Bologna is a true foodie haven and a great place to discover when in Italy. From long walks, hikes into the hills, climbing towers, discovering the city's many mysteries and to eating lots and lots of the local food, Bologna has so much to offer!
Bologna is perfect for any period of the year!
The great thing about Bologna is it is a city known for its "portici" or covered arched walkways. The porticoes have many purposes: they are social places and shopping alleys, they are Bologna's natural umbrella for when it rains, and a place to find relief during the heat of summer.
What to Do
Teatro Anatomico
@daniellecohen
For a very minimal ticket entrance, you can visit the glorious Teatro Anatomico, very close to Piazza Maggiore. This monument is part of the Old University, and will make you feel like you've gone back in time. It is called a “theatre” due to its amphitheatre-like shape, and was designed in 1637 for anatomical lessons. Whether you’re interested in medical studies or not, the artistry and frescoes are worth a visit alone. Every corner is elaborately decorated and it holds so much historical significance as Europe’s first anatomical theatre used for anatomy education and dissections. It was bombed during WWII but reconstructed and restored after.
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Basilica di San Petronio
@daniellecohen
This Basilica is located in Piazza Maggiore and is free to enter. Construction on the church began in 1390 and to this day it is still not finished. The church is filled with art and sculptures portraying the old and new testaments, but the most notable work of art is the Meridian Line. While the exterior looks unfinished, the interior is huge and very impressive.
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Torre dell'Orologio
@daniellecohen
You may have heard about climbing the Torre degli Asinelli, one of the best-known things to do in Bologna, but if you like a great view, there’s another great place for spectacular views over Piazza Maggiore – Torre dell’Orologio!
Torre dell’Orologio is on the left side of Palazzo d’Accursio/Palazzo Comunale, a large Medieval building that overlooks Piazza Maggiore. To access the tower, cross the courtyard on the ground floor of the building and follow the arrows leading you up two big staircases, all the way to a frescoed hall.
The stairs of the tower will be at the end of this hall.
There are two viewpoints – one on the crenellated terrace below the giant clock, and another on the tower just above, where you’ll enjoy a wonderful view on Piazza Maggiore and the Bologna historic centre on one side, and on the Bologna hills and San Luca on the other.
The same ticket grants you access to the Collezioni Comunali d’Arte, a fine art collection located on the second floor of the same building.
You need to book a slot to access the tower – there are 15 tickets available for every 20-minute slot.
Opening Hours: (CLOSED MONDAYS).
From 03/03 to 05/11/2023 10:00 - 18:20
From 07/11/23 to 01/01/24 10:00 - 17:20
How Much: €8 (€5 reduced)
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Finestrella
@daniellecohen
Did you know that Bologna has underground canals and is called Little Venice? This beautiful viewpoint is part of Bologna's "Seven Secrets".
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Torre degli Asinelli
@daniellecohen
Climb the Asinelli Tower
Located at Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, the Asinelli Tower is 97.2 meters high, the tallest tower in the city. You must climb 498 steep steps on wooden staircases, but the views are most definitely worth it!
They say, if you haven't graduated yet, don't climb the tower or it brings bad luck!
You must reserve your tickets in advanced (€5) either from the Bologna Tourist Office on Piazza Maggiore 1/e or online
Opening hours - BOOKING REQUIRED:
Admission every 15 minutes max 25 people
Wintertime - Until January 8:
from 10am to 5:15pm (last admission)
from January 9 to March 2 and from November 6 to December 31
from 10am to 4:30pm (last admission)
Spingtime/Autumntime
from March 3 to 31 and from October 2 to November 5 10am to 6:00pm (last admission)
Summertime
from April 1 to October 1
from 10am to 7:00pm (last admission)
from June 1 to October 1 - Thursday to Sunday
from 10am to 8:15pm (last admission)
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Serre dei Giardini Margherita
@daniellecohen
This is a great spot to have a drink during summer.
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Pinacoteca Nazionale
@daniellecohen
The National Art Gallery of Bologna was founded in 1808 as a picture gallery of the Accademia di Belle Arti. It later gained a collection of almost a thousand paintings resulting from the suppression of churches and convents carried out after the entry of Napoleon's troops into Bologna, between 1797 and 1810, and again following the suppressions of 1866 implemented by the new Italian state.
It is located in the former Saint Ignatius Jesuit novitiate of the city's University district, and inside the same building that houses the Academy of Fine Arts.
Opening hours:
Tuesday & Wednesday 9:00 -14:00
Thursday to Sunday and public holidays 9:00 - 19:00
Last admission 30 minutes before closing
Closed Mondays
Entrance tickets
The ticket includes entrance to the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna and Palazzo Pepoli Campogrande within three months from the date of issue
Full price: €8.00
Reduced price for affiliated customers: €5.00
Reduced price for young people aged 18 to 25: €2.00
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Botanical Garden and Herbarium
@daniellecohen
This botanical garden was founded by Ulisse Aldrovandi, in the 16th century to teach medicine students how to recognise and study the medicinal plants used at the time.
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Basilica santuario Santo Stefano - Complesso delle sette chiese
@daniellecohen
In the square of Piazza Santo Stefano you will find the Basilica, known as the Seven Churches. (Sette Chiese). Today only four remain. You can visit the four churches Crocefisso, Santo Sepolcro, Santi Vitale e Agricola, and Chiesa della Trinità to see historic sites dating back to the 8th century.
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Check out the 7 Secrets of Bologna
Try the Local Food
The region of Emilia-Romagna is known for its spectacular food and being a foodie destination, especially Bologna!
Gramigna:
Gramigna is a type of pasta with a short and thin, rounded, squiggly shape. Traditionally you can find it with a sausage ragù, listed as gramigna alla salsiccia. It is a staple of Bolognese food culture, and is not found commonly in other regions of Italy and is not so known internationally. However, it is probably one of the most popular in Bologna and is easy to find, on just about every menu.
Tortellini:
Bologna is known for its stuffed pastas, but the original goes back to the handmade tiny tortellini and the slightly larger sized tortelloni. In Italian, torta means pie and the suffix "ini" or "oni" refers to the size, "ini" meaning small and "oni" meaning larger. You can find tortellini, a staple of Bologna, just about everywhere, in two ways, either served in a sauce, or the traditional way in a broth.
Tortellini in brodo is the perfect comfort food for any cold or rainy day, when you need a pick me up. Typically cooked in a beef broth, these light stuffed pillows, filled with salty pork, and drowned in liquid will nourish your soul.
Tortelloni is considered the big sister of tortellini. Rather than being pork based, the stuffing for tortelloni is usually stuffed with cheese. The main ingredients are Parmigiano-Reggiano, ricotta, and egg, parsley and nutmeg.
Passatelli:
A local favorite, passatelli is a very unique type of pasta, made with breadcrumbs as a base, instead of flour, then mixed with eggs, parmesan cheese, nutmeg and lemon zest. They may not be the prettiest shaped pasta, but as its name translates from Italian “going through”, it refers to its cooking method, to pass the dough through a potato masher to reach its funky, cylindrical shape. Another favorite for winter, it can also be served in a hearty beef broth, or during warmer seasons you can find it in a light butter and sage sauce.
Lasagne
Lasagne Verde or Lasagne Al Forno is probably one of Bologna’s most well known and famous dishes. It incorporates the traditional ragù but it also uses green pasta sheets, made from spinach, and a creamy bechamel sauce with nutmeg and a generous heaping of Parmigiano-Reggiano. It looks very different from the lasagna you may be used to, if you come from America, which tends to be dry, and involving thick layers of ricotta and mozzarella, smothered in tomato sauce, but trust me when I say, once you try the authentic lasagne of Bologna, you will fall in love and never be able to eat lasagna like that again.
Tagliatelle al Ragù
Tagliatelle is another one of the most commonly found dishes in Bologna, and for a very good reason. Simple, yet decadent, the hand cut pasta mixed with the slow cooked ragù creates a perfect blend of happiness and mouth-watering magic. The thick, meat based sauce is then usually topped with the local Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Cured Meats and Cheeses:
If you want something to start, or even just want to go for an aperitivo, to fill your hunger midday then trying some of Bologna’s cured meats and cheeses is the way to go.
Mortadella
For the Americans who grew up with Oscar Meyer bologna (in this case pronounced baloney), you may think Mortadella resembles this lunch meat, but as soon as you take a bite you will realize you are quite wrong. Be sure to ask for a sample before you buy it at the oldest market in the city, Quadrilatero.
Salame Rosa
Salame Rosa or pink salami, is a slightly less famous similarity to the mortadella, but with a more ancient recipe. It is usually sliced by hand rather than a machine and has a slightly different flavour because of this. Prosciutto di Parma: Parma ham is one of the most famous DOP(protected origin) foods that rose from the Emilia-Romagna region. This cured, unsmoked ham is both salty and sweet, and has a traditional curing method that dates back to 100 BC.
Parmigiano Reggiano
Probably one of the most known cheeses from Italy, it is another famous DOP product, and is often referred to as the “king of cheese”. It is a hard cheese that can be aged for at least 12 months to sometimes 48 months.
Squacquerone
A soft cow’s milk cheese that spreads perfectly over bread. This thick, savory creaminess is another DOP product that you must try!
Tigelle and Crescentine
These cured meats and cheeses pair great with Tigelle or Crescentine, and are the ultimate aperitivo food. Crescentine are small, flavorful Bolognese dough that are baked or fried, and Tigelle are small, round disks, made simply from flour and water, both of which are usually used to stuff cheese and cured meats in to create the perfect union. Enjoy with the local sparkling Lambrusco wine.
Piadina
If you’re looking for something to take on the go, the piadina is the way to go! This ancient flat bread has been given IGP status and has traces back to the Etruscan time in 1200 BC. Today, it is made with flour, lard, baking powder and salt and cooked on a hot clay dish. Resembling a sandwich with thin, almost tortilla-like bread, it is usually eaten as a light meal or snack, wrapped around a filling of parma ham, cheese, sausage, or really anything!
Cotoletta alla Bolognese
If you’re not in the mood for pasta, don’t worry, Bologna has other options as well. The famous Cotoletta alla Bolognese is a very traditional dish. It’s a very thin veal cutlet, coated in breadcrumbs and fried in butter, then topped with a slice of prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano. While this meal is rich and heavy, it is decadent and delicious, and should be on your top list of things to try in Bologna.
Looking for where to eat great food in Bologna?
Check out my guide below!
Have an Aperitivo
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Take a Hike
Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca
@daniellecohen
Take a stroll through the longest ancient portico of Bologna, to arrive from the downtown center to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca.
This hours’ walk will take you through the longest portico in the world. It is actually a connection of many covered walkways that leads tup to Monte della Guardia, the highest point in Bologna. At the top is the Church and wonderful panoramic views of Bologna.
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Ai 300 scalini
@daniellecohen
A scenic spot to admire the beautiful landscape of the hills of Bologna.
Located in the San Pellegrino Park, once you climb all 300 steps you will arrive at the top of a hill, with a view of the sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, in the middle of the park .
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Villa Ghigi
@daniellecohen
From Piazza Maggiore, walk south along Via San Mamolo until the road you see a gate on your right hand side. The gate marks the entrance to Parco di Villa Ghigi, a large public park along Bologna’s hills.
You’ll find some sections planted with vines and other crops, and some wooded areas with plenty of paths to explore. Hike to the very top for wonderful views over the city, especially at sunset. Then, to hike back to the centre, follow Via dell’Osservanza down hill, connecting back to Via San Mamolo.
Hiking from Piazza Maggiore to the highest point of Parco di Villa Ghigi takes about an hour!
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