| With a city centre encased within the remnants of its medieval walls, Bologna is perfect for wandering around on foot. A good way for new arrivals to get orientated with the city is to ascend the Torre degli Asinelli, one of the two towers that lean drunkenly at the foot of Via Rizzoli, just south of the old Jewish Ghetto, offering a composite view of the city’s red rooftops. On ground level, Piazza Maggiore and the connecting Piazza Nettuno form the city’s vibrant heart. This is where people-watching is as much of an attraction as the rusticated palaces and the unfinished facade of the Basilica di San Petronio, with the piazza just as active in winter as in summer. The city’s famous porticoes line Bologna’s streets like sentinel guards and provide a handy shelter for window shoppers. It is easy and often a pleasant pursuit to lose one’s bearings in the hotchpotch of medieval streets that radiate from Piazza Maggiore in a maze of cafes, fruit markets, bars and restaurants. The university area– the world’s first such institution – is northeast of the Two Towers. Energetic visitors can also walk the 666 arches to the hilltop Santuario de Madonna di San Luca and breathe in the fresh air from the Apennines. To the east are the Adriatic beaches, a perfect escape during the steamy summer months. |