Bologna is a thriving provincial capital found in northern Italy’s Po River Valley. Considered one of Italy’s premier historic cities, Bologna is home to a vast collection of tourist attractions and historic architecture spanning Baroque, Renaissance and medieval styles.

The city is of immense cultural interest, a fact made evident in its more than 45 museums. With so many institutes exploring and promoting the Bologna's profound cultural heritage, tourists often find themselves planning return trips (even before they’ve returned home) so they can visit a few more of these facilities. The Archaeological Museum and Medieval Museum are top priorities for first-time visitors.

Bologna is widely considered one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval cities, largely because large-scale urban expansion didn’t begin until the 1800s. The Basilica di San Petronio is Bologna’s immense cathedral which was carefully restrained during construction so as not to surpass the pope’s Vatican residence in scope and splendour. Meanwhile, some of the best medieval architecture is found on Piazza Maggiore, where you’ll also find a broad assortment of restaurants and hotels.

The city’s prestigious culinary tradition is recognised across the whole of Italy. With this in mind, it is no surprise that visitors revel over the flavours of pasta dishes such as spaghetti Bolognese and tagliatelle al ragu.

This historic city boasts a broad array of inns and hotels which work together to accommodate every brand of traveller and a variety of budgets. Atmospheric inns within the city centre are often situated near major attractions, leaving patrons the option of walking to favourite sites. Meanwhile, more secluded accommodation is found immediately outside of Bologna’s historic centre. Advance booking is key, especially during the peak period of tourism – June to August.

Getting to Bologna is quite convenient. The international airport directly outside of the city centre is well-connected to the rest of Europe and beyond. Trains arrive at Bologna Centrale station from more than 40 cities across Europe. It is also possible for visitors to drive themselves between attractions and cities via hire car.

Overall, the climate in Bologna is predictably temperate, making this an ideal holiday destination. Temperatures peak between July and August, when summertime highs can occasionally strike the 30°C mark. However, the hot season officially stretches from May to September. This is also the peak tourism season.

The pace of tourism slows down during the winter months, when temperatures become a bit cooler. For the most part, daytime highs drop below 10°C from December to February. Rainfall is greatest on the shoulders of summer (usually April and September), while February is driest due to arid, cooling trade winds.