10 Things to Do in Bologna in Fall

Fortunately, the best things to do in Bologna are constantly changing throughout the year. Although the city is full of tourist attractions and very important monuments, there is also the fact that the cultural entertainment plans are renewed according to the season and the weather.

That's why I advise you to keep reading this post in which I have found plans, activities and places that stand out as excellent tourist alternatives for when you decide to visit the beautiful city of Bologna during the autumn season.

Italian gastronomy is one of the most interesting aspects of visiting this country and the city of Bologna is no exception to the culinary quality that defines the entire nation. In this context, the Cioccoshow is one of the best events you can enjoy when visiting this city during the autumn months.

It is a kind of completely free festival in which chocolate artisans from all over Italy gather in the Piazza Maggiore to present their latest innovations related to the creation of chocolates and other cocoa derivatives.

The event as such is organised at the end of November, between the penultimate or last week of the month. At the same time, you should know that as part of the fair there are likely to be special exhibitions throughout the city organised by some of the most important brands in the world of Italian chocolate.

In any case, it is appropriate that you enjoy this festival while also taking part in some of the best tours of Bologna. Especially since they will focus on touring the wonders of the city in the same area where the fair is held annually.

The gastronomy of the Emilia-Romagna region is often a very influential element in the social agenda of the city of Bologna. Exactly for this reason another of the best things to do on a visit to the city during autumn is to take a short trip to the city of Parma to enjoy the neighbouring city's Prosciutto Festival.

The exact date of the festival changes every year. However, the most common is the last week of September to coincide with the change between summer and autumn. It is an event of a high culinary level due to the fact that Prosciutto di Parma is one of the most important elements of all Italian gastronomy.

At the same time, it is worth noting that the opportunity to visit Parma while in Bologna is one of the best things to do. In fact, it is one of the best things to do in Bologna during the spring, as you will be able to enjoy some of the best landscapes of the Italian countryside at a very privileged time of the year.

Music is also a very important part of Italian culture and for this reason during the autumn season, specifically between October and November, the Bologna Jazz Festival is usually organised. This is a tradition that has been going on in this city for a couple of years now, bringing together more than 100 artists of the most contemporary jazz music. All with the intention of creating improvisations and a fusion of the genre that will continue to attract new fans.

It is an event that is quite appropriate for both true followers of the contemporary jazz world as well as for people who are looking to learn a little about this musical current. You should know that when attending any of the festival's events you will meet the biggest names in the genre and some of them will be Italian and there will be plenty of foreign artists as well.

The best thing to do to find out the schedule of events is to visit the festival's official website. From mid-August onwards, it starts announcing the main activities that will take place in the framework of the festival. In fact, it is an excellent way to find out if you will need a transfer from Bologna airport to any of the concerts because your arrival will coincide in date and time in a very convenient way.

Another festivity you might enjoy on a visit to Bologna that involves a tour of the surrounding area is the Tartufesta. This is a tradition that takes place throughout most of November on Saturdays and Sundays with the intention of showcasing the best of the Italian white truffle.

The name of the event is actually the Savigno International White Truffle Festival. You could usually depart from a bus at a meeting point in the city of Bologna that will take you to visit most of the truffle growing fields located throughout the Emilia-Romagna region. You will then arrive in the historic centre of Savigno for a festival full of gastronomic activities.

Participating in this festival is a good idea especially if you want to understand the importance of truffle cultivation for this Italian region. At the same time, it's an activity that can take up your morning or your afternoon, but you can still participate in another of the best things to do in Bologna in the evening. Which means it's not too complex or too strenuous.

The Bacannale is another of the great cultural and gastronomic events that take place during autumn in the Emilia-Romagna region and is recommended for tourists visiting the city of Bologna. It is a festival organised in the historic centre of Imola, which is another town in this Italian region that aims to present to tourists the most typical and representative local dishes and products of this community.

The specific theme changes every year and this is one of the most interesting aspects of the Baccanale. For example, in one of its editions, a festival was held with a specific focus on grains and flours. The whole dynamic of the event therefore revolved around the cultural importance of rice, grains and beans for culinary development in Italy.

Academic lectures on Italian gastronomic history are also often held during this festival, which usually runs from the beginning to the end of November. It is also a great way to continue exploring the flavours of the region when you have already taken part in one of Bologna' s best food tours and are left wanting more.

The feast of San Petronio is undoubtedly the most important celebration for the city of Bologna because it is the patron saint of this community. The festivities as such consist of a combination of religious events, processions and many street parties in which the true identity of this city can be appreciated. It all takes place on the 4th of November, right in the middle of autumn.

By nine o'clock in the evening the Piazza Maggiore is becoming a much more modern and youth-oriented atmosphere. There is usually music and lots of people drinking and enjoying themselves in the best street party style.

By midnight or close to midnight there is usually a fireworks display and the rest of the evening is 100% focused on continuing the fun in some of the trendy bars in the city centre.

This date is ideal for you to visit the basilica of San Petronio. It is the most representative church in the city and the fifth largest church in the world. It is also a good time to visit some of Bologna' s best museums, especially as many of them will be empty, knowing that tourists will be busy with their holiday activities.

Autumn is a peculiar time all over the world because it is an ideal time to shop for culinary products that will no longer be available in the winter. The rainy weather and falling temperatures also make markets an interesting tourist destination and in Bologna the Mercato delle Erbe is one of the best entertainment activities for tourists and locals alike.

It is a popular market where you will find all kinds of fresh produce as well as an authentic Italian market experience. Along the centre of the premises you can shop for fresh vegetables while in the small shops around you will find some of the best restaurants for many specialists in Bologna's culinary world.

This can be a great activity to do in the autumn, especially on those rainy afternoons when walking around the city is not something to be recommended. Moreover, it is a plan that you can combine with other activities such as a visit to one of the best car museums in Bologna. This is an excellent idea, as this was a city that for a long time was considered the capital of Italian automobile racing.

If you're planning to take advantage of your autumn shopping trip to Bologna, then don't forget to take a couple of strolls around the Quadrilatero neighbourhood. This is a relatively small area of Bologna's city centre that is made up solely of pedestrianised streets and has some of the best luxury brand shops in Italy.

Prada, Gucci, Armani and a host of other Italian brands are based in the Galleria Cavour, which is a small shopping centre located in this area. Bologna's Historical Market is also in this area of the city and has recently undergone a modernisation process that makes it an even more interesting place to eat and shop.

You should know that autumn is a perfect time to visit this area because of the low number of tourists you'll encounter as well as a drop in consumer prices due to the low season. In fact, it's an excellent idea to join one of Bologna' s Hop on Hop Off bus tours , as some of the stops drop you off directly in this area of the city.

The urban dance festival is an event organised in mid-September, right at the beginning of autumn, which aims to incorporate this type of art as a means of entertainment in one of the most touristic urban sites of the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region. That is, Bologna.

The event as such usually takes place over several days and the schedule of activities changes every year. However, it is very common that you can always enjoy several audiovisual shows, some completely free masterclasses in the streets and the occasional special event that requires separate entrance fees.

Anyway, you should know that walking the streets of Bologna and encountering spontaneous art displays is one of the best things to do in Bologna during the summer. The influx of tourists in the city encourages local artists to capture the attention of a wider audience.

One of the best things about visiting Italy is the fact that the whole country is very interconnected via trains and car journeys are also relatively short. Exactly for these reasons one of the best things to do in Bologna in autumn is to have a small excursion to one of the nearest towns.

And you have to appreciate the fact that Emilia-Romagna is one of the most touristic and picturesque areas of the whole country. Therefore, a short eight-hour trip to the city of Modena, Parma or even Ferrara can be combined with other activities within the city of Bologna itself and will help you to get to know this region in a much broader way.

Furthermore, the best excursions from Bologna can be a perfect escape when the weather in Bologna is too cloudy and rainy. That's while an hour's drive away you'll find a much more pleasant panorama for city tours.

Autumn temperatures in Bologna change as the autumn season unfolds. For example, in September you are likely to find maximum temperatures of 25° while by early December the maximum temperature will never rise above 15°C. The same goes for minimum temperatures.

The same goes for the minimum, as in September it is usually around 15°C while in December it is already close to 5°C.

The tourist flow in Bologna during autumn is ideal, as you will not find exorbitant amounts of people as it happens during the summer or as it can happen during the Christmas season.

The autumn prices in Bologna are another convenient feature. Both spring and summer are interesting seasons for tourists and this makes the prices of most services go up. In winter, on the other hand, there is the Christmas season, which increases prices.

On the other hand, the cloudy and relatively cold weather in autumn makes Bologna a relatively inexpensive and sought-after destination. At least in a season that in itself is not interesting for international travellers.

The first thing I can recommend you to pack when visiting Bologna in autumn is waterproof coats. You are likely to encounter the occasional rain shower during your trip.

I can also advise you to pack boots, especially as you are likely to be interested in the idea of walking through the countryside of the region and in a rainy season this translates into mud and society.