Bologna tours and excursions
Bologna tours
Bicycle tours
Two-hour cycling tours of Bologna with Bike in Bo depart from Via del Pratello 97/D on Wednesdays at 1000 (other times and days available on request). There are two routes available in English: the first focuses on the town; the second takes visitors farther afield. Booking is mandatory; minimum three participants. Bicycle hire and insurance are included.
Tel: +39 51 855 2419.Walking tours
Walking tours of Bologna depart from the tourist office on Piazza Maggiore and are managed by Prima Classe Arte Cultura & Turismo. Tours in English depart every Monday and Friday at 1100 and every Tuesday and Thursday at 1500 (1600 June to September). These tours take roughly two hours and include Piazza Maggiore, the Archiginnasio, the Basilica di Santo Stefano and the Due Torri. No booking necessary.
Tel: +39 51 855 2419.Bologna excursions
Florence
The artistic orgy of Florence (Firenze) is one of the reasons why visitors to Italy have overlooked Bologna. Some 80km (50 miles) south of Bologna, just 37 minutes by train, the city lies at the heart of the Renaissance and is home to some of the world's greatest works of art, including Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Michelangelo's David and Masaccio's Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. Architecturally, the gravity-defying dome of Brunelleschi's cathedral and Giotto's elegant campanile dominate the skyline, but every nook and cranny of Florence holds a surprise.
Tel: +39 55 290 832.Website: http://www.firenzeturismo.it
Parma
About 90km (56 miles) northwest of Bologna, Parma has given the world parmigiano (Parmesan cheese), its delicious sweet cured ham, and resurgent food company Parmalat. But this prosperous, elegant city is much more than Italy's glorified larder. Parma boasts a fine musical tradition (this is Verdi country), is home to one of Italy's most important opera venues, the Regio Theatre. It also has a magnificent Romanesque Cathedral and National Gallery. Trains depart frequently for Parma from Bologna's central station every hour (journey time - about 50 minutes).
Tel: +39 52 121 8889.Website: http://turismo.comune.parma.it
