Bologna
Bologna
6 days & 5 nights
EUR 0.00 Twin/EUR 0.00 Single
NOTE : DUE TO CORONA IS OUR ITALY TOUR CURRENTLY ON REQUEST PLEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION OR DEPARTURES PLEASE CONTACT US AT CONCIERGE@ABOVE-5.COM OR RESERVATION@ABOVE-5.COM
Bologna the forgotten city, The city of the world popular fast cars and food and entertainment heaven, a city you must visit. Bologna is one of my favourite cities in Italy. Mostly because I met Andrea from Taste Bologna here and he showed me the best things to do in Bologna. A lot of people don't consider the city because they are so busy with Rome, Florence and Venice. But Bologna is sure a city for food lovers. It’s the largest city in the Emilia Romagna region, one of the best food regions in the world producing products like Parmigiano-Reggiano, Modena balsamic vinegar, and prosciutto. The culinary city Bologna is one of the most favourite cities in Italy. Bologna is also a university town. it houses the world’s oldest university and is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Italy.
Today it has the energy and relaxed nightlife of a university town with so many inexpensive things to do in Bologna. Yet as it’s not as high on the radar for first-time travellers to Italy, you won’t have any of the crowds.
If you need just one reason to visit Bologna it is for its nickname " La Grassa " who doesn’t want to visit a city called The Fat...
Bologna is also known as La Rossa or the red, for its terra cotta and famous Italian rooftops, it’s a medieval city so you will find beautiful cathedrals and historic buildings but it’s also a left-leaning progressive city with modern art exhibits. Bologna has no shortage of culture it has a lot of things and places to offer.
Asinelli Tower is the city’s largest tower and you can climb to the top to get a great view. It slightly leans and is actually taller than the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the 498 steps to the top will surely work off the extra pasta calories.
Piazza Maggiore is the main plaza in the city with lots going on from movies in the square to art fairs. To get here travel up Bologna’s main street – Via dell’Indipendenza and you’ll arrive at the famous Neptune Fountain in Piazza Nettuno which is just around the corner.
Piazza Maggiore is also home to the Basilica of San Petronio which is an odd-looking church as the bottom is pink marble but the top is brick. While it may not be the most beautiful, it is one of the more interesting as it was once supposed to be the largest church in the world until the Vatican discovered the plans and suddenly funds disappeared and were given to the university. Perhaps a better investment anyway.
Stroll the 666 portici in Bologna, or covered terracotta arcades. With an influx of university students, it needed to expand rapidly. No one wanted to expand outside the city so they build on top of the streets, student houses were created in front of existing storefronts with the portices below. They needed to be high enough to allow horse carts through and today over 45km remain, which is fantastic for the hot Italian sun or rainy days.
When you are looking for the best food and If you are heartbroken that spaghetti bolognese does not exist in Bologna, have no fear and order the tagliatelle with ragu or order one of the traditional food in Bologna.
Here are some ideas when it comes to food
Mortadella
Where ever you go in the world we know it as bologna, but here it’s called Mortadella it's an Italian sausage made from ground pork and pork fat It’s decadent and amazing with a glass of prosecco.
Salame Rosa
Once you’ve had your fill of mortadella, try its lesser-known cousin salame rosa, also known as pink salami. If a cooked ham and mortadella had a child it would be salame rosa as it is a cooked sausage made from the shoulder of the pork
Pizza
Bologna is popular the Neapolitan pizza, so think thicker, softer crust it’s a perfect snack.
Tortellini in brodo
Delicate parcels of pasta filled with minced pork in broth.
Piadinas
Italian tasty flatbreads filled with cheese and meat.
Torta di Rice
A amazing sweet rice cake.
Gelato
Here are the best gelato shops in Bologna I learned early on how to distinguish the differences from those that tourists eat at and gelato shops for locals real gelato isn’t piled high to draw people in, it’s hidden in canisters beneath a counter so gelato needs to be cold. Makes you wonder how those piles of tempting gelato-like shops keep it cold.
Other must-try is the Lambrusco, famous Italian sparkling red wine, which goes fantastically with cured meat.
When strolling around Bologna, don't forget the famous markets, see below a few to get an idea.
Mercato di Mezzo is the oldest market in Bologna just off Piazza Maggiore, its open every day except Sunday. Located in the Quadrilatero, it’s the most famous market and more popular with tourists than others markets so the prices are a bit higher than in other places.
Mercato della Terra is an open-air market it’s a great way to find local products from the region.
Mercato delle Erbe there’s an opportunity to shop for food In the evenings you’ll find locals eating and drinking from stalls. This is a local experience and one of the best things to do in Bologna.
Bologna also popular for its drinking places here below is a sample of ideas
Osteria del Sole already there since 1465 one of the oldest Osteria in Italy. You can bring your own food and drink alongside old Italian men playing cards. in order to get your drinks you have to get yourself no one is coming by your table to take your order.
Piazza del Maggiore, you’ll find lots of cafes and bars around the city square if you are able to bring your own food and/or wine and join the group.
Le Stanze a former chapel that is very popular and has reasonable pricing and interesting decor. even at night its busy but it’s also open during the day for coffee.
It’s definitely one of the cheapest things to do in Bologna... In Piazza Verdi, you’ll find crowds of people drinking in the streets and the faint smell of illegal substances in the air. Consider visiting Bottega to get a couple of beers and you’ll meet a lot of people in the scenic square.
Bologna is also a popular shopping place, with many places to go around and look for the latest Italian fashion
Include fast car lovers Bologna is the place to visit as there are the museums of Ferrari and Maserati and Lamborgini a must to visit and experience a sit in the fastested cars of Italy
NOTE : the package prices are now on request due to Corona and changing flight prices and the current situation in Europe the prices showed an indication of prices or contact our Concierge service concierge@above-5.com for the best available price
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SERVICES: Driver – Hotel welcome dinner
Welcome to Italy! At Bologna Airport you will be met by your private English speaking Driver who will accompany you to your centrally located 4* hotel in BOLOGNA, in the Emilia Romagna Region: capital city to one of the most renowned “Slow Food” but “Fast Car” regions of Italy... with its wonderful miles of arched colonnades.
This city has so much to enjoy even just simply by roaming leisurely around its streets in the centre, from Fashion to Art and Culture. It is by no means a difficult place to navigate - even on foot - as it is very flat too. Enjoy what it has to offer at your own pace in the ancient parts; being so famous for its food and extremely friendly people, you can’t go wrong when looking for a place to eat tonight.
You are of course in the Region where the famous Prosciutto di Parma is also produced, so you can taste and hear about the history of salted ham even in the local small shops. Enjoy sampling these savoury meats and pair your tasting buds with a glass of fizzy local Lambrusco at some of the little ‘Osterias’ in Bologna.
Being a large University place, the first permanent seat of the oldest university in the world, it is a buzzing place and everything is very centrally located. Look for a Student and you will be enlightened: they all love and know it so well: it is famous for its University Anatomic Theatre, housed in wonderful ancient architectural buildings right in the town centre, so very easy to visit as it is close to your Hotel, as is Bologna’s Jewish Ghetto, which is small but a deeply moving place to the traveller visiting this wonderful medieval city.
Some leisure time for shopping in this very fashion conscious town.
OUR VOUCHER will give you lots of ideas and tips.
Overnight in Bologna hotel 4 star Deluxe
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SERVICES: Hotel and Private guide
After breakfast at the Hotel you will meet up with your knowledgeable your friendly English speaking Guide who can offer you a unique experience whilst strolling through some of the most spectacular highlights of BOLOGNA.
Your Guide will also show you another interesting, different side of Italy…
You probably know the saying that the Italians “live to eat” and not vice-versa… well today should give you a pretty good confirmation of that: – lots of things to see and even more to taste and sample, which will prove to you that BOLOGNA is by no means just Art and History…
In fact, we believe that the best way to understanding the real Bolognese local life, is to look out for the small and historic food stalls; the local, lesser known bars of the capital and possibly visit one of the most important, lively Markets of the Capital and much more, all whilst taking in the historical sights too.
Our VOUCHER will provide you with a list of interesting suggestions and lots of good tips of what to do and of course your Guide will have explained some things to you during your time together and places to eat too of course.
Overnight in Bologna hotel 4 star Deluxe
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SERVICES: Driver - Hotel
After your breakfast, meet up for your Tour and enjoy a full immersion to discover the principle purpose of Emilia’s “Food Life Style”: you will reach Modena where you will visit a small Dairy of a local Cheese Producer to learn about the intricate process used to make perfectly aged Parmesan. Watch how the milk is cooked and then poured into the giant moulds, visit the salt and ageing rooms used to create the final product, and then taste a variety of fine aged cheeses.
Lunch in a local osteria.
In the afternoon you will enjoy the fragrant perfume and taste of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, which satisfies even the most discerning palates.
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SERVICES: Driver – Hotel private tour
Your stay in this area wouldn’t be complete without going behing the scenes of the “FERRARI” and visiting its Museum in Maranello, a small town near Modena, where the head quarters of the “Cavallino Rampante” (Prancing Horse symbol) are still in situ.
You will be able to check out a variety of past historically famous cars and Ferrari memorabilia, highlighting some of Maranello’s most exclusive creations for both the GT road cars and the Formula One racing cars on display.
Learn about the Ferrari history and retrace its most iconic moments. There is even a Ferrari simulator, if you wanted to have an extra experience and get the rush of adrenaline to quicken the heart rate and try to imagine being in the shoes of some of the world top drivers during a Grand Prix race!
If that is not enough to get you dreaming about fast Italian cars, we think you will definitely enjoy stopping off for a visit to the Maserati Factory, still the Region’s Bologna area.
At the end of the tour back you will be taken back to Bologna.
Overnight in Bologna hotel 4 star Deluxe
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SERVICES: Hotel
Lots of leisure time for shopping in this very fashion-conscious town. Walking around the historically rich centre under the miles of colonnades (25 miles in fact...) make the experience even more pleasant. There are so many historical buildings, churches and museums that bring together so much Art & Culture... we believe that you will probably prefer to choose what is on the Top of your “Wish List” to visit.
Why not also explore Bologna’s ancient covered Food Markets: the area will be a feast for your eyes and for your taste buds as you meander through its beautiful shops and stalls exhibiting the best Local Foods and Taste the Authentic Parmesan and Prosciutto.
You’ll also see endless selections of other “Foodie Specialties” like breads and pastries, hand-made tortellini, tortelloni and other types of pastas, cheese, chocolate, meat, and fish that arrives daily from the Adriatic coast. You could stop to enjoy a light lunch of cheese, cold cuts and local wine and, last but not least, you could finish by enjoying a delicious, sweet indulgence at a great Gelateria!
The most famous market is the historical “Mercato delle Erbe”, first created over 800 years ago, it has been in its present location since 1910: here you will find ‘artistically’ set out market stalls from 07:00 a.m. with such a variety of food from the best Parmiggiano to thousands of Tortellini, lined up with ‘military precision’ besides typical traditional tables, set out for wonderful snacks and hot meals and wine tastings, with a multitude of different breads and patisseries.
You can just sit and watch the busy Bolognesi who will always find time to savour the regional specialities, even during a long working day, especially in the evening.
Enjoy everything it has to offer at your own pace in this ancient city. The market especially, just continues pulsating and buzzing with the vibrant Bolognese Life, right up to midnight, once the merchants have left for the day!
So plenty of time for a stop off, even if you find other things to do during the daytime.
Overnight in Bologna hotel 4 star Deluxe
For more information please contact our concierge@above-5.com or concierge@above5stars.com or chat with us via our website chat !!!
After breakfast, CHECK OUT from your Hotel in Bologna and meet your English speaking Private Driver who will accompany you back to BOLOGNA Airport.
We are sure you will take back many wonderful memories of your Time in Italy and we hope to see you again very soon for another enjoyable “taste” of Italy.
For more information please contact our concierge@above-5.com or concierge@above5stars.com or chat with us via our website chat !!!
Accommodations:
5 nights in 4* Hotel Bologna ( Deluxe Package )
All hotels will include breakfast
Transfers: ALL transfers are by Private English-speaking Driver
TRANSFER from Bologna Airport to Bologna Hotel
TRANSFER from Bologna Hotel to Bologna Airport
All Private Services:
½ Day: Foodie Walking Tour (Bologna)
Full Day: Parmesan & Balsamic Tour (Bologna)
½ Day: “FERRARI” & “MASERATI Tour (Bologna)
For more information please contact our concierge@above-5.com or concierge@above5stars.com or chat with us via our website chat !!!
For more information please contact our concierge@above-5.com or concierge@above5stars.com or chat with us via our website chat !!!
For more information please contact our concierge@above-5.com or concierge@above5stars.com or chat with us via our website chat !!!