Ssshh! Your local host is whispering some of Bologna’s best-kept secrets in your ear, because this city has more sides than your guidebook knows exist. You may have heard of the historic canals of Bologna, but did you know that one of the few remaining sections - Canale delle Moline, hidden by colored terraced houses - can be seen through a small, secret window on via Piella? You’ll explore the gritty, urban streets of Bolognina, a multi-cultural district with impressive street art, relaxed restaurants, and alternative rock music scene. Back in the city center, the famous Fountain of Neptune statue is a popular attraction – but can you spot the piece that inspired the Maserati logo (and a rather, er, risqué optical illusion)?

Central Bologna’s historic cobbled streets might be a hive of activity, but taking a road (or two) less traveled creates an entirely new perspective on the city. You’ll save the well-trodden portici-arched paths for another day as you follow your local host through the lesser-known central neighborhoods. Just around the corner from the famous Basilica di San Petronio, the Archiginnasio of Bologna is less crowded, and east in the Cirenaica neighborhood, an eclectic melting pot of bohemians and refugees, you’ll see a totally different side to the city.