The Sunday Times May 22, 2022 7Travel City breaks
THE BIG WEEKEND
M
agnificently medieval,
thoroughly food obsessed
and with a friendly,
laid-back vibe — thank all
the students at the oldest
university in the western world —
Bologna is still mercifully free of the
tourist hordes who are once again
plaguing Venice and Rome.WHAT TO DO
W Bologna doesn’t do big-ticket
attractions but it’s not short of
superlative sights, especially the
25 miles of distinctive terracotta-
coloured porticoes — the colonnades
originated in the 12th century and are
now Unesco-listed. There’s an excellent
new guided tour of some of the best
(they differ in age, style and structure)
and it’s a brilliant way to get your
bearings as you wind your way from
the main square, Piazza Maggiore,
to Piazza Cavour (£13pp;
bolognawelcome.com). Here, reward
yourself with pistachio gelato and try to
spot Dante and Galileo among the Italian
heroes portrayed in the 18th-century
frescoed portico ceiling.
W En route you will have seen Bologna’s
main landmarks, the looming pair of
brick towers of Garisenda and Asinelli
— relics of the city’s days as a medieval
Manhattan. Only Asinelli can be climbed,
and its 498 narrow, slippery steps are not
for the faint-hearted — so instead head
for the more satisfying view of the city
rooftops from the clocktower inside
Palazzo d’Accursio in Piazza Maggiore
(£7; bolognawelcome.com).
W You’ll want to explore the narrow
lanes of the Quadrilatero hungry —
in the ancient grid of streets around
Via Clavature, market stalls burst with
fresh produce and gourmet delis are
crammed with Parma hams, slabs of
parmesan, aged balsamic vinegar
and homemade pasta. The choice is
overwhelming but you won’t go wrong
at Tamburini (Via Caprarie 1), Simoni
(Via Drapperie 5), Ceccarelli (Via
Pescherie Vecchie 8) or Atti
(paoloatti.com).
W Take a picnic and escape the hustle
and bustle to hang out in the Margherita
Gardens, where the old municipal
greenhouses have been restored and
films and concerts are put on from
May to September (free;
leserredeigiardini.it).THE COOLEST NEIGHBOURHOOD
Bolognina (“Little Bologna”) in the north
of the city is the nickname for the old
working-class Navile neighbourhood
that’s gradually being gentrified. Browse
the Albani food market, grab a beer and
salami panino in hip Fermento (Via Luigi
Serra 11), then check out the Museum for
the Memory of Ustica. Its centrepiece is
an installation representing the wreckage
of a plane that mysteriously crashed
en route from Bologna to Palermo in
1980, killing all 81 people on board.
It’s surreal and haunting (free;
museomemoriaustica.it).WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK
Osteria del Sole
Unmarked (apart from the word “vino”)
and down an alley in the Quadrilatero,
this rustic 15th-century wine bar keeps
it simple. It’s BYO food, so grab some
mortadella and cheese from a nearby
shop, order a bottle of pignoletto (the
local fizz) and settle in with the students
and tipsy pensioners (pignoletto £13;
osteriadelsole.it).BOLOGNA½ milePhi Hotel Quadrilatero5 miles BologninaPiazza MaggioreGrand Hotel Majestic
gia BaglioniIl GuercinoBOLOGNA
Camera con Vista Bistrot
Perfect for that early evening aperitivo.
Sit outside to admire the beautiful Piazza
Santo Stefano. Inside, the bar is a riot of
marble, mirrors and classical Greek and
Roman busts. There’s a huge cocktail list
but hipster mixologists are more than
happy to go off piste (negroni £10;
cameraconvista.it).Caffe Terzi
It does the best coffee in Bologna but it’s
no secret so expect to queue. Avoid the
tables at the back of the narrow bar;
you’ll have a better (and cheaper)
experience standing at the counter,
watching the serious but charming
baristas do their stuff. Peckish? There’s
a small selection of pastries (cappuccino
£1.50; caffeterzi.it).includes seafood and tapas such as tuna
balls with aubergine and mint tzatziki.
Go early because it fills up fast (tapas
from £8, mains from £10; banco32.it).Cesarina
On Piazza Santo Stefano, Cesarina is
slightly more formal than most Bolognese
restaurants but with wonderful service
and a menu that includes fritto misto alla
bolognese — an all-in-one trencherman’s
combo of fried meat, veg, fruit — and
fried custard (mains from £15;
ristorantecesarina.it).WHERE TO STAY
Il Guercino
Stay here, behind the station in
Bolognina, and you’re still within easy
walking distance of the main sights
and with several gourmet spots on the
doorstep, including the superb organic
ice cream shop Stefino. Expect colourful
rooms, a small spa and courtyard
breakfasts, but bring earplugs because
soundproofing is poor (room-only
doubles from £58; guercino.it).Phi Hotel Bologna
The oldest hotel in Bologna has a prime
location in a quiet spot off Piazza
Maggiore, a restaurant loved by locals
and particularly helpful reception staff.
Themed rooms are decorated by artists
and set designers; there are also ten
apartments nearby. Skip breakfast in
favour of the café round the corner
in Piazza de’ Celestini (B&B doubles
from £128; phihotelbologna.com).Grand Hotel Majestic gia Baglioni
An 18th-century palazzo on the city’s
main shopping street (Via Indipendenza),
Bologna’s grande dame is resolutely
old school. Prepare for rooms stuffed
with antiques, fresco-covered ceilings,
top-notch food and nothing-is-too-
much-trouble service (room-only
doubles from £337; grandhotelmajestic.
duetorrihotels.com).IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING
Get up early on your day of departure
to pay your respects to gregarious
pasta-making sisters Monica and Daniela
Venturi, and buy their tender, golden,
ricotta-stuffed tortelloni to take home
(lesfogline.it).Julia Brookes was a guest of Bologna
Welcome (bolognawelcome.com)CLARE COLLNSOsteria del Cappello
Just off Piazza Maggiore, Cappello is a
small, casual spot with a short menu of
traditional dishes made from scratch —
waiting staff wear “hashtagnot
spaghettibolognese” T-shirts
to hammer home the point.
The charcuterie board comes
with divine fried bread
(crescentini); the rich,
meaty tagliatelle al ragu
is one of the best in town
(mains from £10;
osteriadelcappello.com).Banco 32
Bologna’s largest covered food market,
Mercato delle Erbe, is packed with
tempting cafés and restaurants, including
Banco 32, where the daily changing menuTwenty-five
miles of
terracotta-
coloured
porticoesItaly’s foodie third city is deliciously laid-back, says Julia Brookes
T Travel
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