← Ferrara Marathon·1 night

Bologna: A Night Under the Porticoes

One night in a university city with arcaded streets that keep the rain off, a big brick square and some of the best food in Italy.

Duration1 night
TransitRegional train, about 30 min
DepartsFerrara

After the Ferrara Marathon: Bologna

The Route: Ferrara → Bologna Centrale Logistics: Regional train from Ferrara to Bologna Centrale, about 30 minutes, with frequent departures. Bologna's airport is connected to the city by a shuttle. Marathon Month: February Duration: 1 night

Ferrara ──(30 mins regional train)──> Bologna Centrale ──(walk 20 mins)──> Piazza Maggiore

Bologna is 30 minutes from Ferrara and a good deal larger, and it suits the day after a marathon for one practical reason: the arcades. Nearly every street in the old centre has a covered walkway, so a February drizzle does not reach you. The porticoes were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2021.

February in Bologna: cold and damp, with daytime temperatures of about 3 to 9 °C and frequent fog. The arcades make it easy to walk in any weather. The city is full of students, and the streets are busy in the evening.

Trains run frequently between Ferrara and Bologna Centrale. Buy a ticket at the station or on the Trenitalia app and validate a paper ticket. Check trenitalia.com for the Monday timetable. Bologna is also the nearest large airport for the race, so it works as a last night before flying home.

Night one: Bologna

From the station, walk down Via dell'Indipendenza to Piazza Maggiore, about 20 minutes on flat, arcaded pavement, or take a city bus. The square is the centre of the city, with the unfinished brick basilica of San Petronio on one side. Check the opening hours of the basilica.

The Two Towers, the Asinelli and the Garisenda, lean over the street a few minutes away. The Asinelli can be climbed by about 500 steps, which is not a day-after-marathon activity. Look at them from the street.

The market streets behind Piazza Maggiore, the Quadrilatero, are lined with food shops, and it is easy to walk from one to the next and eat as you go. It is the place to try mortadella, fresh pasta and cheese. Many stalls close on Mondays.

Look for a hotel near the station or in the centre, and confirm it is open in February.

For dinner, tagliatelle al ragù and tortellini in brodo, small stuffed pasta in broth, are the local classics. Book ahead for a Monday night.

Getting home

Bologna's Guglielmo Marconi airport is connected to the station by a shuttle. Check the timetable for your flight and allow extra time.