Bologna overview

Bologna is an inexplicably untouched tourist gem. While Florence and Venice are inundated by guidebook tour groups Bologna, which lies between the two, is often deserted. This means wonderful rewards for visitors who can experience a panorama of eye-catching palazzo, stone ruins, arcaded porticos and marbled sidewalks. Boasting Europe’s oldest University, where students still agitate the government in Italian tradition, Bologna is also home to a thriving gay scene and is the culinary capital of the country. This heady combination gives Bologna a vitality and vibrancy rarely found on the tourist trail. The city is also a political hotbed, with communism, socialism, gay-rights and student-led remonstrations all in abundance. Holding a reputation for left-wing activism, the eclectic melting pot of peoples helps create a charismatic and passionate cafe society. The highly political town is practically closed in August. Try the sausage.