Bologna is famous for Bolognese sauce, tortellini, and for having the oldest university in Europe, which I’m guessing would also make it the oldest university in the world.

The city is bustling with people, mainly young people, with most of them spending their time shopping, eating, or drinking coffee in one of the many cafes. My kind of city.

The most striking feature of the architecture in the city are the porticos which can be found on most of the buildings in the inner city. This was a building requirement put in place by the town planners way back when but I’m not sure why. It does make the buildings seem more grandiose and it’s convenient for staying dry when walking around the city on a wet day.

Bologna has around 40 towers around the city including one half finished leaning tower just near the centre squares, Piazza Nettuno and Piazza Maggiore. If you go up the hill on the outskirts of the city you get a great view of the towers and the old city. You can also see how polluted and hazy the city is, not unlike most Italian cities.