Dozza is the beautiful Italian town close to the city of Bologna, recently dubbed “tourist hell”.

The town populated by 6,000 people and surrounded by sprawling hills, offers the perfect alternative to travellers hoping to explore off of the beaten track away from cities over saturated by tourism.

Renowned for its mural festivals which take place every two years and its vibrant, colourful street art that adorns the narrow streets, Dozza is more like an open air art gallery allowing you to admire more than one hundred works by several contemporary prestigious artists.

Dozza is best visited from May to September, when you can combine a visit to the village with participation in events such as the “Wine Festival” or the “Nuova Biennale del Muro Dipinto” (Biennial Exhibition of the Painted Wall).

It is Italy therefore it goes without saying that the food is exquisite but in Dozza, surrounded by colour and charm, the culinary experience is unparalleled.

The historical centre of the village is Praepositus church of Santa Maria Assunta in Piscina, built in the 12th century, hosts a panel painting by Marco Palmezzano dating back to 1492 and is not to be missed.

Like most regions of Italy, Dozza in the Emilia-Romagna region has a distinct, celebrated wine heritage for visitors to enjoy and learn about.

The monumental, red brick Dozza Castle houses the Enoteca Regionale Emilia Romagna in its cellars, where the wine shop and bar promotes wines from across the region.

For those looking to mix fitness and pleasure, there is the Dozza wine path, a lovely hike of about 6km: with the start in from of Enoteca Regionale, the trail develops on hills dotted by vineyards and full of natural beauty, connecting some of the excellent wineries located in the Dozza area.

Dozza is the kind of town that is difficult to do justice in written form.

It is a town where the atmosphere has to be felt, the restaurants smelt and the artwork experienced.

It is a town where the passion of the locals has to be seen and scenery explored.

As mass tourism threatens to engulf Italy and other popular European destinations, there has never been a better time to experience the small towns of Italy.

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