Why you should skip Florence and head to this underrated Italian destination instead.

Florence was the epicentre of the Renaissance in Italy, and then in Europe. It has long been a very popular tourist destination, and understandably so — it is undeniably beautiful and there's heaps to do there. 

But there are also hordes of tourists.

Think footy crowd density around the Duomo (Florence Cathedral) and sold-out tickets to climb the Cupola (the dome at its top).

Think layers of people taking photos at the Ponte Vecchio or wiggle room only at sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo.

Or instead, you could... think about immersing yourself in the nearby city of Bologna, which has three alternative names to encompass three different "personalities" of the destination — and far fewer tourists.

Bologna (yep, where the famous bolognese pasta sauce comes from) is more than just its famous dish! Capital of the Emilia-Romagna region in the north of Italy, it is only a 40-minute train ride away from Florence, yet worlds away. (It's also pretty close to Venice and accessible by train, just FYI.)

Watch: A former airline employee shares the ultimate travel hacks. Post continues below.

La Dotta, La Grassa, La Rossa.

The three alternative names for Bologna are La Dotta (The Smart One), La Grassa (The Fat One) and La Rossa (The Red One).

La Dotta because Bologna has the oldest university in Europe. There are university buildings spread everywhere through the city and young people everywhere. It gives the city a charming energy.

La Grassa because of the local food. World-renowned foods such as lasagne, ragù Bolognese, mortadella, tortellini, tortelloni (bigger tortellini), tagliatelle, Parmigiano Reggiano (parmesan cheese) and balsamic vinegar all come from Bologna or its surrounds.

La Rossa because of all the deep red-coloured buildings.

What to do in Bologna.

Bolognese architecture.

Bologna's architecture is unique, and really something to behold.

Porticoes — covered, high walkways lined with arches and colonnades ('portici' in Italian) characterise Bologna. There are 62 kilometres of porticoes in Bologna, and 40km of those are in the city centre.

Porticoes in Bologna, Italy. Image: Supplied.

Protected by UNESCO since 2021, they are beautiful and also very functional. Come rain, snow or blazing sun, the porticoes offer protection to pedestrians.

If you want a challenging walk, you can also stroll through the longest portico in the world here – almost 4km — to the Sanctuary of San Luca. The portico was built between 1674 and 1721 to shelter the pilgrims walking to the Basilica, which stands high on the hill. The last 2.3km is a steep uphill climb, so make sure you eat first to fuel up! (Not hard with the amazing food around, but we'll get to that.)

In Medieval times, there were more than 100 towers in Bologna — sort of a medieval Manhattan! — and today, about 30 towers remain. The most famous are the Two Towers ('Le Due Torri'), which were built between 1109 and 1119 and named after the families who built them. They remain a symbol of the families' wealth at the time.  

The taller tower — the Asinelli — is the highest medieval tower in Italy. The shorter tower – the Garisenda — leans more than the famous Tower of Pisa and there is a major project underway to stop it falling.

The Two Towers ("Le Due Torri") in Bologna, Italy. Image: Supplied.

When you're in a foodie city like Bologna, it seems obligatory to do a cooking course — so we did. Taste of Bologna ran our class, and David was our patient teacher.

We made local dishes — tortellini stuffed with pork, mortadella and prosciutto in a butter and sage sauce, tortelloni (bigger tortellini) stuffed with ricotta and parsley in broth, and tagliatelle with a bolognese ragù.

Concentrating on making pasta! Image: Supplied.

We learnt about regional differences in the cooking (like, pasta made in the North of Italy uses eggs, while in the South, they don't use them).

Once we were finished cooking, we all ate together (there were about a dozen of us), sharing local wine and pasta. A mixed bunch thrown together by love of food, we happily chatted in a mix of English, Italian and French! 

Oh and a note for any car nuts: you can drive or train to nearby Modena and Marinello and check out the Ferrari Museums. Maserati, Lamborghini, Ferrari and Ducati are all local car and motorcycle manufacturers. In fact, the Fountain of Neptune holding the Trident in the Piazza Maggiore (Bologna's main square) is the inspiration for the Maserati logo.

How to get around Bologna.

Walking tours are fabulous ways to orient yourself in a city and learn about its culture from a local. We did a couple of different themed walking tours (we booked both via GuruWalk). The first one was called "Discover the 7 Secrets of Bologna" and was fascinating.

The second one was "Bologna's Essential History (Story, Legends, People) & Food." Our guide, Ela was originally from Croatia but she met a chef from Bologna when she was living in Norway. When COVID hit, she had to make a choice where to live and chose Bologna. Ela has since married her Bolognese chef and loves the city. Just that story was worth the tour! 

(Note: we usually choose free walking tours rather than paying up front. If you do a free walking tour, the expectation is that you tip the guide at the end of the tour. You do not have to do this but this is a job for them).

Ela was a fountain of information, and she talked a lot about food. She took us through the Quadrilatero district where all the salumi (cold meat) and cheese vendors are. 

She also told us that Bolognese people do not like to waste, so they use the cut-off scraps (called "maltagliati" — literally, bad slices!) from the pasta dough in soup.

Where to eat in Bologna.

Speaking of food... Everywhere we ate was amazing. Truly! But there were a couple of standouts.

At Casa Orefici, I had the most amazing Bolognese ragù of my life. It tasted creamy, which I now know is because of the addition of milk. Something new for me to try at home.

We ate like locals at 051 Osteria Quadrilatero, sharing a salumi and formaggi (cheese) plate, along with a Lambrusco spritz for me and a Campari spritz for my husband.

Lunch like the locals at 051 Osteria Quadrilatero. Image: Supplied.

One night, by the time we got back to the apartment (having climbed 47 floors according to my iPhone), we were too tired to go out for dinner, so we made our own salumi and formaggi plate. Accompanied by a local Pignoletto (a white, sparkling wine), it was delicious.

As for gelati, is any gelati in Italy bad?! We strolled around and through Piazza Santo Stefano, which was very close to our holiday apartment and became a fave of ours as it was buzzing at night and had a great gelateria, Cremeria La Vecchia Stalla. There was always a long queue, but it was absolutely worth the wait.

Queuing for the legendary gelati! Image: Supplied.

Where to stay in Bologna, Italy.

We stayed at Borgonuovo Apartments, in a lovely one-bedroom flat in a fantastic location, just a 10-minute walk from Piazza Maggiore, which we found on Booking.com. It was a great location from which to explore this fascinating city.

Arrivederci, Bologna!

Want to learn more travel tips and destinations? Read our top suggestions:

• This will make you feel better about not being in Europe right now.
• This viral packing hack is slightly unhinged but it's the only one we'll be using from now on.
• 'I'm a luxury travel planner for the rich and famous. These are the requests I always get.'

Feature Image: Supplied.