National Geographic Traveller UK April 2020

(Dana P.) #1
ITALY

Bologna

MaggiorePiazza
San PetronioBasilica Museo CivicoArcheologico

QUADRILATERO

Via dell’Inferno

San Domenico

BentivoglioChapel

Asinelli & Garisenda
towers

100 yards

Getting there & around
British Airways lies direct from
Heathrow, EasyJet from Gatwick and
Ryanair from Edinburgh, Luton,
Stansted and Manchester. ba.com
easyjet.com ryanair.com
Average light time: 2h5m.
The city centre is walkable — in fact,
due to the one-way system in the
centre, walking is usually the best way
to get around. The bus system is
decent, although you’ll only really need
to use it to get between the city centre
and the train station. The airport is just
ive miles out of town: taxis cost around
£20, there are regular buses, and a new
monorail is due to open in 2020,
connecting the airport to the train
station in seven minutes.

When to go
Bologna has high humidity levels, so
winters can be bitingly cold and
summers suffocating. However, the
porticoes protect you from the rain or
snow, so mid-summer is really the only
time to avoid when temperatures
average 30C. Spring and autumn are
usually mild, averaging around 18C.
Winter is the best time to eat the food,
too — the rich dishes are designed to
warm you up when it’s around 10C.

More info
bolognawelcome.com
The Bradt Guide to Emilia Romagna.
RRP: £16.99

How to do it
BRITISH AIRWAYS HOLIDAYS offers
return lights and two nights at the Art
Hotel Commercianti, B&B, from £220.
britishairways.com

ESSENTIALS


EAT
SFOGLIA RINA: A pasta shop with a
restaurant in the back, this serves local pasta
dishes with swit service at decent prices,
plus daily specials. Perfect for lunch, it’s also
good for seasonal specialities, like pumpkin
tortelloni. sfogliarina.it
AL CAPPELLO ROSSO: It may look modern,
but this casual bistro has been operating
since 1375. It’s tiny, with just six tables,
but the pasta, made in the glass-fronted
laboratory up the street, is superb. Try the
lasagne on Sundays. alcappellorosso.it
OLTRE: Most restaurants in Bologna
are traditional. Not so this hipster haven,
which takes the classics in a completely new
direction. Try the ramen-style tagliolini
in parmesan-illed broth or go for the
innovative ive-course tasting menu. The
entrance is unmarked — look for the glass
panels covered in stickers. oltrebologna.it


AFTER HOURS
GAMBERINI: By day at pasticceria
(pastry shop), Gamberini serves up the best
aperitivo in town, along with a groaning
bufet of superb inger food that’s all yours if
you only order a drink. Squeeze around the
wooden counter or, if the weather is good,
take a table under the porticoes. gamberini.eu
LE STANZE: Location is everything in this
16th-century chapel once belonging to
the Bentivoglio family. The walls are still
frescoed with black-and-white mythical
scenes, and the odd bust watches you from
the niches surrounding the bar. lestanzecafe.it
OSTERIA DEL SOLE: Take your Quadrilatero-
bought picnic to Osteria del Sole, an
unpretentious bring-your-own-food bar in
the middle of the action. Pair your food with
a izzy local Lambrusco, pull up a pew on the
communal tables and watch the old gents
playing cards in the corner. osteriadelsole.it

Bartenders at Osteria del Sole,
a tavern dating back to 1465


ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER

154 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel


BOLOGNA
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