Travel Channel 

Overview

If the way to your heart is through your stomach, Bologna is your soul mate. The people who live in this dynamic and appealing city claim to have the best pasta, cheese and meat in the entire country. In fact, they dare to call Bologna the culinary capital of Italy.

Bologna is a beautifully preserved medieval city, one of the largest left in Europe, but time hasn't stood still here. The University of Bologna was founded in 1088 as the first university in Western Europe. The constant flux of students and professors makes Bologna a vibrant, ever-changing city. Old vegetable markets sit next to hip boutiques, and cafés and restaurants range from the traditional to the progressive and modern. Venice, Rome and Florence are beloved because they bear witness to Italy's glorious past, but Bologna offers a more in-the-moment experience. In Bologna, you are a part of Italy's glorious present.

Sights/Landmarks/To Do

Porticoes: One of Bologna's most attractive features is its porticoes. The city has 25 miles of arcaded walkways. Some have marble floors, others frescoed ceilings, and some are very plain. All provide shelter from the hot sun, rain and busy traffic, and make Bologna a city that's pleasant to be in no matter what the season.

Piazza Maggiore: All of Bologna comes to visit Piazza Maggiore, and no wonder. It's an expansive, "wow them" kind of space, incredibly beautiful except for one rather large thing — the Basilica di San Petronio. The money to build it came from the commune of Bologna, not the bishops. The people wanted to build a church bigger than St. Peter's in Rome, but when the pope got wind of it, he put up buildings right along side it to cut them off. The people also ran out of money and marble, so the basilica is a little unenlightening.

Cinateca: If you're a film buff, you'll be drawn to the Cineteca di Bologna, a film institute and a community center to which Charlie Chaplin's daughter donated his entire estate. His celluloid, notes and scripts are all there. More importantly, it's the place where Bologna's world-famous film restoration and preservation specialists work their magic.

Luxury Cars: One would never guess that some of the world's best sport cars are made in Bologna, including Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati. But there's another car maker in Bologna that manufactures an automobile even more exclusive and customized - the Pagani. It takes six to nine months to make just one car, so Pagani produces less than 20 per year. The owner works one-on-one with the customers and design team. They're still not legal in the United States.

Hotels

Grand Hotel Baglioni: The Grand Hotel Baglioni is a block away from the Piazza Maggiore, a historical gem in the heart of old downtown. The hotel, a former 16th-century palace, makes a great first impression. You walk in and are presented with a fireplace, grand staircase and marble floors. Even the smallest rooms at the hotel are decorated to the hilt; every square inch is embellished. Because the hotel is in an older building, the room dimensions vary, even within the same room type. Be sure to ask about room size when booking.
Web site: www.baglionihotels.com

Food/Restaurants/Cafes

Tamburini: Tamburini is one of the city's chicer delis. It's famous for its prosciutto di Parma, a cured, sweet ham. The secret? The pigs are fed leftover Parmesan cheese whey, which gives the meat a distinctive flavor. Interestingly, bologna isn't called bologna in Bologna. It's called mortadella. It tastes like bologna, though it's more subtle.

La Vecchia Scuola Bolognese: The Bolognese are known for a near obsession with one food in particular, tortellini. La Vecchia Scuola Bolognese is an award-winning family business. People from all over the world go there to learn how to make pasta from the masters. You can take classes by the hour or enroll in an entire summer course and pick up some of the language while you're at it. What makes Bologna's pasta unique is that it's made with just eggs and flour. In other parts of the country, they add water, salt or oil.

Cesarine: For a truly local experience, ask your hotel concierge about an organization of traditional cooks known as Cesarine. For a reasonable fee, you can visit a member's house for a home-cooked meal of regional dishes matched to your personal preferences. The tradition started in Bologna, and now there are Cesarine all over Italy.