Bologna tours and excursions

Two-hour cycling tours of Bologna with Bike in Bo depart from Via del Pratello 97/D, on Wednesdays at 1000 (or at other times and days on request). There are two routes on offer (available in English) - one focuses on the town and another takes visitors farther afield. Booking is mandatory, minimum three participants. Bicycle hire and insurance are included.

The artistic orgy of Florence (Firenze) is one of the key reasons why Bologna has so often been overlooked by visitors to Italy. Some 80km (50 miles) south of Bologna, just an hour by train, the city lies at the heart of the Renaissance and is home to some of the world's greatest works of art, including Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Michelangelo's David and Masaccio's Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise.

Architecturally, the gravity-defying dome of Brunelleschi's cathedral and Giotto's elegant campanile dominate the skyline, but every nook and cranny of Florence holds a surprise. From the Ponte Vecchio to Santa Croce, the city dazzles with genius.

Florence is easy on the eye but often hard on the feet. Any visit should include a cappuccino in one of the famous piazzas or a picnic in the Boboli Gardens, surrounded by gargoyles and the local cats.

The tourist office, Via A Manzon, 16I, can provide further information.