Live in Bologna, Italy with a community of like-minded people.
Bologna invites you to slow down, eat well, and wander — through medieval arcades, centuries-old markets, and a city where life is still lived with deep, unhurried pleasure. Italy's greatest culinary tradition isn't in a cookbook. It's here, in the piazzas and porticoes, waiting to be tasted.
Centrally Located Exclusive Apartments
Community Activities and Events
In-Person Bologna Support Staff
Optional Events & Tours
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Live like a local and enjoy a variety of activities with like minded people in Bologna, Italy
There's a reason Italians have long considered Bologna their best-kept secret. Less visited than Rome, less polished than Florence, less theatrical than Venice — and all the better for it. This is a city of substance: 38 kilometers of UNESCO-listed porticoes sheltering centuries of daily life, a university founded before the First Crusade, and a food culture so revered it earned the city the nickname La Grassa — The Fat One. Bologna doesn't perform for tourists. It simply lives, richly and generously, and it will pull you right into that rhythm.
Live in Bologna
Exclusive Apartments
Your home sits in Bologna's elegant historic center — steps from the porticoes of the university quarter, the Quadrilatero market, and Piazza Maggiore. Everything that makes Bologna extraordinary is walkable from your front door.
Local Community Manager
Your dedicated Community Manager knows Bologna the way only a local can — which osteria to trust, which pasta class is worth your Tuesday, and how to make the most of every day in one of Italy's most rewarding cities.
Cultural Experiences
From the world's oldest university to Renaissance masterworks at the Pinacoteca Nazionale, Bologna's cultural depth is staggering — and it's best discovered slowly, on foot, with good company.
Health & Wellness
Bologna is a walker's city. Miles of covered arcades mean you're never at the mercy of the weather, and the city's pace — unhurried, convivial, centered on good food and long meals — is good for body and soul alike.
Your Home in Bologna
Tucked into Bologna's historic center, your apartment puts you at the heart of everything — and comfortably above the fray. These newly renovated serviced apartments offer more space, more ease, and more of a home than any hotel room could provide.
Studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom options are available, each thoughtfully equipped for a two-week stay.
Every apartment includes:
Smart TV for relaxing evenings in
Air conditioning and heating for year-round comfort
Fully equipped kitchenette — including a proper Italian Moka coffee maker
High-speed Wi-Fi
European Queen beds (150 cm wide)
Weekly cleaning service
The kitchen is stocked for real cooking: two-burner induction stovetop, fridge, freezer, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine, kettle, toaster, and all the linens and essentials you'll need. Whether you're recreating Tuesday's pasta lesson or picking up provisions from the Quadrilatero, you'll have everything at hand.
A note on guests: Members are welcome to have guests stay for part of their time. Guests are not included in community activities, and a small additional fee applies. Guest information — including passport details — will be collected by The Good Life Abroad to comply with local regulations.
Authentic Bologna Experiences
Bologna is a food city, a university city, and a medieval city — and your time here engages with all three. Community activities are designed to move beyond the surface and into the genuine texture of Bolognese life.
Browse the Quadrilatero market alongside locals who've been shopping the same stalls for decades. Roll pasta dough with nonnas who learned the technique from their grandmothers. Sip Pignoletto in a shadowed osteria. Wander the colonnaded streets of the university quarter, past buildings that have housed scholars for nearly a thousand years.
Included community activities:
Welcome reception and farewell party
Tuesday Lunch Club — rotating trattorias and osterias
Fresh pasta-making class with a local chef (tagliatelle al ragù and tortellini in brodo)
Guided tour of Piazza Maggiore and the historic city center
Quadrilatero market tour and food tasting workshop
Wine tasting: Pignoletto, Lambrusco, and Sangiovese
Day trip to Modena by public bus
University quarter walking tour (the world's oldest university, est. 1088)
Weekly "Happy (to be 55+) Hour"
Additional Experience Options:
Unique personal experiences that can be arranged at an additional cost with your Community Manager (options vary depending on the time of year.)
Climb the Asinelli Tower for panoramic views over the rooftops of Bologna
Getaway with Day & Weekend Trips
Bologna sits at one of Italy's great geographic crossroads — connected by high-speed rail to Florence in 35 minutes, Venice in 90, and a ring of extraordinary day trip destinations in every direction. Getting there is half the pleasure.
Modena
Birthplace of Pavarotti, Ferrari, and traditional balsamic vinegar. The cathedral and baptistery are UNESCO-listed, the Ferrari Museum is nearby in Maranello, and a spoonful of aceto balsamico tradizionale straight from the source is worth the trip alone. (~30 minutes away)
Parma
Italy's gastronomic capital, and rightly so. Walk through the breathtaking Baptistery, visit the Teatro Farnese, and tour a prosciutto curing facility or a Parmigiano-Reggiano dairy — farm to table, Italian-style. (~1 hour away)
Ferrara
A perfectly preserved Renaissance city and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Este Castle is magnificent, the medieval streets are a joy to get lost in, and the city's famous cycling culture gives the whole place an unhurried, open-air feel. (~30 minutes away)
Florence
The Renaissance made permanent. The Uffizi, the Duomo, Michelangelo's David, the Ponte Vecchio — a full day here barely scratches the surface, but what a scratch it is. (~35 minutes by high-speed train)
Your Month-Long Bologna Experience
A month in Bologna doesn't just pass — it settles into you. By the end of the first week, you know which portico leads to your favorite bar and which market vendor saves you the best Parmigiano. By week two, you're a regular at the Tuesday Lunch Club. By week three, you've been to Modena and Florence and still had long, unhurried evenings left over. By week four, you won't want to leave.
Your Tailored Experience Includes:
Furnished Exclusive Apartment
Weekly 'Tuesday Lunch Club'
Weekly "Happy (to be 55+) Hour"
Weekly Walking Tour or Workshop
Travel Medical Insurance
Included Extras:
Fresh pasta-making class with a local chef (tagliatelle al ragù and tortellini in brodo)
Guided tour of Piazza Maggiore and the historic city center
Quadrilatero market tour and food tasting workshop
Wine tasting: Pignoletto, Lambrusco, and Sangiovese
Day trip to Modena by public bus
University quarter walking tour (the world's oldest university, est. 1088)
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Unlock valuable insights and make your next experience abroad even better by requesting your free digital catalog.
What Our Community is Saying
"I like Lisbon because it's a wonderful place to be solo and a wonderful place to connect with like-minded travelers who are either solo or with a couple—and it's fabulous."
From Philadelphia, PA
Experienced Lisbon, Portugal
Valencia offered Clyde and Linda the accessibility and ease they hadn’t found in past travels. Their time with The Good Life Abroad was both restful and enriching, striking the perfect balance between culture and comfort.
Experienced Valencia, Spain
“I loved the activities, they were really unique and different. We did belt making, a cooking class, and we went to a lunch that was clearly filled with people from Florence and not full of tourists.”
From New Jersey
Experienced Florence, Italy
Frequently Asked Questions
TGLA is designed specifically for adults 55 and older who want to experience life in another country — not as a tourist, but as a temporary local. Bologna is well-suited to travelers who love food, history, walking, and authentic Italian culture.
Yes. The historic center is compact and almost entirely flat, making it one of Italy's most walkable cities. The covered porticoes mean you can walk comfortably in any weather. Public transport and taxis are readily available for day trips.
Your stay includes 30 nights in a furnished apartment, all scheduled community activities, utilities and Wi-Fi, weekly cleaning, Tuesday Lunch Club, weekly Happy Hour, support from your Community Manager, and travel medical insurance up to $100,000 (with medical evacuation coverage up to $500,000).
Airfare, airport transfers, groceries, phone services, optional tours and activities, and weekend travel costs are not included.
Yes — guests are welcome to stay with you for part of your trip. They won't participate in included community activities, and a small additional fee applies. Guest passport information will be collected to comply with local regulations.
Prices vary by apartment type, party size, and season. Visit our booking site for current availability.