When I say Bologna, Italy is underrated by travelers, I really, really mean this. Underrated gets thrown around a lot and often times I’d argue it is misused but in the case of Bologna it is true. When most people travel to Italy they have Rome, Venice, or Florence in mind or even Milan, Naples, Cinque Terre, or the Amalfi Coast, yeah I know Italy has a lot to offer. Which is why it is one of my favorite places to travel.
When I told friends and family I was going to Bologna for the weekend they asked “why?” my response was simple, “to eat everything”. I have an undying obsession with Italian food that simply cannot be satisfied. There is something very sensory around the culture of food and dining in Italy. Going out for food is an experience or even an event. It is social, it is slow and carefully calculated. It is a ritual that is learned and honed. I’ve had the great honor and opportunity to learn this ritual while living in Italy and traveling there quite regularly over the years.
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Bologna is this beautiful amalgamation of medieval architecture and endless Italian culinary options. Every street is full of shops and restaurants selling local wine, cured meats, fresh handmade pasta and pastries, and you literally cannot try everything even if you tried. Being the anti-tour person that I am, when I convinced Jaka to drive us to Bologna for the weekend, I decided that we would create our own spontaneous endless food tour. While we didn’t even come close to scratching the surface of diving into all that Bologna has to offer I think we had a successful weekend.
Now to share my most gluttonous experience in hopes that it might inspire you to consider Bologna for your next trip. In some selfish way I also hope to inspire you to skip the major sightseeing tours and let yourself get immersed in new places. Let yourself notice the small details, the smells, the way people interact with their home, with one another, and allow yourself to blend in.
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Tagliere and Mummified Cats
The first day we arrived in the afternoon, later than the usual lunchtime in Italy so food options were slightly limited. I remembered about Mercato di Mezzo (Via Clavature, 12). I had eaten there years ago my first time in Bologna so we took the walk into the center to see what we could find. The picture above with two plates of pasta and glasses of wine is from there. Jaka opted for the local tortellini al ragu and I tried something different tortelloni zucca (pumpkin) with a Parmesan sauce. Afterward, we stopped in Gelataria Gianni (Via S. Vitale, 2a) to try something sweet. Of course, I always go with my standard pistachio and hazelnut. Don’t let this place fool you, it is right near the two towers (Le due Torri) and looks like it is a big tourist spot but the taste does not disappoint. Trust me, I’ve had my fair share of gelato.
The Archaeological Civic Museum (MCA) of Bologna was our next stop. I wanted to see the renowned Egyptian collection (mummified cats included) and browse the prehistoric artifacts from the area (which are a must-see for the curious).
As we were walking back to our accommodation we noticed La Prosciutteria (Via Guglielmo Oberdan, 19/a). We couldn’t resist going in and ordering a tagliere (literally means chopping board in Italian, but is used for meat and cheese boards) with some wine. The picture above that shows a range of meats, cheeses, and fruit on a board is what a medium looks like! A small bite to eat soon turned into several hours of snacking on these delicacies, sipping wine, and taking in our surroundings. We were so full we ended up skipping dinner that evening.
On Saturday (and Sunday) we had breakfast at Opera Caffè e Tulipani (Via Alessandrini, 7). It was a small cafe down the street from our Airbnb with beautiful pastries and a friendly vibe. The first day I went for the Nutella cornetto (while it looks like a croissant, it is not!) and the second day, a pistachio filled one. The caffè (espresso) was perfect. Jaka is more a savory breakfast person, as are many Slovenes that I have met, and he enjoyed a prosciutto piadina (a flatbread sandwich made in