Imagine a theme park entirely devoted to food, where the Italian pavilion of Epcot becomes the central attraction and visitors sample Italian specialties to their heart’s content.
In October, the team behind the restaurant and food market chain Eataly will open Eataly World, a food-focused theme park in Bologna, Italy. Spread over roughly 20 acres, the site will include olive groves, gardens and interactive attractions that introduce guests to Italian culinary traditions — from learning to prepare polenta to witnessing the prosciutto production process. Guests can reserve hands-on workshops to master Italian classics, while market stalls offer high-quality ingredients and regional specialties to take home and recreate authentic meals.
Because the complex is extensive and can be tiring to explore on foot, the park will provide 500 adult tricycles equipped with shopping baskets to make getting around easier and more convenient. With expectations of strong visitor interest, developers are also planning an adjacent Eataly hotel to open in 2018, creating a complete destination for food lovers who want to immerse themselves in Italian cuisine and culture.