2 Days in Bologna in L’8 Boutique Design Apartments

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Bologna is the capital of Emilia-Romagna region and that’s where I started my recent trip to Italy. Two days are absolutely not enough to see even the tenth part of what Bologna has to offer – the historical heritage and amount of various attractions is incredible. I had a chance though to get the taste of this amazing city which is often called La Dotta, La Rossa and La Grassa (the Red, Fat and Wise) because of its universities, the red colour of the buildings and its gastronomic delights.

Photography: Philippe Reifenrath

Where to stay

I stayed in a gorgeous L’8 Boutique Design Apartments – charming family aparthotel in the historic center of Bologna. It is only 5 minutes walking distance from the main square – Piazza Maggiore. Full of charm and quirky details this is the place to stay for those who appreciate design, art and personality. This is how the “reception” looks like:

The place is owned by two lovely ladies – Federica and Francesca, 2 cousins who transformed the inherited mansion into a stylish and comfortable boutique hotel. It has only 8 apartments and each of them is individually designed to reflect the unique spirit of the city and of the ancient building.

I stayed in a beautiful blue-themed apartment which was very spacious and had everything that you might need during your stay including kitchen, Nespresso machine, washing machine, fridge and even pasta in the cupboard )).

I totally loved the exposed roof ceiling idea in the bedroom – apparently, those antique beams were accidentally found during construction works and Federica and Francesca decided to expose it rather than hiding under the ceiling. This feature makes the room look very romantic and authentic.

I was also given a chance to see other apartments, and each one of them had some distinctive memorable features. For example, the wall in this black bedroom is decorated with African masks and tribal art – what an ecclectic mixture in the center of Bologna!

Vintage looking sanitary ware in combination with white subway tiles make the bathrooms look very cozy and stylish.

What to see

Of course, if you are not limited in time like I was you should see all the attractions that this magnificent city has. I went through the most famous:

The iconic Due Torri

The two towers are the most recognizable symbol of Bologna and used to carry important military functions. Forgetting about my fear of heights I climbed 487 steps in order to enjoy the breathtaking, captivating views. And even though I had a muscle pain for two days after it was absolutely worth it!

Here is how Bologna looks from the bird’s eye view:

Another attraction of Bologna is its endless arcades with arches – in fact, I didn’t even need umbrella when it started to rain – you can just cross the whole city using these passages.

There are many noble houses and palaces and if you appreciate medieval architecture you will find plenty of interesting buildings.

Terracotta and blue is the most popular combination of colors in Bologna. When the sun lights the city it looks especially warm and inviting:

Walking around the city don’t forget to pay attention to little details – here, even the ordinary door handle could be hundred years old.

Apart from arches the columns are the most popular architectural element here – you could probably count thousands of them in the whole city.

Bologna is the city of students – young people are everywhere that’s why the center looks very lively and full of energy. The side effect – endless graffiti on the walls.

Don’t forget to look inside patios – here hidden treasures will expect you literally on every corner.

Basilica di San Petronio is the main and the most impressive church in Bologna. It’s hard to imagine that it was built as early as in XV century. Gothic architecture as always looks a bit gloomy and very dramatic:

Canal Bologne is one of the most photogenic places in the city and one of the few remaining water channels – when I read that before Bologna was full of them similar to Venice I couldn’t believe it!

Where to eat

I think I have probably gained a couple of kilos during my two days in Bologna because the food was just incredible. I visited famous Mercato di Mezzo – here you can try local gastronomic specialties including Mortadella, Parmigiano cheese and Pasta Bolognese.