Beers in Bologna

Bologna, where it started and ended. The city we could call home for three nights and one day. So far our trip to Italy had been spent frolicking in Florence and Venice, so now it was time to properly get to know the city we had flown to.

I started off by getting up and going for a run. It was the perfect way to suss out the city before everyone got up. Arches upon arches stretched down either side of the narrow roads and were perfect for running under. I wound my way in and out of the streets before going back to the hotel and getting ready to properly walk around and take in the sights.

Obviously coffee was first on the agenda so we went to Piazza Maggiore, sat and watched the world go by, and got our fix of caffeine. We then headed to Cremeria la Vecchia Stalla, an ice cream parlour which is SO worth visiting. The decor inside was quirky and the ice cream was silky smooth. They had every flavour you could possibly imagine and fridges full of sweet treats. Later in the day we passed by the Gelateria again and the queue spilled out onto the road - surely this is testament enough to how good the ice cream was.

We stopped by the unmissable two towers which are wonkier than the leaning tower of Pisa. One was looking pretty decrepit but the other is available to walk into. Unfortunately, there was no availability so it's worth booking tickets a day or two in advance if you want to climb to the top.

We then walked to Giardini Margherita, a close by park with fountains, turtles, greenery and an outdoor work cafe covered in purple vegetation. Some people were working, some were sunbathing and others were eating and drinking with not a care in the world. It was a great place and I imagine University students frequent it regularly (I know I certainly would)! Speaking of students, the University of Bologna is beautiful so definitely look out for it if you find yourself in this city.

I took myself back to the centre and decided to pop in and out of some shops, of which there were many. Forget Oxford Street, Bologna has every shop, boutique and designer brand you could possibly want. After some retail therapy, it was wine o'clock so I sat myself down, ordered some tortellini and read my book whilst soaking up the sun.

Time was ticking so we decided to grab our bags, take one last stroll to the station, and get the train back to the airport. It had been a wonderful few days, full of food, laughter and good weather.

We did spend our evenings in Bologna so there were a couple of other great moments in this city. The first was stumbling across a pop up book fair which was accompanied by a busker singing Radiohead. It was such a beautiful greeting having just got off the train from Florence. On our last day we had the pleasure of hearing a violinist who's playing gave me goosebumps so buskers definitely use the streets of Bologna as a stage and I'm so grateful they do. Having music around every corner was such a delight.

I also wanted to highlight that the city itself is so well laid out. With the station walking distance to the centre, everything felt close and it therefore didn't take long to feel at home. With picturesque streets, pasta which was second to none and incredible links to other Italian hot spots, Bologna was simply brilliant.

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Top Attractions

• The Arches

• Piazza Maggiore (square in the centre)

• Cremeria la Vecchia Stalla (ice-cream parlour)

• Two Towers (buy tickets in advance)

• Giardini Margherita (stop by the work cafe)

• The University of Bologna (if you like your architecture)