In 2025, UNESCO recognised Italian cuisine as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. No doubt, Bolognese kitchens played a part in that. This city, lovingly dubbed La Grassa – “The Fat One” – has gifted the world tagliatelle, mortadella, Ragù alla Bolognese, and other family-style heavy hitters. Bike or stroll its dazzling city streets, garnished with myriad palazzos, porticoes and piazzas, and discover Northern Italian food at its best. Tourism was up and hungry in 2025, with Bologna’s brilliance travelling by word of mouth and stomach. The city ranks high for Google Trends, at #32, with Facebook Check-Ins (#43) and Instagram Posts (#47) close behind.
Between meals, Bologna is innovative and studious, home to the oldest continuously operating university in the Western world (ranked #53), which keeps fresh talent coming in and stokes this 2,200-year-old city’s innovative spirit. Long-term investment focuses on work and play. The newly announced TEK District aims to be Europe’s next data and AI hub, while the Baroque Palazzo Pepoli – home of the Museum of the History of Bologna – has reinvented itself as a year-round cultural destination. Meanwhile, in the Fiera district, a new, 10,000-person Euroleague stadium just opened its doors, a new home for the Virtus Bologna Basketball Club.