Seeing Red in Bologna

The diverse student population is what makes this city one of the oldest and greatest university towns in the world. The city has a young spirit, a bustling nightlife (a rarity in Italy), and innumerable hip cafes where students engage in animated political debates (another rarity in Italy). If you are to be here for some time, walk around the university quarter and look at the flyers posted everywhere--there are frequently postings for tandem English-Italian conversations, a brilliant way to make some friends and gain insight into the city, as well as a cheap alternative to taking a formal Italian course.

Quick Tips:

Bologna is also called la grassa, or the fat, due to its virtually undisputed status as THE foodie city in Italy. If you are on a strict dining budget, this would be the city in which to blow it. Or if you can't, you can get the best gelato in the whole country for €2 at the Sorbetteria di Castiglione.

Best Way To Get Around:

Even more than the two towers, the most distinguishing feature of Bologna has to be the portici, miles and miles of arcaded walkways, which make Bologna a beautiful city to walk around in, even in the rain.

Among the Bolognese, there is gelato, and then there is Castiglione. Recognized as one of the best gelaterias in Italy, this place serves up the richest chocolate gelato I've ever tasted, as well as special concoctions like crema di pignoli. You cannot possibly come to Bologna and not make a special trip here.

This sprawling cafe (which, true to the name, really used to be horse stables) has to be the most popular student hangout in the whole city. From early morning to late at night, it heaves with young people. The place makes great special coffees like the hazelnut-infused macchiato (my personal favorite), and since it's a student hangout, the prices are dirt-cheap--most of the coffees are less than €1. At night, it serves apertivi and light meals, and on Monday evenings, there's live jazz music. Plus, according to my female Italian friends, one of the waiters has the most perfect shoulders, so the place really has everything--yummy drinks, jazz music, and shoulder-gazing opportunities galore.

This friendly, cosy café, less than a 10-minute walk from the Piazza Maggiore, specializes in organic and fair-trade coffees and snacks. The menu is quite extensive for such a small place, with plenty of coffees, teas, soy beverages, snacks, light lunches, and apertivi. Health nuts can find green tea, soy cappuccinos, yogurt and honey, and fresh salads here. I can vouch for their large frothy café latte and their incredibly strong café macchiato. There are also notices up for various events related to global welfare and human rights issues, and the café is attached to a charming store with books on similar topics, organic food products, and arts and crafts from various places about the globe. The café hours are 7:45am to 8:30pm Monday to Saturday, and there are shorter hours on Sunday. The coffees and teas are all under €2, and sandwiches are around €4 to €5 euros.

The upward-sweeping stretch of portici from the Porta Saragozza to the hilltop Basilica di San Luca is breathtaking, both figuratively and literally. This is supposedly the longest unbroken stretch of portici in Europe, and the views along this walk more than make up for the Basilica itself being rather disappointing.

If you feel like splurging a bit on a night out in Bologna, you should come here. Cantina Bentivoglio is hugely popular with locals of all ages, and usually, you will not get a table without a reservation. If you want to enhance your knowledge of Italian wines, this is the place: they offer hundreds of different wines, and the super-friendly staff can help you make a selection if you're overwhelmed. Cantina Bentivoglio is also popular because it is arguably the best spot for jazz music in town, with live music every night. In true Italian fashion, you are really allowed to linger at your table, savoring the wine, music, and atmosphere until the 2am closing time. The cover charge for two for the music and a bottle of reasonably priced wine will set you back about €30.