Hotels in Bologna

Ask many Italians and - if they’re being honest and not just saying their mother’s cooking is the best - they’ll tell you the cuisine of the Emilia-Romagna region is Italy’s best. And Bologna, as the capital of the Emilia-Romagna, is sort of like the food capital of the country. This is, after all, where Italian staples such as egg pasta, prosciutto and Parma ham, and Bolognese sauce come from.
Bologna is a good-sized city, and it draws far more tourists than it did a decade ago, but it still feels like a place where people live and work rather than an open-air museum. It’s home to Europe’s oldest university, which means there’s a young and international vibe to the city despite a lack of tourists on the scale of Florence, and there are several cathedrals that are well worth seeing. Still, a highlight of any visit to Bologna is bound to be the food, including potential day trips to nearby Parma (for the ham) and Modena (for the balsamic vinegar). Car enthusiasts will also be pleased to know that Ferrari and Lamborghini are headquartered nearby.

The city’s other signature is its porticoes: about 62 kilometers (38 miles) of covered walkways, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2021, which means you can cross town in the rain without an umbrella. The longest one runs uphill for almost 4 kilometers to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, and the climb pays you back with a view over the red roofs. At dinner, order tagliatelle al ragù (nobody here calls it spaghetti bolognese), tortellini in brodo and a plate of mortadella. Bologna Centrale is one of Italy’s main rail hubs, with high-speed trains to Florence in under 40 minutes and to Milan in about an hour, so it’s an easy base for day trips.

Click any pin on this map of hotels in Bologna for reviews and current prices.