• Intro
• 1. Antwerp
• 2. Barcelona
• 3. Berlin
• 4. Bologna
• 5. Budapest
• 6. Dublin
• 7. Lisbon
• 8. Ljubljana
• 9. Riga
• 10. Zagreb

Bologna

The Draw This beautiful, porticoed city—home to the ancient and renowned university of Bologna—is small (no need for taxis), attracts a manageable number of tourists (so it’s priced for locals), and arguably has Italy’s best food (for less than what it costs in Milan and Rome).

Don’t Miss Go from medieval art at the Civic Museum (39/051-219-3916) to modern at MAMbo (39/051-649-6611, mambo-bologna.org), the brand-new museum of modern art.

When to Go Fall, spring. The town can feel a bit too quiet in the summer when the students clear out.

Where to Stay Hotel Corona d’Oro, near the center of town, has beautiful rooms with frescoed ceilings, which gives it an advantage over the more expensive Grand Hotel Baglioni (doubles from $190; bolognarthotels.it). UNA Hotel is a funkier choice, with design-heavy rooms and common areas (doubles from $180; unahotels.it).

Combine With A trip to Ravenna, Italy, an hour away on the Adriatic, for the amazing Byzantine mosaics.

See Barcelona Travel Guide | See Antwerp Travel Guide | See Lisbon Travel GuideSee Zagreb Travel Guide