How to Spend a Long Weekend in Bologna

I was lucky enough to travel to Bologna, Italy for a long weekend last month with my boyfriend Jack, for sunshine, music and lots of pizza. Read on to find out what we got up to...

Our time in Bologna was spent with Gabriele, Jack's ex-drummer in his band, Hinks, and fellow music addict, who is a native Italian studying for a year in the student-centric city. He was an excellent guide to the less-touristy, more unexpected spots, fed us the best Bolognese food, introduced us to some authentic Italian folk for dinners and drinks, and even held a house party which later got shut down by the Italian police. All in all, an excellent host!

Jack and I have a good habit of only travelling to where we know the natives as not only a money-saving technique (hotels on a student budget = yikes!) but also a way to experience new countries more authentically. We even ate at a typically Italian family run restaurant way out in the suburbs that we never would have found without knowing about it. Want to find out about our time in Sweden at Christmas with Jack's sister? Head over to Top 10 Things to Do in Stockholm. But back to Italy, here are our top five things to do if you're ever visiting Bologna (which you should totally visit- spoiler alert):

1. Explore the ancient churches - there are so many beautiful old catholic churches that are open to the public to explore.

2. Soak up the sun in the piazzas - everyone in Bologna hangs out in the town squares 24/7.

3. Get the view from the top - be sure to climb the big hill that towers ove rthe city for the very best views.

4. Climb the towers - the public are welcome to climb the vastly tall towers in the city centre built by ancient monarchs.

5. Stroll through the porticos - the city is covered in sheltered walkways with beautiful arches that are perfect for shady strolls.

Jack and I had a really fantastic time exploring the streets of Bologna and would definately travel there again. The highlight for us though was definately the food, which Bologna is famous for! Whether tortelloni and lasagna float your boat or pizza and piadinas are more your thing, theres something for everyone. And you cannot leave the city until you've tried every flavour of gelato. Fact. The ice cream here blew our minds; they even pour hot nutella in the cone. MINDBLOWING.

Have you been to Bologna? What did you think?