Bologna Fiere
an Exhibition Centre near Bologna, that among other things have an International Automobile Exhibition every year
Cook Italy
Get behind one of those huge Bologna doorways and spend a day cooking with Carmelita of Cook Italy, the longest established Bologna cooking-school. Very central location and Carmelita also customises the menu, that way you get to cook and eat the traditional Bologna meal of your dreams!
motor show bologna & the car museums
There are many exciting events that are worth taking part of during your stay in lively Bologna. If you plan on spending the onset of the winter holidays in Bologna, you can complete your vacation with a visit to the Motorshow Bologna and to the museums that showcase the automobile masterpieces of Italy.
And just nearby lies the three museums you must visit in order to do this. These are the Ducati Museum, the Lamborghini Museum, and the Ferrari Museum or Galleria Ferrari. To fully appreciate the Ducati Museum you can join guided tours by obtaining advanced reservations. The museum is open daily except on Sundays and holidays. To enter, you will need to join a tour, you can choose from the 11AM or the 4PM schedule. The tour of the museum and factory costs 10 euro. Next, you can make your way to the Lamborghini Museum, which is in the area that connects Bologna with neighboring city Modena. It lies at about 21 miles from Bologna and can be easily driven to. The museum was established in 2001 and aims to celebrate one of the most expensive Italian cars in the world. To complete your unique museum-hopping, head over to Ferrari Museum or Galleria Ferrari. The museum is situated in Maranello, a town just outside Modena and located around 34 miles from Bologna. Although the museum is part of Ferrariâs headquarters, it has its own building separate from the Ferrari factory. Of the three museums in your itinerary, the Ferrari Museum is the oldest, dating back to 1990. The museum spans an amazing 2,500 sq/m and is divided into four sections, namely the Formula One collection, the special exhibits, the technological innovation exhibit, and the photo exhibits.
The Formula One collection displays the extraordinary race cars that have played a monumental role in making Ferrari the most famous automobile maker in the world. One of the most remarkable cars is the first Ferrari 125 S that was built in 1947 and won a race in the same year. And to give you a glimpse of what F1I racing is all about, you can check out the Fiorano test track next to the museum where you might even see a Ferrari racing past.
events and festivals
There's a great film festival with restored silent and sound films throughout July in Piazza Maggiore. In the past, these have included especially Italian and French film, animation shorts from Annecy, archive footage of Bologna e.g. of its liberation by British and American troops and modern classics such as The Third Man, Raging Bull, Apocalypse Now and The Pianist.
Music venues
Estragon
a big ex-industrial hangar, features dj-sets and concerts by international rock bands almost every night.
Locomotiv
another indie rock club, but friendlier than il Covo
The Link
recently moved outside the city, is a large, 2-floor club that features mostly avant garde electronic, techno and hip-hop gigs and dj-sets. A little book shop, mainly on "alternative" subjects, can be found inside
XM24
an occupied ex-agricultural market where Punk-hc, rock and electronic concerts are often featured. A very cheap place, great if you don't mind the punk atmosphere. Every Thursday from 17.30 is the organic market. There is also self-managed workshop to repair bikes. it's open on Wednesdays and Sundays from 18 to 22.
TPO
Another occupied location that mostly features experimental music festivals and rock concerts.
Il Covo
the most renowned indie rock club, features rock concerts by a number of interesting bands, but it is quite small and expensive.
Kindergarten
next to the "Fiera", is a recently opened club that features techno, and sometimes punk and new wave concerts.
Bologna is an Italian hub for rock, electronic and alternative music. There are almost a hundred concerts every year by international bands. Unfortunately many of these locations have moved outside the city center. The main places to check out are The Estragon and Link .
Livello 57
Now only seldom open. It mainly features raves and techno gigs in an industrial, darkish atmosphere.