In 45 days, Vibes touches down in Bologna, Italy for the European Zonal 20k Championship. Over the past couple of years, Bologna quietly become one of the real hubs of the European TCG scene, and that's a big part of why we're excited to be there.

A city that already loves this hobby

Bologna's already proven itself as a genuine stop on the competitive TCG circuit. Several major trading card games have run marquee international tournaments there over the past few years, drawing passionate crowds from across Europe. And underneath all the big traveling events, there's a steady local scene, including our own event partner for the Zonal, Galactus Bologna; a shop with a serious TCG focus that runs its own regular in-store events year-round.

So what actually makes Bologna, Bologna?

If you're making the trip and this is your first time in the city, a little context goes a long way:

• It's the original university town

  The University of Bologna was founded in 1088, making it the oldest university in the Western world. That means the city has centuries of practice being a place where people gather, argue ideas, and hang out in cafés for hours. Sound familiar?

• You'll spend a lot of time under cover

  Bologna has over 40 kilometers of covered walkways lining the streets. These are the Porticoes of Bologna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are especially great for wandering around the city without worrying too much about the weather.

• Bologna is the culinary capital of Italy

  Bologna is the birthplace of tortellini and ragù alla bolognese, and it sits right in the heart of Emilia-Romagna, prime territory for real parmigiano and traditional balsamico. Make sure you budget some extra time in your trip to actually eat there.

A dense, walkable, café-and-piazza kind of city built around centuries of people sitting across tables from each other turns out to be a pretty natural fit for a hobby that's built around people sitting across tables from each other.

The event itself

The Vibes European Zonal Championship lands August 28-29 in Bologna. This is the biggest event on the Vibes EU calendar this season, and it's shaping up to be a great one to travel for even if you're not deep in Championship contention yet. There will be plenty of side events and open play planned for the 28^th, while the main event will take place on the 29^th.

If you're on the fence about making the trip: come for the tournament, stay for the city. Bologna's earned its reputation as a card game destination, and we're glad to be adding Vibes to that list.

See you at the tables. 🐧 For more information on the Vibes EU Championships, see our dedicated blog.