Where to stay in Bologna

North-east of the towers along Via Zamboni: university museums, cheap osterie and busy bars around Piazza Verdi, noisy until late.

A street of old osterie and bars west of the centre, full of students in the evenings.

North of the station: ordinary city life, good trattorie and some of the cheapest rooms within walking distance of the centre.

The heart of the city around the main square and the market lanes behind it. Everything is on the doorstep, and rooms here are the dearest in town.

The streets around the seven churches and Strada Maggiore: palazzi, antique shops and the city's smartest addresses, a few minutes from the towers.

South-west of the centre towards the Saragozza gate and the San Luca portico, rising into villas in the hills. Calm and leafy, a bus ride from the main square.