National Geographic Traveller UK April 2020

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