Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
NIGHTLIFE
A good way to keep up with performances in Bologna—whether a poetry reading
in the back of a bar or a pop concert at the Stadio Comunale—is to scan the
posters plastered on walls around the university. Just troll Via Zamboni, and ignore
all the notices looking for roommates or selling “slightly used” couches and TVs.
The
Teatro Comunale
(Largo Respighi, 1;
%
051-6174299; www.comunale
bologna.it)
hosts Bologna's lively opera, orchestra, and ballet seasons, as well as
intriguing shows, such as homages to Frank Zappa or Charlie Chaplin. The box
office (
%
051-529995) is open Tuesday to Saturday 11am to 6:30pm.
BARS & PUBS
Because of its young and restless student population, Bologna stays up later than
most Italian cities. The main night-owl haunts are Via del Pratello and, near the
university, Via Zamboni and Via delle Belle Arti. You can usually find a place for
a drink, a shot of espresso, or a light meal as late as 2am.
There's Guinness and Harp on tap and an attendant Anglophone following at
the
Irish Times Pub
(Via Paradiso, 1;
%
051-261648),
though a well-dressed, but
not always so well-behaved, young Italian crowd predominates in the noisy,
smoky, publike rooms; happy hour lasts until 9pm (10:30pm Tues). More popu-
lar these days is the
Cluricaune Irish Pub
(Via Zamboni, 18b;
%
051-263419;
www.cluricaune.com),
a raucous joint near the university with quite good live
music some nights (no cover), and where the party spills out under the street's
arcade. Happy hour lasts until 8:30pm (10:30pm on Wed).
The
Osteria de Poeti
(Via Poeti, 1;
%
051-236166; www.osteriadepoeti.com;
closed Mon),
is Bologna's oldest
osteria
and has been in operation since the 16th
century—the brick-vaulted ceilings, stone walls, and ancient wine barrels provide
just the sort of ambience you would expect in such a historic establishment. Stop
in to enjoy the live jazz and folk music. (This place is also open for lunch Tues-Fri.)
You'll want to retire at 10:30pm to the cellars of a 16th-century
palazzo
near
the university at
Cantina Bentivoglio
(Via Mascarella, 4b;
%
051-265416;
Bologna's Thriving Gay Scene
Bologna is the seat of Italy's Arcigay movement, and that plus the large student
population make it rather more open to same-sex couples than most Italian cities.
Cassero/Salara
(Via Don Minzoni, 18;
%
051-6494416, “phone friend” help
line 051-555661; www.cassero.it),
is a combination of the main gay/lesbian orga-
nization's offices, help center, and meeting point that happens to turn into the
hottest gay/lesbian disco Saturday nights. The downstairs disco also hosts a vari-
ety of shows, cabaret, movies, and concerts throughout the week, especially
Friday and Sunday. During the day (Mon-Fri 10am-1pm, 3-7pm, and 9pm-midnight),
they offer gay-friendly services, including a library and a help line. Though Italians
need to be members of Arcigay to use the facilities, the bar is more than happy
to welcome foreign tourists free of charge.
