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Home / Type of trip / City / A family trip to Bologna, Italy

A family trip to Bologna, Italy

October 23, 2015 by Gretta Schifano 22 Comments

Street market, Bologna. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Street market, Bologna. Copyright Gretta Schifano

One summer I spent a couple of weeks in Emilia-Romagna in Italy with my husband and kids (16 and 12 years old at the time). Emilia-Romagna is in the northern part of Italy, below Venice and above Tuscany. We flew to Milan, picked up a hire car and spent the first couple of days of our trip in beautiful Parma.

Bologna

Our next stop (via a parmesan factory, the Ferrari museum and lunch at a swish agriturismo which produces its own balsamic vinegar) was the ancient city of Bologna. Bologna is the regional capital of Emilia-Romagna and its university, founded in 1088, is one of the oldest in the world. The city is known affectionately as La Dotta, La Grassa, la Rossa, which means The Learned (because of the university), The Fat (because of its amazing food), The Red (because of its red roof tiles and bricks and also because of its left-wing history).

We arrived in the city on a hot July evening and made the mistake of trying to drive to where we were staying. The historic city centre is pedestrianised and cars aren’t allowed in. We eventually parked in the underground car park at Piazza VIII Agosto and walked from there, which was no problem.

Met’s Apartments

We stayed in a fab two-bedroom apartment at Met’s Apartments, which is part of Hotel Metropolitan. The apartment was perfect for us: it was cool (once the air-con was on), clean, modern, well-equipped and in a central location. Best of all, as far as the kids were concerned, breakfast at the sleek Metropolitan Hotel was included in the apartment rental.

Breakfast at Hotel Metropole, Bologna. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Breakfast at Hotel Metropolitan, Bologna. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Historic centre

On our first evening in the city we strolled around the historic centre to get our bearings and take in the atmosphere. We didn’t need dinner because we’d eaten so much at lunch at the agriturismo. The city centre is compact and walkable and was buzzing with people. Part of the beautiful main square, Piazza Maggiore, was covered with chairs ready for an outdoor cinema screening later that evening. On one side of the square is the vast Basilica, the fifth largest church in Europe. On the other side is the adjoining square, Piazza Nettuno, with a central fountain which I had to photograph when the kids weren’t with me, to avoid their mortification.

Mermaid, Neptune's Fountain, Bologna. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Mermaid, Neptune’s Fountain, Bologna. Copyright Gretta Schifano

We spotted some of the city’s famous medieval defensive towers, including the iconic Two Towers, pictured at the end of this post. At one point Bologna was home to more than 100 of these towers but today just 24 remain.

Leaving the kids in the cool of the apartment the next morning my husband and I climbed the narrow stone staircase to the top of San Pietro church. The long, steep climb was worth it for the views from the top.

Bologna rooftops. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Bologna rooftops. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Guided tour

In the afternoon we met up with our excellent and knowledgable guide, Micol, for an insider’s tour of the city. Bologna is famous for its miles and miles of elegant porticoes. The longest portico in the city extends for an impressive 150 metres. I’d assumed that these colonnades were built for shelter but Micol explained that they were actually used as a way to extend buildings. In medieval times students came to study here from all over Europe and space was at a premium. Micol took us in to the oldest part of the university and to the wood-panelled dissection theatre where trainee surgeons learnt their trade in medieval times.

Torre Prendiparte

My favourite part of the tour was when we went inside one of the medieval defensive towers. Torre Prendiparte is a fabulous B&B which was listed by Lonely Planet as one of the top 10 extraordinary places to stay in 2014. The owner, Matteo, was kind enough to show us around the tower, which sleeps up to four people and would indeed be an extraordinary place to stay (but not with toddlers – the stairs would be too hazardous).

Torre Prendiparte B&B, Bologna. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Torre Prendiparte B&B, Bologna. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Shopping

Bologna has a market which dates from medieval times – Mercato di Mezzo – as well as some great shops in its miles of porticos. The summer sales were on when we visited and my daughter and I enjoyed hunting for bargains on our way back to our apartment – or whenever we got the chance, frankly.

Train connections

The next day we took advantage of Bologna’s fantastic train connections. The city is one of Italy’s main railway hubs and this makes it an excellent place to base yourself and explore the surrounding regions. We caught a high speed train from Bologna to spend a day in the wondrous city of Florence, which is about 100 kilometres away in Tuscany. My husband and I both studied in Florence (at different times) as language students and we really enjoyed popping back there with the kids. The train was great – the journey took only half an hour and delivered us right to the centre of Florence.

View of Florence. Copyright Salvatore Schifano

View of Florence. Copyright Salvatore Schifano

You can read about our day trip to Florence in this post:

A train trip to Florence

Piazza Santo Stefano

On our last morning in Bologna my husband and I went for an early stroll to the triangular Piazza Santo Stefano. It’s a picturesque and peaceful location and we had it all to ourselves. There was just time to take a few photos before checking out of our apartment and setting off for our hotel in Cesenatico on the coast, an hour’s drive away.

Verdict

Bologna is a fascinating city and my husband and I would like to go back and explore it further. It’s a great place to base yourself if you want to visit Venice, Florence and other parts of Italy because of its excellent rail connections and its reasonable prices for accommodation and eating out. The kids both loved where we stayed, my daughter liked the shopping and my son particularly enjoyed the food in Bologna.

Read more

You can read more about our trip in my other posts:

Great places to stay in Emilia-Romagna

How to visit Parma

Hotel Tiffany, Cesenatico

Mirabilandia and Mirabilandia Beach

Aquafan water park, Italy

Atlantic water park, Cesenatico

Recommended guide books

The guide books which I recommend for visiting Bologna are the Bologna & Emilia-Romagna Footprint Focus Guide and the Lonely Planet Italy Travel Guide which I bought from Amazon before our trip.

Disclosure

Thank you to the lovely people at the Emilia-Romagna Tourist Board for arranging our accommodation and booking our tourist guide in Bologna. All opinions, words and photos are our own.

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Two Towers, Bologna. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Two Towers, Bologna. Copyright Gretta Schifano

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Related

Categories: City, Italy
Tags: city breaks, Emilia-Romagna, Florence

About Gretta Schifano

I'm a freelance journalist and blogger specialising in family travel with teenagers, trips when parents manage to travel without their kids, and 50+ travel. I also write about vegetarian travel, parenting teenagers, adoption, SEN, ADHD and anxiety. My work's been published by the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, National Geographic Traveller, Lonely Planet and others. I've lived and worked in Italy and Spain and am now based in rural south-east England with my husband, adoptive and birth kids and our dog. I previously worked as a social action radio producer for the BBC.

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Comments

  1. Amy says

    November 23, 2019 at 7:31 pm

    Could I get the info of your tour guide in Bologna?

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      November 29, 2019 at 1:26 pm

      Hi Amy, I’m really sorry but I don’t have the guide’s contact details, just her name, Micol. The tour was arranged by the local tourist office, so if you contact them they should be able to help you to find a guide. Their email address is touristoffice@comune.bologna.it

      Reply
  2. Ninjacat says

    October 30, 2015 at 10:34 am

    I would love to go here one day
    Ninjacat recently posted…The Friendly IntrovertMy Profile

    Reply
  3. Cathy (MummyTravels) says

    October 27, 2015 at 2:15 pm

    I really must get back to Italy before long – my daughter still hasn’t visited, and it’s such a child-friendly place. Bologna (and Emilia Romagna in general) would be new to me, and less hectic than some of the more visited cities, so sounds like a great option.
    Cathy (MummyTravels) recently posted…13 reasons to visit Ljubljana, SloveniaMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      October 28, 2015 at 5:43 pm

      It’s definitely less hectic than some of the other regions, but still has loads to offer.

      Reply
  4. Kara says

    October 26, 2015 at 8:08 am

    I have never been to Italy and would love to visit – we are going on a cruise next year and are stopping off in a couple of places
    Kara recently posted…#Win a £100 Amazon Voucher with DC Kids!My Profile

    Reply
  5. Michelle Twin Mum says

    October 24, 2015 at 2:40 pm

    Wow your rooftop and panoramic shots are amazing and Bologna looks like a great place to visit. No wonder the kids were happy wth the breakfast buffet, it looks yummy. Mich x
    Michelle Twin Mum recently posted…5 Reasons We Do Not Celebrate HalloweenMy Profile

    Reply
  6. Cass@frugalfamily says

    October 24, 2015 at 11:27 am

    I love Italy but we’ve never been with the kids for some reason. I love the idea of staying in an apartment rather than a hotel x x
    Cass@frugalfamily recently posted…Tacos for tea….My Profile

    Reply
  7. Jen Walshaw (@Mum_TheMadHouse) says

    October 23, 2015 at 11:33 pm

    I keep saying this, but we so need to visit Italy. perhaps we can manage it next summer. It is somewhere I have never been. I worry that as I do not speak the langue it will spoil it
    Jen Walshaw (@Mum_TheMadHouse) recently posted…Pumpkin paper plate weavingMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      October 24, 2015 at 7:50 am

      Generally in Italy people are very friendly, and English is widely spoken, so I think you’d be fine without speaking the language. Italian is quite a logical language to learn too, so you could always teach yourself a few basic phrases before going.

      Reply
  8. Jennifer Howze says

    October 23, 2015 at 9:24 pm

    Bologna was a revelation to me. You hear so much about the big cities or Tuscany, Bologna can end up feeling like a bit of a secret find — but what a find! Truly the best food I’ve had in Italy, shops that stock only huge wheels of Parmesan, a funky student culture, covered walkways to shield you from hot sun or drizzly rain and gorgeous architecture. Your post has made me want to return.
    Jennifer Howze recently posted…iPhoneography: Autumn in New YorkMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      October 23, 2015 at 10:09 pm

      Thanks Jen – when were you there? I know, it’s a great place, I’d definitely like to go back there another time.

      Reply
  9. JuggleMum, Nadine Hill says

    October 23, 2015 at 7:34 pm

    I had to laugh when you were in Piazza Nettuno photographing the statue away from the kids… I assumed they wouldn’t want to be near you photographing a statue because “Mum that’s so boring!”…. Then I saw the statue and understood!! haha
    JuggleMum, Nadine Hill recently posted…Review: Las IguanasMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      October 23, 2015 at 8:49 pm

      There were usually people near the fountain copying the mermaids’ pose for their own photos too, which the kids were horrified by!

      Reply
  10. Sarah Bailey says

    October 23, 2015 at 6:54 pm

    I would love to visit Italy – such a beautiful looking country with so much to see. x
    Sarah Bailey recently posted…TOMS that work for a partyMy Profile

    Reply
  11. Jaime Oliver says

    October 23, 2015 at 6:39 pm

    This looks like a super trip, I am a massive market fan and could spend days just wondering round them 🙂
    Jaime Oliver recently posted…Our Essential Picks For Buying For A NewbornMy Profile

    Reply
  12. Orli says

    October 23, 2015 at 3:02 pm

    Oh, I love Italy! We’ve been there twice and I can’t wait to take the kids on a long holiday in Italy. It is just so wonderfully artsy and messy and tasty 🙂 It seems like you had a great time, and I will definitely bookmark this post for when we get a chance to go there.
    Orli recently posted…The Amsterdam DisasterMy Profile

    Reply
  13. virginie auguste says

    October 23, 2015 at 1:48 pm

    I do share your feelings about Bologna. It’s a little bit off the beaten path from famous touristic places in Italy, but the place worth the journey. We spent a little time there and enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing this experience 🙂
    virginie auguste recently posted…5 tips to avoid the crowds when traveling with kidsMy Profile

    Reply
  14. Sonia says

    October 23, 2015 at 12:00 pm

    Bologna looks amazing, I would really love to go. Italy is one place I have never been but there are so many different things I have on my bucket list 🙂
    Sonia recently posted…Wicked Uncle – The Place To Shop!My Profile

    Reply
  15. Ness @ JibberJabberUK says

    October 23, 2015 at 9:28 am

    My daughter loves Italian food and I know she would really like to try a proper Bolognese in Bologna.
    Ness @ JibberJabberUK recently posted…Finance Fridays – Big Energy Saving WeekMy Profile

    Reply
  16. Trish says

    October 23, 2015 at 8:22 am

    I do like the idea of an apartment being linked to a hotel – best of both worlds. Looks a beautiful town and getting on a train to Florence sounds ideal. No hassle.
    I remember years ago having a hire car in Tuscany – we got caught out by the pedestrianised streets in Pisa, took a wrong turn, drove through the market and past the Leaning Tower – oops!
    Trish recently posted…Rhine cruise with Emerald Waterways: CologneMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      October 23, 2015 at 1:58 pm

      Wow, I bet you can’t drive anywhere near that now!

      Reply

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This is a personal blog written and edited by me, Gretta Schifano. Sometimes I’m given products or sent on trips to review, but I always make this clear and give my honest opinion. See my About page for full details.

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