About

TAKE THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED –
PREFERABLY ON FOOT

Welcome! My name is Silvia Donati, I’m a licensed tour guide with specialization in hiking and the environment. I’m also a freelance journalist, writing for English-language publications about Italian travel, food and culture, including Italy Magazine, where I worked many years as a contributing editor.

Bologna Uncovered started as a blog about my native Bologna and surrounding region of Emilia-Romagna. Despite being often overlooked in favor of more popular Italian destinations, this area offers a lot in terms of sightseeing, art, history, cuisine, natural landscapes, and fun times.

As I added more articles to the blog, readers started asking me if I offered tours in the area. At the same time, I developed a passion for hiking and mountains. Thus, I decided to obtain my license to work professionally as a guide.

I believe that active travel is the best way to travel. Only the slow pace of walking allows you to fully experience a place – to see, hear, smell, touch, and feel; to slow down, talk to the locals, explore hidden corners; and to be light on the earth.

Besides, walking in nature brings with it a sense of adventure – and what is life, what is travel without a bit of adventure?!

My tours don’t take place in city centers; they take place in the hills, in the countryside, and in the mountains. They’re often in places little visited by tourists. They include information about the history, nature, traditions and cuisine of the area we’re exploring.

Tours can be customized to your interests and abilities. I can also create bespoke tours for your group (friends or family traveling together, or business travelers). If you’re interested in doing a hike that you don’t see on my website, please feel free to contact me to discuss the possibilities.

Find my tours in the TOURS section of this website.

UPDATE 2024: I accepted a full time position as a tour designer for a U.S. based tour operator that plans custom trips to Italy. This leaves me with very limited time to lead tours, mostly just on weekends. I am not able to accept last minute requests, and it may take me a while to get back to you, so I apologize in advance for my delayed response!

I also offer online travel consulting sessions for anyone who needs help planning a trip to Bologna and surroundings. Please check my Travel Consulting page.

To get in touch, please write me at: bolognauncovered@gmail.com.

Join my mailing list!

Sign up for my newsletter (usually sent once a month) to receive information about my tours, exclusive discounts and travel tips for Bologna and Emilia-Romagna. Enter your email address below.

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive email updates from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Follow me on my social media channels:
https://www.facebook.com/BolognaUncovered/
https://twitter.com/silvia_writer
https://www.instagram.com/silviad_writer

See you in Bologna!

-Silvia

-About Bologna & Emilia-Romagna
Bologna is the regional capital of Emilia-Romagna, in north-central Italy. The area is rich with history, art, excellent food and travel opportunities. This is the land where the fascinating Etruscan civilization once prospered, and was then chased away by the Barbarians and the Romans, who both left their imprint on the territory; it is the proud homeland of tortellini and tagliatelle, Parmigiano Reggiano and mortadella, Lambrusco and Pignoletto; a varied region dotted with medieval towns and castles, and significant works of art, but also beautiful natural landscapes of valleys and mountains, sea and rivers; an area that has long been a crossroads of people and cultures thanks to the University of Bologna, the oldest university in the Western world, founded in 1088.

Check the BLOG section to learn more about the region. Use the search function, categories, or the tags search (located in the sidebar and footer area) to find articles related to topics you’re interested in.