At a Glance Bologna Travel Guides | Bologna | Trip Planner | At a Glance Bologna

The heart of Bologna is still its Roman core, piazza Maggiore, at the confluence of the city's two main roads, via Ugo Bassi and via Rizzoli. These two roads are the contemporary face of the old Roman road, via Emilia, which once traversed the whole of the region. The area now referred to as the Centro Storico or old centre is defined by the circonvallazione: the busy main perimeter road which follows the line of the city's old extremity walls, joining up the 12 city gates.

The pulse of the city and reference point for any visitor is its main square. Buffered at one end by the unfinished Gothic aspect of the Basilica di San Petronio and enclosed by the arcades and crenellations of squat edifices to Bologna's past prowess, this grandiose square is now a backdrop to a human theatre of poseurs and street artists. The perimeter of piazza Maggiore and the area beyond its eastern flanks called the Quadrilatero once constituted the entire extent of the original Roman settlement. The Quadrilatero is now a grid of teeming market streets full of colours, smells and bustle by day, and lively chic bars by night.

Northeast of piazza Maggiore, down via Rizzoli and beyond the due torri (two towers) that have become the city's icon is the anarchic and bohemian atmosphere of via Zamboni and the heart of studentland. Along this street are the main faculty buildings and museums of Europe's oldest university and a dense concentration of bars and cafés under its porticoes. Returning west along via delle Belle Arti one finds La Pinacoteca, home to the largest collection of masterpieces by the Bolognese masters.

Tucked in just north of via Rizzoli are the sheer backalleys of Bologna's former Jewish Ghetto, still redolent of the suspicion that reigned in the 1500s. Further north around via Piella and via Cattani are some of Bologna's less-visited streets, offering a slice of local working-class life and, in a sliver of the old under-city waterway, a glimpse of the city's concealed past. Beyond them is piazza VIII Agosto and the Montagnola gardens, which come alive on Fridays and Saturdays, attracting crowds to the city's fleamarket. Returning south to piazza Maggiore along the main drag of via dell'Indipendenza is the city's cavernous cathedral.

The three arteries of via Santo Stefano, via Castliglione and Strada Maggiore that lead southeast from piazza Maggiore make up the most tranquil and picturesque part of town. You can stroll up and down endless arcades enjoying the shifting perspectives of palatial buildings as they are framed by each arch. At their heart is the Santo Stefano complex of interconnecting churches, a maze of cloisters and chapels, each more intricate than the first.

Leading due south from piazza Maggiore, the elegant via d'Azeglio and its capillaries are a catwalk where Bologna's glamourpusses and gatsbys prowl in search of the latest in chic from the city's alphabet of designer label stores. Further west, beyond the jagged edges of San Francesco church lies the seedy district of via del Pratello, Bologna's former red light district, whose concentration of late-night drinking dives and divers has earned it a popularity among those with a nostalgie de la boue.

Via dell'Indipendenza, Bologna's noisy main thoroughfare, bore the brunt of the Allied bombardments of the Second World War and despite subsequent reconstruction the area feels generally cold and angular though via Galliera has always been considered dark blue on the local Monopoly board. Hidden under via del Porto and at Porta Lame are the docks, where goods from as far north as the Po arrived via the nearby river Reno and the city's network of canals. These redundant industrial spaces are being reclaimed by the city's youth and transformed into clubs and cultural centres, making this area, at night, one of Bologna's most genuinely urban.

North of the old city centre in a dedicated trade fair zone you can find a statement of Bologna's eye to the future: a modern urban landscape of glass and aluminium in contrast to the city's predominantly classical lines. Bologna has a calendar of fairs for industries as varied as underwear, modern art, cars and futurology. Nearby is the Ducati factory and museum.

Bologna lies in the lee of the Apennines, whose verdant foothills creep up to the south of the city, concealing rustic villages and extravagant villas in their undulations. Atop one such hill stands Bologna's guardian, the sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, connected to the city by a colonnade of 666 arches. Energetic pilgrims are rewarded with magnificent views of the red city below.

Travel Guides | Bologna | Trip Planner | At a Glance Bologna
		Flights Cheap flights to any destination worldwide click here		Car Rental Compare prices for worldwide car rental click here		Hotels Lowest prices on over 60,000 hotels worldwide click here		Travel Insurance Compare Travel Insurance prices click here