Car Hire Bologna - Mini guide to Bologna

Less touristy than Venice or Florence, but equally as important as a centre of the Renaissance movement, Bologna is a beautiful city surrounded by mountains and renown for its lively atmosphere.

The sweeping Piazza Maggiore and adjoining Piazza del Nettuno form the centre of the old town. Here you’ll find some of the city’s most impressive medieval and Renaissance buildings. A popular meeting point in this busy area is the magnificent Fontana del Nettuno. Sculptured in the mid 1500s, it’s famously symbolic of the city. Other important attractions in the town include: the grandiose and art-laden Palazzo Comunale (town hall), Basilica di San Petronio - an enormous cathedral (c1392) and the Basilica di Santo Stefano, which is actually a collection of chapels one of which was consecrated in the 5th century.

Bologna also has a collection of leaning towers, the town’s most famous are the Torres degli Asinelli (Tower of the Asinelli) and the Torres degli Garisenda (Tower of the Garisenda). The former is climbable and offers good views of the city if you’re brave enough!

Bologna also boasts the world’s oldest university. The University Quarter has become the entertainment precinct of the city, with many bars and restaurants along the Via Zamboni. Here you’ll also find the Pinacoteca Nazionale (National Picture Gallery) and Oratorio di Santa Cecilia – with its remarkable frescoes.