Return to Imola - Imola 6 Hours, April 2026

After a visit to Spa in 2025, which I'd greatly enjoyed, I decided to return to Imola for my annual visit to a round of the World Endurance Championship.

You can jump straight to the race report, if you want.

In 2024, I'd stayed in Rimmini on the Adriatic coast, so I chose to stay in Bologna this time and explore the city in the days around raceday.

I found accomodation just off the Piazza Maggiore, in the old centre of Bologna and picked a two-step flight out (I'm not sure if missed this fact when I booked it or just accepted it), stopping over in Munich for around 90 minutes, after leaving at 8AM, but a couple of days before I received a message from Lufthansa to say my flights were cancelled and I'd been tranfserred onto a flight with Baltic Air (on behalf of Swiss Air!) via Zurich. The downside was that my flight would leave at 6 and I'd stopover in Zurich for 4 hours!

Friday 17th April

There wasn't much I could do about that, so it was a very early start to drive to Heathrow, although, with just a rucksack for luggage, I didn't have to check in bags or anything and I was quickly through the inevitable security checks.

The flight pushed off on time and arrived in Zurich a little early.

Zurich airport was OK, but more than a couple of hours is too much to be stuck in an airport and I soon tired of watching a film on my tablet and reading, so I was glad when the flight to Bologna was called and I passed through the much criticised EES system in a few moments and I was soon on my way as the flight left on time.

I'd got a window seat for the journey, so I had a picturesque view of the Italian and Swiss alps as I flew down to Bologna and the hour long flight passed quickly enough.

Crossing the Alps from Zurich to Bologna

Arrival in Bologna was on time, but, by the time I'd passed through the airport and taken the Marconi Express monorail (A surprisingly crude and rattly device!) to the central station, it was 3 O'clock.

As I walked from the station towards my hotel, I spotted a Gelatari, so I treated myself to my first (of a few over the trip) ice cream and then walked the 20 minutes or so to Piazza Maggiore.

The bizarre statue to Neptune

As I did so, I got a call from the hotel to ask if I was nearly there and I found a man waiting to show me to my room.

The 'Hotel' was actually just a few rooms in one of the buildings off the Piazza, where the town hall, with its historic clock tower, and one of the cathedrals (Basilica di San Petronio) stand. It seemed to be a converted apartment, but the room was well kept, spacious (with two single beds) and a airy bathroom. The large window looked down onto one of the pedestrianised streets leading to the Piazza.

I quickly unpacked and then set off to explore a little.

I knew Bologna was famous for food, arched portico walkways (nice to keep out of the sun, which was warm, but never unpleasant on my visit), historic buildings and, as I was to find out, bookshops.

Piazza Maggiore

I wandered through the Piazza Maggiore and the Piazza Netuna, with a bizarre statue, featuring water erupting from the nipples of mermaids! (I'll include a short video), then around the streets nearby, heading towards a dizzingly tall tower, which was the Asinelli tower. This is currently shut, something my already tired legs probably thanked me for, although they weren't going to get much rest on this trip!

The Asinelli Tower

I stopped in an Irish pub for a quick beer and then returned to my accomodation for a while before heading out for something to eat.

One of the more picturesque porticos

I wandered through the streets off the Piazza Maggiore, passing numerous Trattoria, but the one that caught my attention was Rosarose, offering hand rolled green pasta (especially a Lasagne) and after some time, I found my way back to it and ordered that.

It was excellent and I vowed to return on Sunday for another meal there.

Although it was only about 7PM, I was feeling tired, so headed back and watched the remainder of the film I'd started in Zurich airport, before going to sleep.

Saturday 18th April

The room came with a voucher for a light breakfast at 'Piano Piano' a small cafe on the Piazza Maggiore, so I headed there and enjoyed a large glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a croissant partnered with a cup of coffee (I elected for an Americano).

My plan for Saturday, after a fairly leisure start, was to head for the Santuario Madonna di San Luca atop a hill with panoramic views of the city and beyond, reached via a long portico.

This photograph makes it look flat. Trust me, it's not!

A better view of the ascent

It seemed relatively easy on paper, but it took me around 20 minutes to reach the start of the portico and very quickly it became clear that this was long, steep climb!

I have to grudgingly admit I'm not as young or fit as I used to be (I don't think I'm too bad yet) and I had to stop a few times on the climb, mostly to give my aching knee (broken some years ago) a bit of rest and it took me around 30 minutes to make the climb.

I was rewarded, though, by some excellent vistas of the hills (even as far as snow capped mountains) beyond Bologna and down over the city itself.

The church at the top

It's a tough climb for those of us getting on a bit (and for many younger, as I wasn't the slowest on the climb!), but it's well worth the climb just for the views.

I wandered around the church, an impressive building, although I didn't go in, so I can't comment on the interior, for half an hour or so and then started back down, an easier prospect, but I was glad I'd come up earlier as, by the time I set off down the hill, there were far more people coming up than had been when I did.

The view is worth the climb

It took me another hour or so to make my way by a more circuitous route back to my hotel, stopping on the way to buy some fruit and suntan lotion.

After a bit of a break I consulted the city map to try and decide on where to go next.

My knee and feet were already aching, so I didn't fancy too long a walk, but then I recalled seeing a large park, the Giardini Margherita, when researching my visit and it was only 20 minutes of flat walking away.

I found it quickly and, after my second gelato (a lovely creamy hazelnut one) of the trip, I strolled through the park, which was busy with relaxing locals and strolling visitors. I walked around the lake, which featured some decent sized fish and terrapins, basking in the sunshine and stopped for a while on a bench, reading a book on Kindle on my phone.

Giardini Margherita

It was a pleasant and relaxing way to spend a couple of hours after the exertions of the morning.

I walked back into town and ventured up the clocktower in the town hall, but sadly access to the top was sold out, so I just took in the view from the windows and marvelled at the large hall beneath the tower (not quite a match for the huge one in the Doges' Palace in Venice, but undoubtedly impresive.

The impressive hall.

I grabbed a sandwich and a soft drink for a late lunch and returned to my room for a while before setting off in search of a pizza for dinner.

I didn't have to go far before I found a nice looking Pizzeria, La Mela, a short walk from my accomodation.

The inner courtyard of Torre dell’Arengo

I enjoyed a beer and a decent salami pizza, before returning to my room, having a shower, packing my rucksack with what I'd need for race day and then getting an early night.

Continue to the rest of my report on my trip to Imola.

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