La passeggiata begins just outside the door of your boutique luxury hotel in Bologna with Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Stroll past the porticoes of the city’s covered walkways and savour the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna.
Luxury things to do in Bologna
Explore Bologna’s medieval churches with a private guide, seeking out the angel carved by Michelangelo at the Basilica di San Domenico. Graceful colonnades fan out from the Fountain of Neptune in the heart of the centro storico, winding for miles to the hilltop Madonna di San Luca basilica. Shop for antiques at the Sunday market on Piazza Santo Stefano, where exclusive boutiques and bars line the 13th-century Corte Isolani arcade.
Luxury nightlife in Bologna
Evenings in Bologna begin with pistachio gelato and a twilight passeggiata to sophisticated Via Santo Stefano, where nightclubs fill the frescoed rooms of historic palaces. Help yourself to the delicious bar snacks served with spumante aperitivi. Opera productions and symphonic concerts fill the elaborate golden interior of the Teatro Comunale. Shakespearean actors tread the boards at Arena del Sole, where summertime plays take place in the 16th-century convent cloisters hidden within.
Gourmet Bologna
Parmigiano-Reggiano and syrupy balsamic vinegars fill the window of culinary institution Tamburini. Nearby is the medieval Mercato di Mezzo, where stalls laden with seasonal produce are tucked into the ancient narrow streets. Bologna’s signature slow food restaurants serve local specialities like tortellini in brodo with local sangiovese red wine. If you’re inspired by the tagliatelle alla bolognese served at Bologna’s elegant white-linen restaurants, delve deeper with a cooking and wine-pairing class.
Choose a luxury hotel in Bologna with Small Luxury Hotels of the World to wake up in the city of porticoes, where Art Nouveau decor and 21st-century minimalism meet in a boutique Bologna hotel.