Ljubljana Castle (Ljubljanski grad) sits on top of Castle Hill, dominating the Ljubljana skyline. The castle is on the site of a medieval fortress dating back to the 11th century. A number of fortifications existed on this strategic hill, constantly changing hands until the bulk of the current Castle was built from the 15th century […]
While WB Yeats poem The Second Coming was written in 1919, after the horror of the First World War, and amidst the chaos of the developing Irish war of Independence, it remains fearfully appropriate to modern times. The spirit of democracy demands that we congratulate the winner of an election, and accept the will of […]
Looking for Bologna’s best airport hotels? There are various reasons why you may want to stay close to the airport – even though Bologna is a reasonably compact city, and the Marconi Airport is a short car ride from the city centre. Maybe you have business in the industrial hinterland around Bologna, or maybe you […]
Elena Ferrante’s success is more than well-deserved, but don’t forget that there are lots of other great Italian novelists out there. We’ve put together a list of our favourites here.
Rimini has such a large array of great things to do and see, that it’s hard to boil it down to a simple ‘best of’ list, but at the same time Rimini works brilliantly as a short-trip destination so we’ve put on our thinking hats, and narrowed down the choices to what we think are […]
Rimini has some of the best preserved Roman ruins that you’ll find anywhere in Italy, with at least three major monuments that you absolutely must see. It’s no surprise, given that the city was founded by the Romans (under the name Ariminum) as they expanded their empire over the Appenines and into the Po river […]
When is the best time to visit Rimini? That’s a good question, and not as easy to answer as it may sound. Certainly the high tourist season is July/August, and in terms of events that’s when the majority are scheduled. There are plenty of people, though, who will recommend you avoid the city in those […]
Nightlife in Bologna is vibrant, but often underground (quite literally in the case of a number of clubs!). The best places to go are spread by word of mouth (and increasingly Social Media). Because it’s a university town, with a very young population you’re spoilt for choice – whether you want to go to a […]
There are loads of hotels in Bologna’s city centre – of differing quality, convenience and reputation. For years Bologna has, wrongly, been considered simply a travel hub rather than a place to visit in its own right, and because of its extensive road and railway network there are lots of top class hotels outside the […]
Bologna’s Sala Borsa, the old city stock exchange, is a must see, in part because of its art nouveau architecture, in part because of its roman ruins in the basement, and in part simply because it’s a buzzing cultural hotspot of the city, with exhibitions, the main library, coffee shop (and bathroom and baby-changing facilities) […]
