Two Days in Bologna - TOP Things To Do in Italy’s BEST kept secret & Food Capital

Hey everybody. Good morning everyone. So yesterday evening we arrived late in Bologna in Italy. We're so excited to be here. Yeah we're staying a little bit outside the city center like 15 minutes away and it's a cute little apartment that we found. It even has a kitchen and all which we actually don't need but I think it's mostly apartments here actually that you can rent or airbnbs like less hotels and that kind of stuff. But it's yeah it's like quite close and we enjoyed there. Yeah And so we tried to get up early this morning. Didn't succeed fully but so now we're heading towards the city. Do some sights. We're first gonna go to Il Fenestro which is like this little window which gives you a sneak peek of a Venice looking canal. We heard there are always like quite some rows. Yeah you might have to stay in line there. Yeah. We did as well but it's like five minutes when you get your spot in there. Yeah and then we'll head to the historical center so to the Piazza Maggiore and to all the beautiful sights and we will take you with us. Yes yesterday we already had some food. Some amazing Italian food. Wow. Tagliatelle ragu that I had and via the lasagna. Yeah the lasagna. And the place that we got recommended. Yeah and then we had some appetizers which were super yummy. So we stuffed ourselves. Yes that's I think that's in Italy. Looking forward to all the good Italian food and we will show you everything and share all the good places to go. Our first stop on our Italy road tour to Cinque Terre is Bologna which really surprised us. This wonderful city is made for wandering around its countless little alleyways and getting lost in the cute side streets with its magnificent porticos. This medieval city in the Emilia-Romagna region is filled with a deep intriguing history and fascinating sites however remains one of Italy's most underrated cities. Not only foodies but also history buffs and art lovers will find many things to do here. If you didn't already know Bologna is the city of arcades or porticos. These famous covered walkways are omnipresent in the city landscape and stretch over a length of 38 kilometers. Perfect to explore the city while being protected from the sun or rain. Did you know there is a tiny slice of Venice in Bologna? In the northern part of the historic city there are remnants of the once extensive canal system that ran through the city. The most famous Venice view can be found here on Via Piela. Opening this secret window gives you a picturesque view of the colorful little houses and typical Italian shutters. Most of the time there is a line of people waiting to peek through the window opening so it's not that secret after all. One of the best things you can do in Bologna is walking the endless streets to discover all the stunning architectural gems in the city. The main historic sites are all within walking distance from each other because of the compact layout of the city and porticos so we practically walked everywhere. Moving at a slower pace through the labyrinth of alleyways makes it really easy to appreciate the small details and local atmosphere. As the food capital of Italy eating and exploring its delicious cuisine is just one of the best things to do in Bologna and as you can tell we had an amazing lunch at La Proscuteria Bologna. After that we walked towards the oldest university in the world, the University of Bologna. It was founded back in the 11th century and is one of Europe's top academic institutions. Inside you will find the Palazzo del Archigenazio which is one of the most beautiful sites in the city. You are only allowed to enter certain areas of the university as some parts are still actively used by students. The inner courtyard is richly decorated with colorfully painted coats of arms. One of the most important parts of this architectural masterpiece is the Teatro Anatomico or anatomical theater. The amphitheater-shaped hall is made fully out of wood panels. In the middle stands a marble table that was used to dissect bodies for science in front of a full audience. The other room open for visitors is the beautiful Stabat Mater room from which you can actually peek into the library. But this one is only open during the week until 2 pm and only accessible for people who are there to study. Our favorite part was the many painted coats of arms throughout the corridors and staircases. Almost every inch of the arched ceilings is covered with them. A short walk away from the towers you can find the peaceful and picturesque Piazza Santo Stefano. There are several cute cafes scattered across the square offering coffee or aperitivo. But a quick look on google changed our mind. You will encounter some of the typical tourist traps with overpriced drinks and subpar service. So we didn't really feel like it. The attention of the square goes to the Basilica of Santo Stefano. It's worth taking a look inside the Basilica, a church complex of four interlocking churches and admission to the church is free. You enter through the Church of the Holy Crucifix which leads you to an interesting looking altar. Further you can pass by a peaceful inner courtyard which looks beautiful. Good morning everyone. We're on a hike to one of the major sites here in Bologna. It's the Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca and it's located on a 300 high meter hill. So it's quite a hike. It gives a beautiful viewpoint. It's supposed to give a beautiful viewpoint of the city. So that's where we're heading now. Indeed it's famous for the arcades of San Luca which are these little porticoes like the tunnel that you see in the back. It starts in the city center and goes all the way up to San Luca. There are about four kilometers of arcades which are super pretty to walk through. Today is Saturday so we see a lot of locals who are doing just a hike up. They are like all in sport gear, have like earplugs in and I guess they just use it as a fitness activity because it is quite demanding after a while with the seat. But the good thing is it gives a lot of shade here. So thankfully we're never fully in the sun here. It's already super hot. We're actually quite sweating already. Because we've been on the way for 40 minutes now but we're almost there. Well it took us like google maps said like an hour from where we stay all the way to the top. So I would say actually from the city center more than one and a half hours actually to get up here. We're a little bit to the outskirts so it's like much better. But you could always take a bus if you don't want to. So there are buses. There's also this touristy train express it's called. We've seen it yesterday in the city. Looks fun if you have kids maybe. But yeah nice activity and yeah our first part was in the city. More in the local part. So yeah we got a nice view of the beautiful architecture. It was a little bit the outskirts where people live and like little cute shops and all that. Yeah so we got to see like all these people that go for their morning cappuccino with a little croissant or something or whatever they eat here. So it's a nice thing to see along the way. Oh and I see we almost reached the top. So we're curious. We'll show you around. So stay tuned. See you later. So after our little trip to San Luca we came back to the city. And we headed out for the Piazza Maggiore because we actually hadn't seen it yet yesterday. We did all the little side streets and didn't end up there somehow. So we did it today and it was amazing right. It was magnificent. It was such a grand view actually and we just we're standing there in the middle and just soaking in all the atmosphere. Taking videos, some pictures and just looking around because I could have spent like so much time there actually. Yeah it has major buildings. It has the the main basilica Petronio I believe it's called. And then the beautiful fountain of Neptune's which is the showstopper of the whole square I guess. Definitely. It was really amazing. It's beautiful from every angle and it has some special features if you take a closer look which I first didn't see. And now we just came down the clock tower which is called Torre del Orologio. I don't know if you pronounce it that way. But it's also right at the Piazza Maggiore and you should definitely should check it out. Yeah we went there actually because it started super like downpouring. So it was like a storm that was coming our way and it started raining so we didn't know what to do. So we stayed in a little cafe first and then we went up in this thing and we thought maybe the weather is going to clear up. We saw like a little bit of blue in the sky so we went up and it was really good weather when we were up here and we took some nice videos and pictures. The ticket is around it was 8 euros per person but it's super worth it. We were first a bit doubting but you have two viewing platforms and it gives you magnificent views and there's also a huge museum attached with arts. You get like a voucher with which you then go to the bookshop actually and there you get like a free ticket and it has like quite some nice art there. It was a lot we didn't we didn't manage to go through all of it but it's some really nice pieces and also some really nice halls which are fully decorated. So definitely worth the price. Yeah and about the clock tower like the little piece that we have to go up. Ah yeah so the last part you have to give your signature that it's okay to go up because some of the steps are really outdated. It's for liability. So it was the second viewing platform we have like one which is like a little bit down below and then one is like really the clock tower like really at the top there and there you have to sign because so you don't sue them because those little steps at the end were really really narrow. It's narrow and it's like really old and I don't think they can change much about it so that's why we had to sign it and yeah it was quite an adventure the last few steps but the top was really worth it right. Oh it's amazing. In the bustling heart of every Italian city you will find a piazza or main square. Saying that the Piazza Maggiore in Bologna was absolutely breathtaking would be an understatement. It's filled with architectural gems everywhere you look. Beautiful porticos, a clock tower, special basilica and palaces that surround the square. The most noteworthy sites here are the Basilica of San Petronio and the Fountain of Neptune. The Grand Basilica of San Petronio is dedicated to Bologna's patron Saint Petronius. It's the most important church in the city and one of the biggest churches in all of Europe. As you can see the facade of the church is quite an eye-catcher with the lower part covered in white pinkish marble stones and the upper with more rustic plain bricks. This is because the construction of the church was never finished and remains this way until this day. The Fountain of Neptune is without a doubt the most important fountain in Bologna. This statue of the Roman god Neptune is one of the most iconic symbols of the city and references can be found in many symbols and logos. The bustling marketplace of Quadrilatero is located just off Piazza Maggiore and is the beating heart of Bologna's food culture. It's one of the oldest parts of Bologna and you will find many little shops selling local artisanal specialties and produce. As you stroll past the little shops you'll be greeted by some You can shop here for everything from freshly made pasta to all kinds of cold cuts, cheeses and balsamico vinegar. During the day both locals and tourists enjoy a coffee here and pick up groceries. Towards the evening people meet up at the street bars for the popular aperitivo and wine scene. So we just rounded that up and now we're heading towards the so Bologna's skyline is dominated by two big towers and one of them you can actually go up for a viewing platform. The other one was never finished so you'll notice that the difference but so the other one is aside. So we decided before our dinner to go up there because we saw that the sky is even clearing up more now so we see a lot of blue so we want to see what can capture up there of the surrounding view of Bologna. So that's where we're heading right now. Yeah let's see what else it has to offer compared to the one we just did now. So excited! The two leading towers dominate the skyline of Bologna and are probably the most iconic postcard view of the city. There used to be over a hundred towers rising above the streets of Bologna. Today there are only a few left of which these two relics are the most known. Tourists can climb the 97 meter high Asinelli tower for a spectacular vantage point. After conquering 498 wooden steps you'll be rewarded with a magnificent 360 panoramic view over Bologna. Luckily there are a few platforms along the journey up where you can take a breather. So this was our short but fulfilling stay in Bologna. Thank you for watching and we will see you next time in Cinque Terre.