Eataly Builds Its Own Theme Park In Italy

Picturesque Bologna, in the mountains of northern Italy, is best known for its rambling streets and terracotta rooftops – but soon it'll also be known as the 'Disneyland of food'. The Italian food-emporium chain Eataly has combined forces with the municipality of Bologna to develop a food-centric theme park called Fico Eataly World.

The venture aims to boost the Eataly market-wonderland experience by giving tourists a way to sample the famed food and drink of the Italian region in one accessible location. And it won't be small either — though still in the planning stages, the park will likely take up more than 20-acres of prime Tuscan real-estate and will cost in the region of €40 million.

Aside from the indoor market feature, which is the staple of all Eataly's 26 locations around the world, Fico Eataly World will also have dozens of world-class restaurants, food labs, grocery stores, and even a giant aquarium.

Italy is hoping the park, which is set for a November 2015 opening, will boost the region's ailing economy and bring a lot more tourists to northern Italy.

Serusha Govender is The Daily Meal's travel editor. Follow her on Twitter @SerushaGovender