Emilia-Romagna

Bologna

Every north–south train passes through Bologna and most travellers change here without leaving the platform. That is a mistake: the food is the best in Italy and the old centre is fifteen minutes' walk from the concourse.

Arriving

Stations

Bologna Centrale

High-speed platforms are underground, level -3, and it is a genuine seven-minute walk from the surface. Do not cut your connection fine.

From the airport

The Marconi Express monorail runs from the airport to Centrale in seven minutes. Not pass-valid.

Onward

Connections

To	Fastest	Operator	Reservation	Frequency
Florence	37m	Frecciarossa	€13	3 per hour
Milan	1h 05m	Frecciarossa	€13	3 per hour
Venice	1h 25m	Frecciarossa	€13	Hourly
Rome	2h 05m	Frecciarossa	€13	2 per hour

Bologna's regional spokes — Modena, Parma, Ravenna, Ferrara — are all reservation-free. One travel day can cover three of them.

See

Worth your time

Portici
Forty kilometres of covered arcade, now a UNESCO site. It rains and you stay dry.
Santo Stefano
Seven interlocking churches around a medieval courtyard.
Archiginnasio anatomical theatre
A carved wooden dissection room from 1637.
Torre Prendiparte
Fewer stairs and fewer people than the leaning Asinelli tower.

Eat

What to order

Tagliatelle al ragù
The actual dish. Never spaghetti, never called bolognese here.
Mercato di Mezzo
Stalls and counters in the old market lanes off Piazza Maggiore.
Tortellini in brodo
Winter food, in broth, and the local test of a kitchen.

Day trips