Bologna, Italy, Is the Birthplace of Lasagna alla Bolognese — How to Visit

Located just about two hours from Florence, Bologna is an equally enticing destination to visit on a trip to Italy. With a remarkable food history dating back to the Middle Ages, it’s the place to thank for some of the world’s most beloved dishes, including lasagne alla bolognese, tortellini, and ragù.

The northern Italian city is also home to the oldest university in the Western world, and it maintains a music scene so rich that it was designated a UNESCO City of Creative Music. I recently visited and was impressed by its seamless blend of old and new: A lively college community gathered in a pop music-fueled bar just steps from a towering sixth-century Gothic basilica. Food vendors tempted shoppers with crystalline slices of parmesan and crates adorned with tiny tortellini shells. Nearby, large groups sat around communal tables enjoying an aperitivo of sparkling spritzes.

My tour guide, Catia Aliberti, made the city’s rich history and personality come to life over my three-day stay. “The cultural tradition of Bologna is conviviality,” she said. “Sharing meals with friends and acquaintances is a much-awaited moment of the day. It can be at home or in the streets of the city, in the markets or in the osterie (taverns).”

This social atmosphere is evident on any given day in Bologna — a city you can easily visit solo like I did, taking in its ornate porticoes and terra-cotta-colored squares buzzing with people in search of the next bar or concert. “Culture and the arts are part of the city’s identity, just like all the fresh and local food that represent our great quality of life,” Aliberti added.

Read on for how to experience the best of Bologna.

Best Times to Visit Bologna

To beat peak season prices and crowds, consider visiting Bologna from September to October or April to May. When it comes to weather, it can be a city of extremes, with sizzling summertime temperatures and damp winters. Opt for the spring or fall to enjoy the best of the city’s buzzing outdoor markets and piazzas,.

Best Things to Do in Bologna

To better understand how to explore Bologna, look to its nickname: La Dotta (The Learned One, for its University), La Grassa (The Fat One, for its world-famous cuisine), and La Rossa (The Red One, for its terra-cotta roofs). Public spaces to commune and experience all three abound here. Start at the most famous: Piazza Maggiore, a central square that commonly serves as a meeting place for visitors and residents. The crowd-filled hub is home to Basilica di San Petronio, a stately church with a facade that was never completed due to lack of funds. Inside, you’ll find a number of murals and the world’s longest sundial, laid in 1656 by the famous Italian astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini. At Piazza Maggiore, climb Torre dell’Orologio, a 15th-century clock tower equipped with two terraces offering panoramic views of the city and hills in the distance. Also on the piazza is Salaborsa Library, a beautiful public space where you can see ancient Roman ruins through the glass-paned floor.

Bologna’s intricate porticoes are an integral part of the city’s architectural heritage and identity. These ancient arcades, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2021, provide shade as they cover walkways. Map out a visit to the oldest wooden iteration on Via Marsala, and the longest covered walkway in the world, with an impressive 666 arches — Portico di San Luca.

The city also celebrates the power of cinema, and movie lovers should not miss the Cineteca di Bologna, a center for film restoration and preservation that houses more than 18,000 international movies. In the summer, Piazza Maggiore lights up with the biggest open-air film screenings in Europe, called Sotto le Stelle del Cinema. Past attendees include Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Jane Campion, and John Landis.

Bologna’s location in Emilia-Romagna also makes it a great home base for day trips. During my visit, I took the one-hour drive from Bologna to Modena, a UNESCO World Heritage city and fortified medieval town that first sparked my interest thanks to its culinary scene. Modena is also well-known as one of the greatest producers of balsamic vinegar in the world. Called black gold because of its dark appearance, its highly concentrated flavor, and the complex process employed to make it, the vinegar is celebrated at the Museo del Balsamico Tradizionale in Spilamberto with a full tour and tasting. In Moderna’s city center,  explore the food vendors at Mercato Albinelli, and take a seat at any place with a menu offering the regional specialty: tortellini en brodo (pockets of pasta stuffed with ricotta and submerged in a rich chicken broth). Or, you could plan ahead and try to land a coveted reservation at Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana, a three-star Michelin restaurant that has been called one of the best in Italy.

Best Places to Eat and Drink in Bologna

Bolognese sauce was born here, and there are places all around the city to try the fragrant, slow-cooked meat sauce. Sfoglia Rina is one of the most popular options, and the daily line out the door does not deter residents and visitors alike from waiting patiently to dig into plates of tagliatelle al ragù and lasagne verde. The Bolognese twist on this classic dish features creamy béchamel sauce (rather than mozzarella and ricotta) layered with slow-cooked ragù between green spinach pasta shells. 

I had my first bite of the dish at Noi, located in Bologna’s largest covered market, Mercato delle Erbe. The food hall houses a number of delis, pizzerias, restaurants, and bars worth a visit, but it would be a mistake not to make a special stop for Noi’s take on lasagna — a bubbling, picture-perfect assemblage of flavor and fresh ingredients. Noi is also a great place to try one of Bologna’s most loved antipasto pairings: fried, lightly salted dough pillows called tigelle, and the tangy, soft squacquerone cheese.

Past the communal Piazza Maggiore, head down a small alleyway to reach the family-owned Trattoria Da Me nella Torre, located inside the medieval Torre Galluzzi tower and helmed by chef Elisa Rusconi. In addition to its impressive location, the menu features a handmade pastas, a slow-cooked egg appetizer served in a parmesan meringue, and a memorable gratin potato gnocchi filled with ricotta, confit tomato puree, and a marjoram emulsion. The restaurant’s opening came with great excitement, as its sibling restaurant, Trattoria Da Me, is an institution in the city, heralded for modernizing traditional Bolognese cuisine without losing its rustic history.

For more variety, make your way to the nearby shaded alleyways of Bologna’s oldest market — the Quadrilatero — and neighboring wine bars like Osteria del Sole, the oldest watering hole in the city.

Enoteca Storica Faccioli is another good option, particularly for its natural wines and impressive selection of cured meats that make Emilia-Romagna so famous. Stop by any salumeria for a cut of Bologna’s very own peppery mortadella — so prized it has a protected geographical indication. “The geographical position of the Emilia-Romagna region has favored a crossroads of people and cultures over the centuries. Our economy, based mainly on agriculture and animal breeding in past centuries, has encouraged the development of excellent products that were then transformed and enriched by delicious recipes and the imagination of chefs,” explained Aliberti.

Best Places to Stay in Bologna

During my stay, I checked into Grand Hotel Majestic già Baglioni, housed in a former archdiocesan palace from the 18th century. A member of the Leading Hotels of the World, this luxury property lies within walking distance of all of the city’s major sites, including Piazza Maggiore. Design touches include centuries-old frescoes and gilded antique furniture, giving the space an air of nobility.

Some of the 106 rooms have windows adorned with silk drapes, Murano chandeliers, and terraces. The property’s restaurant, I Carracci, serves traditional Bolognese food in a room adorned with frescoes.

For proximity to major train stations, consider AC Hotel Bologna, a Marriott property with 127 spacious rooms, some with city views. If you’re looking for a more residential experience that leans into the city’s communal spirit, book an apartment with Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, which includes charming vintage spaces near the heart of university life and the city’s greatest landmarks.

Also located in the city center on a quiet street, Hotel Corona d’Oro has a luxury boutique feel with just 40 rooms that include marble bathrooms, stucco work, and vintage Italian furniture. Enjoy the quiet lounge areas and take advantage of the bikes available for guests to ride around the city.