Bologna

The City That Let Us Simply Be

We chose Bologna because we had heard it described as Italy's great food city. After a first family journey through Santorini, Crete, Positano and Rome, we knew we wanted to return to Italy — but this time, we wanted a place that felt less dominated by the list of landmarks everyone is expected to complete.

Bologna seemed to offer a different proposition. We could eat exceptionally well, walk through a beautiful city and experience a place that felt lived in rather than arranged around our arrival. It delivered all of that. The pasta was memorable. The calzone became the one we still compare every other calzone against. The gelato gave us flavors we now seek out whenever we return to Europe.

But the city itself became the reason Bologna stayed with us. We walked beneath porticoes that made the sun feel less demanding. We lingered in Piazza Maggiore with gelato and no particular agenda. We watched Preston return to the same carousel and park day after day. After the boys went to sleep, Kyle and I took turns walking into the city alone because neither of us wanted to miss the energy of Bologna at night.

We arrived for the food. We remember the feeling of being able to simply exist there.

The university presence brought together people of different ages and backgrounds. The squares felt active without making us feel as though we needed to participate in a prescribed version of the city. That freedom is difficult to capture in an itinerary. It is also exactly what made Bologna one of our favorite city stops.

Our Route

Bologna was the second major stop of a 30-plus-day European journey — Venice → Bologna → Lake Garda → Ortisei → Lake Como → Faulensee → Colmar → Zurich, May 30 to July 1. We arrived by train from Venice, spent four nights based in the historic center, kept the stay entirely car-free on foot, took one flexible train day trip to Florence, and picked up a rental car at the airport on departure day to begin the drive toward Lake Garda.

Why We Chose Bologna

Food Was the Beginning

We had read that Bologna was one of the best places in Italy to eat, and that reputation became the original reason for the stop. We wanted Bolognese pasta, fresh tortellini, mortadella, market lunches, gelato and the freedom to discover meals without building the entire trip around formal reservations. We also wanted a smaller city than the major destinations we had experienced during our first trip to Italy. We were not looking for a place with nothing to see — we were looking for a place where seeing everything was not the price of feeling that we had visited well.

What We Planned

We reserved the apartment and knew we would travel from Venice by train. We planned one day trip to Florence, but we deliberately did not reserve the train tickets in advance — with a toddler and an infant, we did not want the morning to begin with a race toward a fixed departure. We also decided not to rent a car until leaving Bologna. The city appeared walkable, Florence was accessible by train, and keeping a vehicle in the center would add cost and logistics without improving the stay. That decision worked exactly as we hoped.

Arriving from Venice

Our train from Venice reached Bologna Centrale on June 2. After a porter had helped us reach the station in Venice, the rail journey itself felt like the easy part. Our Bologna host had arranged a car to meet us and take us to the apartment. The vehicle was much smaller than any of us expected. For a moment, we looked at two adults, two children, two car seats, carry-on luggage, a stroller and the rest of our travel gear and wondered whether the transfer would work at all. We squeezed in and made it to the center.

Making Marchesana Our Home Base

Luxury House in Bologna – Marchesana remains one of our favorite Airbnbs. The apartment sat in the heart of the historic center, close enough to Piazza Maggiore, the Two Towers, restaurants, gelato and daily walking routes that we never needed local transportation. The location let us return easily when the boys needed a reset and made a slow evening in the apartment feel connected to the city rather than removed from it.

Inside, the design immediately fit our taste: modern, graphic and built around black-and-white details. More importantly, the space worked for the four of us — two bedrooms and a loft, a generous bathroom and shower, a high chair, a pack-and-play and a changing area. The washer and dryer were essential; we were traveling for more than a month with carry-on luggage, and the apartment gave us a place to reset both the bags and the family before the road-trip portion of the journey began. The owner was exceptionally helpful, from restaurant suggestions to arranging transportation — support that mattered twice: when the arrival payment became confusing, and when we needed a taxi to collect the rental car on departure day.

Pasta, Gelato and Piazza Maggiore

We gave the first night almost no agenda. Dinner was around the corner at Castiglione Ristorante Pizzeria — Bolognese pasta, a white-and-green pasta with Parmesan and bacon, and plain noodles for Preston. The meal did not need to be an event. It was our first taste of the city, close to the apartment and easy after the train journey. After dinner, we walked to GROM for gelato and carried it into Piazza Maggiore, where we sat, watched the square and let the evening unfold without trying to add another stop.

The piazza had the kind of energy that made us want to see it after the boys were asleep: people gathering, live music and buildings lit in color. That night, I went back out alone for a short walk. Kyle did the same on the following evening. We would have preferred to explore Bologna at night together, but traveling with an infant and toddler did not make that practical.

Family travel sometimes means sharing the same experience on different nights.

A Slow First Full Day

Our first full day in Bologna moved at the pace we had hoped the city would allow.

Pastries and a Morning Walk

We began with pastries at Il Duca d'Amalfi, then returned toward Piazza Maggiore and wandered through small markets and the streets around the center. There was no timed ticket and no single attraction responsible for making the morning successful. We saw the Two Towers from outside — construction affected parts of the view, but the towers still gave the walk a clear sense of place. We also stopped inside Sala Borsa, the library beside the main square; its children's area seemed better suited to slightly older children, but the library remains a useful option when a family needs a break from heat or weather.

Fresh Pasta at Sfoglia Rina

Lunch at Sfoglia Rina was one of the meals we had researched in advance. We ordered tortellini and lasagna, and both confirmed almost immediately that Bologna had been the right decision. The food felt special without requiring a special-occasion version of the day — we could walk in from a morning with the boys, eat excellent fresh pasta and continue toward the park.

The Calzone We Still Talk About

Dinner was at Regina Sofia, just across from the apartment. Kyle and I ordered a calzone that became one of the clearest food memories from the entire trip. It was so good that we ordered it again the next evening and carried it back to the apartment after Florence. We also stopped at Cremeria La Vecchia Stalla for gelato. No single gelateria won the trip — Bologna made choosing a favorite feel unnecessary.

The Park We Returned to Every Day

Giardini Margherita became the place that made Bologna work especially well for Preston. On our first full day, we walked to the park and found far more than a patch of grass — a playground, carousel, bumper cars, children's activities and vendors. The setting was beautiful, but it was the easy liveliness that kept drawing us back. We visited every day we spent in Bologna. On our final full day, we stayed for several hours and Preston rode the small go-karts. He did not need a new landmark each afternoon. He needed room to move, something familiar to anticipate and the freedom to play.

A Day Trip to Florence

Florence was simple to reach from Bologna. Experiencing it in a single day was more complicated.

Keeping the Train Flexible

We walked from the apartment to Bologna Centrale and bought tickets for the next train that fit the morning. We had intentionally avoided booking ahead because we did not want the entire family rushing toward a departure time. The ride took roughly 35 to 45 minutes. While we waited, Kyle carried Preston in the hiking backpack and fed Avery a bottle at the same time. The photograph looks like a small logistical moment. To us, it is the image of this season of travel: Super Dad managing two kids and doing exactly what the moment required.

A Difficult Start

Both boys struggled after we arrived. We settled Avery outside one of the central market areas, shushing and holding him until he could rest. Almost as soon as he calmed, Preston's big feelings began. We ducked into a candy shop, bought gummies and watched the morning reset. We are not above strategic bribery when a crowded travel day needs help.

What We Saw

We walked to the Duomo and admired it from outside. Construction and a long line made the interior an easy choice to skip — we like walking, looking and being among beautiful places, but we do not feel obligated to wait in every line or enter every landmark. The carousel in Piazza della Repubblica was one of the day's priorities because Preston had fallen in love with carousels during the trip; he rode several times, with an adult accompanying him, while we sat in the square. We ate informally at Mercato Centrale, trying food from a couple of stalls, then continued through the historic center toward Ponte Vecchio. The route became shoulder-to-shoulder crowded, and by the time we reached the bridge area, we were ready to search for more space rather than add another attraction. We left Florence around 4:00 p.m. and were back at the Bologna apartment about 6:30. Dinner was takeout from Regina Sofia: pizza and another round of the calzone we already knew we loved.

Our Final Food Day

Our last full day returned to the version of travel Bologna did best for us: good food, long walks and enough time at the park. We began at Aroma Specialty Coffees. Lunch became a two-part experience at Mercato delle Erbe and Mò Mortadella Lab, where an oversized mortadella sandwich became another standout. We returned to Giardini Margherita for several hours, including the small go-karts that Preston loved. The day also became our informal gelato tasting, with stops at Cremeria Santo Stefano and Cremeria San Francesco. Dinner was at Osteria dell'Orsa — we do not confidently remember the exact dishes, and the photographs suggest some combination of pasta or lasagna. The precise order matters less than the pattern: in Bologna, we could choose almost anything on the menu and expect it to be very, very good.

Bologna made a day of breakfast, lunch, park time, gelato and dinner feel like a complete itinerary.

What We Ate

Food was the reason we added Bologna, and the city never disappointed us.

The Meals We Still Remember

• Castiglione Ristorante PizzeriaBolognese pasta, a white-and-green pasta with Parmesan and bacon, and plain noodles for Preston.
• Sfoglia RinaTortellini and lasagna — the first meal that fully confirmed Bologna's food reputation for us.
• Regina SofiaThe best calzone Kyle and I have ever had, ordered two nights in a row, plus pizza for the apartment after Florence.
• Mò Mortadella LabA large mortadella sandwich that made the final food day feel distinctly Bolognese.
• Mercato delle ErbeAn informal market lunch that let us sample without committing to one long restaurant meal.
• Osteria dell'OrsaAnother deeply satisfying pasta dinner, even if the specific order has faded from memory.

The Gelato

We tried GROM, Cremeria La Vecchia Stalla, Cremeria Santo Stefano and Cremeria San Francesco. We cannot name one definitive winner. Two flavors did emerge as permanent favorites: salted pistachio is the one I now anticipate before returning to Europe — the flavor I look for and recommend without hesitation — and stracciatella became the other reliable choice.

Eating with the Boys

We did not need every meal to expand Preston's palate. Plain noodles remained useful. Markets gave us flexibility. The apartment allowed us to repeat a meal we loved as takeout when the Florence day had already asked enough of everyone. What worked for our family was not a list of elaborate reservations — it was staying close to excellent food, choosing places as the day unfolded and allowing convenience to count as part of a good meal.

Traveling with a Toddler and an Infant

Bologna met us in a complicated family season: Preston was two and a half, Avery was three and a half months old, and we were only a few days into our first month-long journey as four.

The Gear Combination

For Bologna itself, the stroller worked well for Avery. The streets and porticoes made walking straightforward, and the apartment's central location reduced the distance between an ordinary outing and a reset at home. For Florence, we used all three tools: stroller for Avery, a soft carrier for the moments when he needed closeness, and the hiking backpack for Preston. No single piece of equipment could solve every part of the day — the combination gave us options.

Building the Day Around Play

The daily return to Giardini Margherita was not incidental. It gave Preston predictability and movement while the adults continued enjoying the city. The park's carousel, playground, bumper cars and go-karts made the stop feel exciting to him without requiring us to invent a different child-centered attraction each day.

Dividing the Experience & When the Day Went Sideways

The nighttime walks are another example of adaptation. We could not put both kids to bed and then explore together, so one parent stayed while the other walked, and we switched on the next night. It was not ideal, but it preserved an experience that mattered to both of us. And Florence reminded us that two kids can need opposite things at nearly the same moment. We calmed Avery, then addressed Preston. We used the baby carrier. We bought gummies. We shortened the day. None of those choices made the outing a failure — they were the work of keeping the family moving through it.

Walking Beneath the Porticoes

Bologna was one of the easiest cities we had experienced on foot with young kids.

The porticoes were beautiful, but their practical effect mattered just as much. They blocked the direct sun, helped keep the walks cooler and created long, sheltered paths through the city. We did not have rain during the stay, but we could immediately understand how useful the same cover would be in wet weather. We reached Piazza Maggiore, restaurants, markets, Sala Borsa, the Two Towers, the train station and Giardini Margherita on foot. We never wished we had collected the rental car earlier. Walking also kept us connected to the reason Bologna felt so good — we could notice people gathering, music beginning, a shop that interested us or the next gelato stop. The city did not feel like a collection of destinations connected by rides. The walk was the experience.

The City, the Food & the Honest Part

What Surprised Us

We expected to eat well. We did not expect Bologna to feel so immediately comfortable. The city had the liveliness of a university town without making us feel too old, too young, too formal or too casual to belong in it. Different ages and backgrounds occupied the same spaces. The atmosphere felt social, open and unforced.

What Photographs Do Not Show

The photograph of Piazza Maggiore at night does not show that Kyle and I experienced the scene on separate evenings. The Florence carousel photograph does not show the two difficult child moments that came first. The effortless-looking train image does not show one parent wearing a toddler while feeding an infant. The best photographs are still true. They simply hold the part of the story that became visible after the family solved everything around the frame.

The Most Challenging Part

Florence was the hardest day. Transportation was simple, but the city was crowded and our window was too short for the pace it seemed to deserve. The lesson was not that day trips are a mistake — it was that proximity alone should not determine whether a place belongs inside another city's itinerary.

Did We Feel Welcome?

Yes. The apartment host was generous with help, the city's public spaces gave us room to settle and we felt comfortable walking independently at night. Most of all, Bologna felt indifferent to the idea that we needed to prove we were vacationing correctly.

What We Would Repeat & Change

What We Would Do Again

• Stay four nights in the heart of Bologna and protect at least two unhurried days for the city itself.
• Choose a central apartment with laundry, child equipment and enough room for the family to reset.
• Arrive by train, walk the city and wait to collect the rental car until departure day.
• Build meals around a mix of restaurants, markets, sandwiches and takeout instead of formal reservations every night.
• Return to Giardini Margherita as often as the kids want.
• Allow the adults to take turns seeing the city at night when exploring together is not possible.
• Try several gelaterias without turning the experience into a search for one official winner.
• Confirm the payment method for arranged transportation and keep the host's contact accessible.

What We Would Change

We would give Florence its own stay. The train ride was short and the logistics were manageable, but the crowds and compressed schedule kept us from understanding the city. We would rather spend those hours in Bologna — or add several nights in Florence and explore it slowly — than ask one rushed day to carry the entire destination. On a future Bologna trip, we would also begin exploring smaller towns beyond the city; that next layer is one reason the return already feels likely.

Who Is This Trip For?

Our four-night Bologna itinerary may fit travelers who choose destinations partly through food and want exceptional meals without a highly formal dining itinerary; enjoy walking, people-watching, markets, public squares and the ordinary rhythm of a city; want a central base where a stroller and young children can move comfortably; value parks and repeat play spaces as much as conventional attractions; prefer seeing major landmarks from outside rather than building every day around tickets and lines; and want a stop that connects easily by train and can lead into a northern Italy road trip. It may feel too quiet for travelers who want every day filled with marquee attractions, guided tours and late-night experiences shared as a couple — or anyone who treats Bologna only as a platform for day trips and leaves too little time to experience the city itself.

Would We Return?

Absolutely.

Bologna is not a city we feel we completed. It is a city we want to visit again. We would return for the food, the walkability and the energy of the center. We would return to take the boys back to Giardini Margherita and see how the city changes when they are old enough to experience more of Sala Borsa, the markets and the surrounding region. Most of all, we would return because Bologna matched the way we want to travel: thoughtfully, slowly enough to notice what is around us and with room for every member of the family to have a version of the trip that belongs to them.

What Bologna Left With Us

Bologna reminded us that a place does not need to overwhelm us to become unforgettable. The trip's strongest images are not a single major landmark. They are Piazza Maggiore glowing at night, Preston standing in the square during the day and the carousel at Giardini Margherita after another walk through the city. Each image represents a different part of the experience: the nighttime square holds the energy Kyle and I each wanted to see, Preston's daytime photograph holds the city as part of his childhood, and the carousel holds the hours we allowed to belong to him.

Bologna did not ask us to complete it. It gave us room to experience it.

We came looking for a place known for what it served at the table. Bologna gave us something broader: a model for city travel that did not require constant achievement. We ate. We walked. We watched our boys adapt. We found a park and returned. We left with clean laundry, a rental car and the feeling that we had been somewhere rather than simply moved through it.