Things to do in Bologna

Two days covers the city — one for Piazza Maggiore, the Quadrilatero food market and a climb up the Torre degli Asinelli, one for the porticoes up to San Luca and the artisan bookshops of the university quarter. Add a third for a food day trip to Parma or Modena (both 30 minutes by train).

The portico to the San Luca basilica — almost 4 km of arches climbing the hills southwest of the centre, the world's longest covered walkway. Walk it up in the cool morning, take bus 20 back. The view of the city from the basilica terrace stretches to the Apennines.

The Quadrilatero just east of Piazza Maggiore — narrow medieval lanes packed with delis, fishmongers and aperitivo bars. The university quarter around Via Zamboni for student energy and second-hand bookshops. Bolognina north of the station for the post-industrial creative scene.

Tagliatelle al ragù bolognese — never spaghetti, never 'bolognese sauce' as the rest of the world knows it. Tortellini in brodo (tiny stuffed pasta in capon broth) at a no-menu trattoria like Anna Maria. Mortadella, parmigiano and a bottle of Pignoletto for a hill picnic.

Walk under the porticoes — almost 40 km of them in the centre, mostly continuous and UNESCO-listed. There's no metro; buses cover what little you can't walk. The historic centre is a low-emission zone so don't even think about driving in.

The Finestrella di Via Piella — a small window on Via Piella looks down onto a hidden canal, the last visible piece of the medieval waterway network that once made Bologna a small Venice. A two-minute detour off any walk through the centre.