Among romantics the stadium has been known as an absolute worldie: Stadio Renato Dall'Ara of Bologna FC. A unique building full of history, situated in a lovely Italian city. Please note: The stadium will be modernized in the upcoming future.
Renato Dall’Ara is on the list of almost every stadium romantic or groundhopper in Europe. The monumental facade from 1927 is wonderful, complete with an astonishing gallery and a majestic tower: The Torre di Maratona.
You imagine yourself in a museum immediately, with a great atmosphere and a hilly backdrop but, the stadium has a dark side as well. It was opened by Benito Mussolini, the fascist leader who was a Bologna fan too.
Below the tower (then still called Stadio Littorale) stood a statue of Mussolini on a horse for years. The dark history no longer plays a role in the club Bologna today: The fan base is known as loyal and very friendly.
Directly north of Renato Dall’Ara, between the road and the Parco Nicholas Green, there's a little stadium as well. Not particularly spectacular, but fun to hop along in the weekends, when a lot of youth teams play there.
The stadium of Bologna lies approximately three kilometres from the historical city centre, in the area of Saragozza. The centre is obviously more beautiful, but Saragozza is nice to explore too. Here you'll find Pizzeria Stadio (basic, but good), with Bologna scarfs on the wall. On the corner of Via Andrea Costa and Via dal Lino, there's a nice store with fan souvenirs and Bologna jerseys as well, also from earlier seasons. (The official fan store at the stadium is also worth a visit.)
The training sessions of Bologna are easy to visit because the nice Centro Tecnico of the club is hardly cut off from the outside world. From the side, you can see the pitches, and regularly the fans gather on the hills next to the ground. The training complex is on the Via Casteldebole 6-10, a couple of kilometres west of Bologna.
Also recommended for football fans is the restaurant Victoria Station, a little north of the city centre. A big hut, with lots of football shirts on the ceiling, and with the interior of a British pub. There's even a red double-decker bus. Victoria Station is a sort of sports bar but with good food from several different countries.
(Unfortunately, Ristorante Al Campione at the Piazza 7 November 1944 no longer exists: The in 2010 opened restaurant of Bologna legend Beppe Signori has been closed. The restaurant was very popular among football fans and players of Bologna.)
The kitchen of Bologna is famous all over the world, not in the last place thanks to the - outside Italy heavily tweaked - bolognese sauce. If you want to spot players of Bologna during dinner, you should try your luck at hotel-restaurant Calzavecchio in Casalecchio di Reno, southwest of the city. The owner is a Bologna fan and the squad regularly stops by before and after matches.
Getting tickets at Bologna isn't usually a problem, you can order them easily on the official website. The stadium is rarely sold out. Renato Dall’Ara will be renovated in a couple of years, luckily most original elements will be preserved. The facade and the Torre di Maratona remain intact.
Take the motorway A1 exit Bologna Casalecchio. After the toll gats, directly take the exit and follow the signs with 'Stadio'. Within a few minutes, you'll arrive at Renato Dall'Ara.
Do you travel by public transport? The best thing you can do is take the bus. From train station Bologna Centrale, you'll take bus 21 in the direction of Filanda until stop Stadio, right in front of Renato Dall'Ara. From the centrally located Via Rizzoli, you can also take bus 14 to the Piazza Giovanni XXIII, where you also have to gett off the bus at Stadio.
Images: Shutterstock, BSR Agency
