This beautiful village in Northern Italy is often times neglected off of travelers Italian itineraries… but we are here to plead it’s case! Also referred to as “the gut” of Italy, this little city has plenty to offer visitors, from food to art to incredible architecture – with less of the tourist crowds. How do you get to this foodie heaven? Fly into one of Italy’s major international airports, Roma Fiumicino or Milan Malpensa, and take a train to Bologna puts you right in the middle of pasta, cheese, and truffle heaven.

Best Times to Visit: March to October are the perfect months to visit this beautiful charming city. However, it never gets quite as busy as Italy’s larger cities like Rome and Florence.

Things to do:

Go on a truffle hunt and enjoy a truffle based lunch! Bologna is located in the Tuscany region of Italy and located in a prime spot to truffle hunt. There are plenty of nearby villages where you can drive to an authentic truffle hunt with dogs, and if you are lucky (or have a good travel agent) they can even organize an incredible truffle based lunch after your morning of hunting!

Explore Parma and learn how Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is made. The town of Parma is just one hour outside of Bologna, and a must see area if you consider yourself a cheese lover! Parma is the home of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Modena Balsamic Vinegar and Parma ham, and that means there is no better place to take a food tour at! There are plenty of awesome Parmigiano Reggiano manufactures around the town that will offers tours of the factory explaining what goes into the creation of this type of cheese… and a cheese tasting

Climb the Asinelli Towers. These twin towers sit in the center of the town’s historical center. The Asinelli Tower is a 900 year old tower, and like most famous towers in Italy, it sits on a classic lean. Its little cousin, the Garisenda tower next to it unfortunately leans (3.8 degrees!) so much you cannot enter it. However, 498 steps will take you to the top of the Asinelli Tower and give you a wonderful view of the cityscape.

Spend an afternoon browsing the shops around town. To digest all the amazing food consumed in this charming town, spend the afternoon browsing the cute shops around town. They have all your major name brands like Zara, Ulta, and H&M should you want to save a couple dollars with the VAT tax return, but Bologna is also home to plenty of adorable boutiques and authentic Italian shops as well.