. You will not find Campari, Aperol or unusual side dishes here, but locally driven craft mixology.
To tap into Italy’s excellent craft beer scene, head a little west to Il Punto, which offers a range of draft beers (including a hand pump) with an emphasis on local Birra artigianale. Fans of sours and wild ales should try a drink at Ca’ del Brado, a top-notch craft brewery a few miles south of the city center.
Stay
Near the old town, art historian Maria Ketty runs the charming Bologna nel Cuore, a B&B with two double rooms and two one-bedroom apartments that offers bright interiors, high ceilings, colorfully tiled bathrooms, and a very generous breakfast. Double room from €125, bolognanelcuore.it