Bologna is situated between the mountains and lowlands on the historical Via Emilia. Bologna is a city with well preserved historic medieval foundations. Bologna began life as an Etruscan town, and relics of the town's early phase of development can be seen in the town's archaeology museum, the Museo Civico Archeologico. Bologna is a very attractive red-bricked city full of palazzo.

When one thinks of Bologna one thinks of the university as it’s the oldest in Europe. Many of the buildings and museums which dominate the town's historic centre are legacies of this heritage. When then was a shortage of rooms for the students at the University the town’s solution was to build porticoes over its streets, extending the houses above to create more accommodation. The porticoes create a prominent feature in the town’s architecture today. Bologna is a lively vibrant student town that feeds on left-wing politics away from Italian political corruption.

Bologna tourist attractions are located around the town's main square, Piazza Maggiore, and the adjacent Piazza Nettuno (complete with fountain of Neptune). The large cathedral is the Basilica di San Petronio, with impressive interior fifteenth-century frescoes of heaven and hell.

Like so many Italian cities, medieval Bologna was the scene of inter-clan rivalry, and two of the towers resulting from the competition between the town's families are now famous tourist sights. The Due Torri of Bologna are two leaning structures, built in 1119. The shorter, Torre Garisenda, was immortalised in Dante's Inferno. The taller tower is the Torre degli Asinelli, which is over 300ft tall, and which is open to the public. It leans about 3ft, and if you're not feeling too giddy, the views are worth the climb.

Bergamo's principal art gallery is the Pinacoteca Nazionale, containing works by local artists and others, including Guido Reni, Raphael, Giotto, Titian and Perugino. Other sights to see include the Church of St Maria dei Servi, the Church of St Stefano, the Church of St Domenico, the Church of St Pietro, the Church of St Giacomo Maggiore, the Montagnola Gardens, Palazzo del Podestà, Palazzo del Re Enzo, Palazzo Comunale, the Basilica of San Petronio, and Piazza Maggiore.
In addition to its historic centre, there is a modern aspect to Bologna, with the Exhibition centre which hosts numerous important fairs for the construction, wellness, automobile, hi tech, and leather industries as well as cultural events.