Discover and taste Bologna: sightseeing and foodie tour

Medieval towers, porticoes, large piazzas, Renaissance palaces, imposing churches and amazing works of art: Bologna is certainly renown for its glorious heritage as well as its lavish, rich foodstuffs. From handmade pasta to Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, from prosciutto to traditional balsamic vinegar and lavish wines, this area of Italy is paradise for foodies: it’s no chance Forbes has been crowning the city as Capital of Food, in 2013.

If you fear you won’t have much time to be dedicated sightseeing, but still you don’t want to be missing the most important sights in town and its lavish food traditions, this tour is just tailor-made for you!

From Main Square area, elegant heart and historic cradle of the town, I shall be leading you across the narrow, medieval alleys of the ancient Medieval market area, where the most incredible number of food and gourmet shops is, raging from lavish, seasonal vegetables and fruit booths down to bakeries and delicatessen shops, coming with the most impressive collections of local sausages, cheese and handmade pasta.

Finally, we will be reaching the Two Towers, truest symbol of the town.

Stops will be arranged at the most popular sights all across the city: God Neptune Fountain, Main Square, City Hall, St. Petronius Basilica, Medieval Market Area, the Two Towers.

Sightseeing and foodie walking tour of Bologna is 3 hours long. Full accessibility to all stops.

Tour details

Right at the heart of Bologna city centre, your tour of the city will be leaving from outstanding Renaissance God Neptune Fountain. I will be revealing you its many secrets, and how come a statue of the God of the sea ended up right in the middle of Bologna, the city being quite far from the sea itself.

Elegant open air-drawing room of the city, surrounded by majestic architecture, the Main Square is the best spot all across the town to be spying on Bologna people, here gathering and having a chat. This is where you will find imposing, medieval Town Hall, seat of the proud government of the city for over eight-hundred years, as well as gothic St. Petronius Basilica, one of the largest churches throughout Europe, originally intended to be larger and longer then St. Peter Basilica in Rome, no less. On the inside, you will be amazed by a forest of impressive, tall cloister pillars, gothic frescos and stunning stained glass windows, overlooking the longest and largest calendar all across the world, designed by astronomer Cassini on the floor of the Basilica itself for the most complex science and physics experiments.

Ancient Medieval Market area is kingdom of delicatessen shops featuring dangerously delicious Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, sausages and handmade pasta: all the foodstuffs the city is renown for. This is Bologna, the fat one, at its best. You will be discovering about the rich, lavish food diet we have in the area, about our finest, traditional food and recipes as well as the history and making of process of all these crazily tasty foodstuffs! Local cheeses selection, prosciutto, salami, mortadella and local cold cuts selection may be arranged, and they come strongly recommended!

And finally, as last goodbye from my beautiful hometown, at the border of market area, you will be reaching the Two Towers: been mentioned by Dante in his Inferno, one-thousand years old Asinelli and Garisenda towers are the definitive, truest symbol of the town. They are only a couple of the many towers that topped the sky of Bologna in 12^thand 13^thcentury, and admired ever since. Prepare yourself to bend over, no matter how food you’ve been trying, in order to be enjoying the best view of them!

Costs covering possible Parmesan, Prosciutto and balsamic tastings are not included into the tour fare.