Bologna, Italy Hotels and City Guide

The fascinating and beautiful Italian town of Bologna attracts hundreds of visitors from all over the world, drawn by the city's unique artistic legacy, synonymous with the flowering of the Italian renaissance.

Bologna is among the most prosperous cities in Italy, and the centro storico (historic centre) is surrounded by a sprawl of suburbs and industrial complexes, an appealing mix of narrow medieval streets, renaissance palaces and fine squares.

Bologna today has to balance her role as an art city of immense importance with that of a regional capital and industrial centre.

The presence of notable architects and painters has made Bologna a true Italian Rinascimento city. It is a treasure house of 17th century monuments, centuries old churches, grand palazzos, superb decorative fountains and landmark Bologna hotels. Wonderfully landscaped parks rich in tree-lined alleys, topiary and fountains gracefully adorn boulevards. Between and around these focal points are fairytale palaces, museums and churches all linked by some of Italy's most stylish shopping streets, home to exclusive designer labels such as Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Furla to name a few.

Bologna has a thriving arts scene, patronised at the top end by its well heeled citizens, who enjoy a year-round cultural diet of art shows, opera, theatre and ballets while the large student population ensures that entertainment is never in short supply with a range of nightclubs and live music venues. Restaurants, bars, and cafes are constantly crowded; shopping is among the best in Italy and visitors can enjoy a wide range of spectator and participatory sports as well such as basketball from Fortitudo and Virtus and football from Bologna FC.

The people of Bologna are passionate about food and the town is famed for its excellent culinary dexterousness. Don't leave without sampling the local wines and delicious regional dishes such as meat-filled tortellini, mortadella, (a tasty sausage) and crescentine, (a filled flat-bread pocket). Hotels in Bologna offer an assortment of international delicacies whilst irresistible deli fare can be enjoyed everywhere and Italy’s famous pizzas and pastas can be relished at charming trattorias.

For a city boasting more past glories than the average continent, Bologna is also home to the future with the oldest existing university in Europe based here.

A love affair between culture, commerce and good living, Bologna has long been celebrated as the most aesthetically pleasing city in all of Italy, if not the world. The city centre is architecturally breathtaking, and compact enough to stroll in an afternoons. So pack light - Bologna might be the birthplace of the renaissance, but modern Bolognese people were born to shop.

About 60% of the world's priceless works of art is housed in Italy and a good portion of these are in Bologna. Historically, it was originally an Etruscan town and became a Roman colony in the 2nd century BC.

The plethora of festivities and activities can coax amazement out of the most jaded traveller - the vestiges of imperial Italy stagger the imagination, and parts of the city are perfect medieval towns, with soaring renaissance and barocco architecture.

Few destinations offer such variety and few visitors leave without a fervent desire to return. Don’t miss discovering Bologna for yourself via these pages before you arrive.

Bologna City Facts
Bologna Population: 404,000 (UN Population Estimate Revision 2003)
Italy Population: 57,253,000 (UN Population Estimate Revision 2003)
Time Zone: GMT / UTC +1 (+2 in summer)
Currency: Euro (€)
Languages: Italian, German, French, and Slovene

Hotels in Bologna, Italy