Bologna

Bologna is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy, at the heart of a metropolitan area of about one million people.

For me it's so difficult to talk about this city for the following reasons: First, I used to live close to this city, and I fell in love with it. So, I am a little bit biased. Second: it is filled with hidden treasures. And third, it's not the most touristic place in Italy, so there is a lot to talk about!

I will drop some random facts that I loved about this city:

It hosts the first occidental university. Dated 1088 AC. And it is still a renowned university in the world, and the streets are full of students all year long.

It has the most extended covered sidewalks. They are called "Portici" and on a rainy day, you can walk through them without getting at all. They are almost 40 km long, and they are considered Human Patrimony by Unesco.

The classic Italian "aperitivo" here is significant. One time I had aperitivo with desserts and sushi, crazy. The "aperitivo" is an Italian tradition which consists of a pre-dinner appetizer. Usually, when buying some vermouth at around 7 pm, you get some free food on your table, like a snack. But, in some places, they have like an all-you-can-eat bar where you can eat everything only for the price of a drink. Amazing.

Now, as a recap, I will give you a top five must-see things in Bologna:

1- Eat an Aperitivo: as I said early, you can find this in almost every bar. Just sit and enjoy. 2- Take a walking tour around the city, paying particular attention to the university. 3- Walk along the Portici. 4- Have a drink in the Piazza Maggiore (the main square) and enjoy the life and music there. 5- Visit the Two towers (Torri Degli Asinelli e Garisenda) and if you're brave enough climb and see the city from up there.

As I said at the beginning, for me, it is tough to speak about Bologna, because I love the city. I hope that someday, inspired by this, you decide to travel to Bologna, and maybe, end up feeling the same way as me.