Explore Bologna Beyond the Tourist Spots

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Be ready to eat and learn the history of Bologna! Andrea was great as a guide and his love of Bologna shined through.

Outgoing, friendly and overall a nice person!

Andrea was a charming guide who contacted me as soon as I booked the tour to find out what kinds of things we would like to see and learn. On the tour, he reviewed for us the history of the buildings around Piazza Maggiore and took us inside the City Hall to show us the ruins underneath, the Palazzo de Podesta, where civil marriages occur, and some meeting rooms. We also toured the neighborhood, including the Jewish ghetto and the Basilica of San Francesco and its flea market. Along the way, we enjoyed hearing about Andrea's life as a student and teacher in Bologna. At the end of the tour, he dropped us off at one of his favorite restaurants for lunch.

We were told that Milan was a vibrant city, but we didn't fall in love with it until we met Barbara (who is also quite vibrant herself!) She was everything we look for in a guide to a city that we do not know. She absolutely adores Milan and it shows! Her extensive knowledge of the dramatic history of Milan, its frequently changing foreign conquerors, its fluctuating role in Italian politics and religion and in how Italy finally came to become a unified country, and most importantly in how the average citizen’s daily life was often turned upside down, was simply fascinating—and entertaining. There wasn't a single question we asked that Barbara could not quickly answer, summoning extensive details and connections to other pieces of information and history. And we loved how her vivid behind-the-scenes details and anecdotes brought famous historical figures to life for us. She has a warm personality, and is in addition, both fun and funny. She should produce her own show on Netflix!