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Bologna Hotels

With travelsupermarket.com's hotels finder you can search for hotels in Bologna from over 55 hotel websites with one click - saving you time and money! We compare all the big name hotel chains as well as some smaller companies you may not have heard of so you can get a full view of hotels in Bologna - from budget accommodation to 5 star luxury hotels. We have also teamed up with tripadvisor to provide hotel customer reviews for many of the properties we compare and the prices and availability shown in our hotels search are real time.

To begin your search for cheap hotels in Bologna just fill in our search form on the left and click search.

What's On?                     Overview                     Prepare                     Highlights 

Overview

Overview

Student city Bologna's noble past lives on in its towers, churches and palaces and the interlocking piazzas and colonnades of blood-red brick, the colour of Bologna's greatest gift to students everywhere – spaghetti Bolognese.

See

The 12th century Due Torri (the twin leaning towers) dominate the pedestrianised historic town. The florid Neptune Fountain and showy Basilica of San Petronio headline a dense collection of historic sights around the Piazza Maggiore. Revving into the 21st century, boys can dream but not drive at the Ferrari and Lamborghini museums and factory tours in nearby Modena.
New

Bologna ArtFirst takes cutting-edge art installations out into the streets early in the new year.
Spend

The Bologna area is home of many of the finer things in life – from parmesan cheese, parma ham and balsamic vinegar to La Perla underwear, Lamborghini, Maserati and Ferrari cars, and Ducati motorbikes. Bologna's four main shopping streets, off Piazza Maggiore, are great browsing territory, as is the Parco della Montagnola flea market (Fri and Sat).
Get Out

The young perch like denim-clad pigeons on the fountain steps, their elders gather in the local cafés, but everyone ends up drinking in the evening sun in Piazza Maggiore. Sprawl on the grass or throw frisbees in Parco Giardini Margherita or explore the exotic botany of Villa delle Rose and Orto Botanico.
Culture

Home of Italy's oldest and most prestigious university, this is a cultured city, with opera, music and theatre at the Teatro Comunale. Music and film festivals run through the year, centring on the Bologna Festival and Crossroads Jazz Festival with everything from world music to raves in between.
Eat & Drink

Bologna claims to be food capital of Italy and has certainly made its mark, giving the world not only spaghetti Bolognese, but baloney, mortadella, tortellini, tagliatelle, and, from the province, balsamic vinegar, parma ham, parmesan cheese and Lambrusco wines. There are excellent restaurants to suit all pockets in the historic centre.
New Perspective

Climb the leaning 100-metre high Torre degli Asinelli or walk along the 666 arches of the 3,500-metre long portico to the hilltop Santuario de Madonna di San Luca for a fine view of the city and the Apennines.

Prepare

Prepare

Pack a passion for Renaissance and Baroque art, deep heat for the muscles after climbing the tower and a cool bag to get the food shopping home.

Bologna Year

Celebrate Carnival with floats in Feb. Sample the tastes of the vinegar festival in Modena (May-Jun) and the Bologna music festival (May-Jun and Sept-Oct). Re-enact the history of Bologna during Le Felsinarie (May) and throw out the old year by chucking your broken crockery off the balcony before the bonfire and fireworks on New Year's Eve.

Public Holidays

New Year's Day (1 Jan), Epiphany (6 Jan), Easter Monday (Mar/Apr), Liberation Day (25 Apr), Labour Day (1 May), Local Feast Day (29 June), Assumption (15 Aug), Feast of San Petronio (4 Oct), All Saints' Day (1 Nov), Immaculate Conception (8 Dec), Christmas Eve (24 Dec), Christmas Day, Boxing Day (26 Dec), New Year's Eve (31 Dec).
Weather

The months between November and February are the wettest, but the temperature rarely dips below freezing, even in January. The summer months – May to August – are hot (25°C-30°C) and sunny. The best times to visit are early spring and September.
Electricity

220V AC, 50Hz, European-style two-round-pin plugs are standard (some have a third smaller pin).
Dialling Code

+39 (national), (0) 51 + six-figure number (Bologna).
Money

The euro (€) is the currency.
GMT

+1 (+2 in Mar-Oct).
Bologna Tourist Info

Bologna Tourist Board website

Fit In

Lose 20 years and go back to college – this is a student city after all. Jeans and leather jackets are the norm.

Highlights

Highlights

Even Pisa's most famous landmark cannot compete with Bologna's claim to fame.

The Bolognese have two leaning towers (down from 180, built by competitive 12th century families). Climb the 498 steps up Torre degli Asinelli and look out over Piazza Maggiore, the Basilica of San Petronio and Palazzo Comunale (Morandi Museum). Next door, the Piazza Nettuno is embellished by a grand 16th century Neptune Fountain and the Civic Archaeology Museum. Take a look at the Church of Santa Maria dei Servi, the Pinacoteca Nazionale art gallery, the Jewish Museum, the market in Via Clavature, and as many of the obscure university museums as you can find. Allow a few hours to fantasise about snarling engines at the Ducati, Ferrari or Lamborghini museums.

Sightseeing Tips

Most of the main sights are in the pedestrianised historic centre. It is small, but there is a surprisingly large amount of walking involved in the course of the day, so wear comfortable shoes. For an easy overview, take the open-topped sightseeing bus tour in summer, with a hop-on, hop-off all-day ticket. Entrance fees are not high, but for convenience, get a day museum card for one or three days.

Content provided by Frommer's Unlimited © 2009, Whatsonwhen Limited.