Best of Bologna Full-day Tour

Best of Bologna Full-day Tour

“The Bolognese are full of fire, of passions, of generosity and sometimes of imprudence” this is how Stendhal described the people in Bologna in the 19th century, the same words can be applied today to this charming and worldly town.

During our 3 hours private walking tour you will discover all the sides of Bologna, art and history, impressive buildings and narrow alleys, stylish shops and vintage markets.

Our fully licensed English-speaking tour guide will meet you just in the city center and together you will explore off the main monuments and attractions of Bologna, at the end of the tour it will be clear why Bologna is nicknamed the Learned, the Fat and the Red.

The learned because the origins of the University of Bologna go way back, founded in 1088 it is considered to be the oldest university in the Western world. Its history is intertwined with that of the great names of science and literature, it is a keystone and a point of reference for European culture.

The fat because food and wine are a great part of the local culture; rich in dairy and egg pastas, the food of Emilia-Romagna is humble, filling, and proud, the agricultural wealth of the Bolognese area can be ascertained in tagliatelle, tortellini and mortadella to name just a few of the culinary treasures.

The terracotta color of the brick buildings give to Bologna the third sobriquet: the Red. the red colour is meant to keep us warm in winter, when the ‘gran gelo’ descends over the Po valley. And to leave an unforgettable, overwhelming impression, making Bologna one of those cities that forever stays in the mind and merits another visit.

What To Expect The charm of the historic city of Bologna has been well preserved, it’s still full of traces of its glorious past, in fact the picturesque old town is one of the best preserved in Europe.

Our is a 3 hours private tour in order to maximize the personalization, it runs every day; no worries in case of rain, snow, sun or wind, the over 40 kilometres of arcades, that make the city unique, will give us shelter.

Our expert tour guide will meet you just near the Giant, that’s how the locals call the fountain of Neptune due to its huge dimension. We are just next to piazza Maggiore, this large square in the heart of the city is surrounded by beautiful medieval buildings like the Palazzo del Podestà, Pallazo d’Accursio and, of course, the giant Basilica of San Petronio with its unfinished grey facade.

Like in a time warp our tour guide will transport you to the medieval Bologna, see its bustling markets, visit the Santo Stefano complex, admire the Asinelli and Garisenda towers.

Today Bologna’s landscape can look quite flat, in the Middle Ages there were about 200 towers in Bologna, of this multitude of towers only twenty have come to our time, the most famous and impressive are certainly the Asinelli and Garisenda towers, both were built in the twelfth century by families of the Bolognese nobility. Over the years they have taken on many functions, the fortifications and the rope of the Asinelli Tower attest to the past military function. Yet they also hosted shops and guilds of merchants. But the real reason of their construction was the image, the houses of the nobility in this way showed their power and giving their name to one tower they got undying fame.

It's now time to unravel a little secret, let’s go find out a bit of Venice in Bologna.

During the Middle Ages Bologna was a real “City of Water,” full of waterways and canals that ran through the heart of it, most of them have since disappeared, fortunately a few of them still surface in unexpected locations.

Just a few steps away from the old city gate you can take the most charming glimpse over what’s left of Bologna’s “Little Venice” from a tiny window overlooking one of the few surviving canals.

At the end of the tour we guarantee you will be in love for this charming and lively city.

Inclusions

- English speaking professional tour guides

- Walking tour

- Taxes

Exclusions

- Gratuities (optional)

- Food and beverages

- Hotel pickup and drop-off and transportation to/from attractions

Additional info

- Children must be accompanied by an adult

- The tour will run even in case of bad weather This exclusive and informative Best of Bologna Full-day Tour books quickly, so please don’t hesitate to contact us for information and reservations at info@orangetoursandtrips.com.