Hotels in Bologna

Beneath medieval towers that lean like tipsy professors, Bologna's terracotta skyline glows amber at sunset. The Piazza Maggiore buzzes with students from the world's oldest university, debating philosophy over plates of perfect tortellini. Climb the precarious wooden stairs of Torre Asinelli for views that explain why they call this 'La Rossa.' The city unfolds beneath 40 kilometers of porticoes – now UNESCO-listed – where locals have strolled protected from rain since the Middle Ages. In the Quadrilatero market, vendors offer mortadella with the reverence others reserve for fine art. Don't miss the unfinished façade of San Petronio Basilica or Neptune's fountain, where the sea god's proportions were strategically reduced to avoid offending papal sensibilities.