Things to do · Bologna · Italy
17 best things to do in Bologna
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. ZeWrestler assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain
Quick answer
The essential sights in Bologna are Piazza Maggiore and the Neptune Fountain, Basilica of San Petronio and Two Towers (Asinelli and Garisenda). Of the 17 picks below, 11 are free, 11 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Piazza Maggiore and the Neptune Fountain
- Free sights
- 11
- Good on a rainy day
- Basilica of San Petronio
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piazza Maggiore and the Neptune Fountain | Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero | 1 hour | Free |
| Basilica of San Petronio | Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero | 45 minutes | Free |
| Two Towers (Asinelli and Garisenda) | Piazza di Porta Ravegnana | 30 minutes | Free |
| Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca | Colle della Guardia | Half a day | Free |
| Santo Stefano (Seven Churches) | Santo Stefano and Strada Maggiore | 45 minutes | Free |
| Quadrilatero market streets | Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Archiginnasio and Anatomical Theatre | Piazza Galvani | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Pinacoteca Nazionale | University Quarter (Via Zamboni) | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Palazzo Poggi Museum | University Quarter (Via Zamboni) | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Basilica of San Domenico | San Domenico | 45 minutes | Free |
| Santa Maria della Vita | Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero | 30 minutes | Low cost |
| Biblioteca Salaborsa | Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero | 30–45 minutes | Free |
| Mercato delle Erbe | Via Ugo Bassi | 1 hour | Free |
| Finestrella di Via Piella | Via Piella | 15 minutes | Free |
| Giardini Margherita | Santo Stefano and Strada Maggiore | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Museo Civico Archeologico | Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Ducati Museum | Borgo Panigale | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
The 17 best things to do
Landmark · Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero
1.Piazza Maggiore and the Neptune Fountain
Bologna's main square is surrounded by the unfinished facade of San Petronio, the town hall in Palazzo d'Accursio and the Palazzo del Podestà. Giambologna's bronze Neptune, made in the 1560s, stands in the adjoining Piazza del Nettuno. Under the Voltone del Podestà archway, a whisper into one corner carries clearly to the diagonally opposite one.
Try the 'whispering gallery' under the Palazzo del Podestà with a friend: stand in opposite corners facing the wall and speak quietly.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Kids
- After dark
Religious site · Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero
2.Basilica of San Petronio
One of the largest churches in Europe, San Petronio was begun in 1390 and never finished: the upper facade is still bare brick. Inside, a meridian line laid out by the astronomer Gian Domenico Cassini in 1655 runs about 67 metres across the floor, and the Bolognini Chapel has early 15th-century frescoes of heaven and hell by Giovanni da Modena.
Look for the small hole high in the vault that projects a disc of sunlight onto Cassini's meridian around midday, and cover shoulders and knees.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Free
- Rainy day
Landmark · Piazza di Porta Ravegnana
3.Two Towers (Asinelli and Garisenda)
The Asinelli tower, about 97 metres tall, and the shorter, sharply leaning Garisenda are the best-known survivors of the dozens of tower-houses that medieval families built in Bologna. They stand together at Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, where several old roads meet, and are the city's symbol; Dante compared a giant to the leaning Garisenda in the Inferno.
Check whether Asinelli climbs are running before you plan around one; for views over the red roofs, the San Luca hill is a reliable alternative.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Free
- Photo spot
Religious site · Colle della Guardia
4.Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca
The 18th-century sanctuary on the Colle della Guardia, high above the southwest of the city, is reached by a continuous portico of 666 arches that runs 3.8 km from Porta Saragozza, first on the flat and then climbing steeply from the Arco del Meloncello. The view from the top takes in the city's red roofs and, on clear days, the Apennines.
Walk up and ride the San Luca Express tourist train back down if your knees dislike the steep descent.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Views
- Active
- Free
- Outdoors
- Iconic
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Religious site · Santo Stefano and Strada Maggiore
5.Santo Stefano (Seven Churches)
Known as the Sette Chiese, this complex of interlinked churches, chapels and cloisters grew from the 5th century onwards and was meant to evoke the holy sites of Jerusalem. Visitors pass through the Church of the Crucifix, the octagonal Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Courtyard of Pilate and a Romanesque cloister, all opening off the triangular Piazza Santo Stefano.
Visit early in the morning when it is at its quietest, then have coffee under the porticoes of the piazza.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Free
- Couples
- Rainy day
Market · Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero
6.Quadrilatero market streets
The grid of medieval lanes east of Piazza Maggiore has been Bologna's market district since the Middle Ages. Via Pescherie Vecchie, Via Drapperie and Via Clavature are lined with fishmongers, greengrocers, historic salumerie selling mortadella and Parmigiano, and pasta shops where sfogline roll tortellini by hand, while wine bars set out tables for aperitivo.
Come mid-morning to watch the shops at work, and return in the early evening for a glass of Pignoletto and a board of cured meats.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- Free
- History
- Photo spot
Historic site · Piazza Galvani
7.Archiginnasio and Anatomical Theatre
Built in the 1560s as the first unified seat of the university, the Archiginnasio has courtyard and staircase walls covered in thousands of painted coats of arms of former students. Upstairs, the Teatro Anatomico, a wood-panelled dissection theatre from 1637 whose canopy rests on two carved 'skinned men', was rebuilt after Second World War bombing.
Look into the Stabat Mater hall, the old law school's lecture room, on your way to the anatomy theatre.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Gallery · University Quarter (Via Zamboni)
8.Pinacoteca Nazionale
Bologna's main picture gallery traces painting in the city from Gothic altarpieces and a Giotto polyptych to the Carracci family and Guido Reni, who made Bologna a centre of Baroque art. Its most famous work is Raphael's Ecstasy of Saint Cecilia, painted for a Bologna church, alongside works by Perugino and Parmigianino.
Combine it with Palazzo Poggi further along Via Zamboni for a half-day in the university quarter.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · University Quarter (Via Zamboni)
1.Palazzo Poggi Museum
The university museum in a frescoed 16th-century palace displays the collections of the 18th-century Institute of Sciences: anatomical wax models, obstetric teaching models, ship models, maps and natural-history specimens arranged as they were for students. The ceiling frescoes by Pellegrino Tibaldi are worth the visit on their own.
The anatomical waxes are graphic; older children tend to prefer the ship and map rooms.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
Religious site · San Domenico
2.Basilica of San Domenico
The church holds the tomb of Saint Dominic, founder of the Dominican order, who died in Bologna in 1221. His marble Arca was carved over three centuries by sculptors including Nicola Pisano, Niccolò dell'Arca and a young Michelangelo, who added a kneeling angel and two small saints in the 1490s.
Look closely at the two kneeling, candle-bearing angels at the base of the Arca: one of them is by Michelangelo, carved when he was about 20.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- History
- Free
- Rainy day
Religious site · Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero
3.Santa Maria della Vita
Just off the Quadrilatero, this Baroque church holds Niccolò dell'Arca's Lamentation over the Dead Christ, a 15th-century group of life-size terracotta figures whose faces and gestures express grief with startling force. The adjoining oratory has a second terracotta group by Alfonso Lombardi showing the death of the Virgin.
It is a short detour from the market lanes; allow a quiet 20 minutes in front of the terracotta mourners.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
- History
Architecture · Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero
4.Biblioteca Salaborsa
Inside Palazzo d'Accursio on Piazza del Nettuno, the city's public library fills a glass-roofed former exchange hall whose glass floor reveals excavated Roman and medieval remains below. The archaeological area underneath can be visited, and the library has a large children's section.
It is free, central and has free Wi-Fi, which makes it a useful rainy-day stop between sights.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Rainy day
- Kids
- History
- Architecture
Market · Via Ugo Bassi
5.Mercato delle Erbe
Bologna's main covered food market on Via Ugo Bassi sells fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese and fresh pasta to locals, and part of the hall holds casual eateries and bars where people eat at shared tables in the evening.
Shop for picnic food in the morning, then come back in the evening when the food stalls and bars fill with locals.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- Free
- Rainy day
Viewpoint · Via Piella
6.Finestrella di Via Piella
A small shuttered window in a wall on Via Piella opens onto the Canale delle Moline, one of the canals that once powered Bologna's mills and silk industry, flanked by old houses like a scene from Venice. Most of the city's canals were covered over in the 20th century, so this glimpse is a reminder of the waterways under the streets.
There is often a short queue for photos; walk on along Via delle Moline for more glimpses of the canal.
- Time needed
- 15 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Off the beaten path
- Photo spot
- Couples
Park · Santo Stefano and Strada Maggiore
7.Giardini Margherita
Bologna's largest park, laid out in 1879 just outside the old walls by Porta Santo Stefano, has a small lake, shady lawns, playgrounds and kiosks with outdoor seating. On summer evenings it becomes a meeting place for students and families, with bars in the old greenhouse area.
Bring a picnic from the Quadrilatero and join locals on the grass on a warm evening.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Museum · Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero
8.Museo Civico Archeologico
Beside San Petronio, the civic archaeology museum displays finds from Etruscan Felsina and the Villanovan settlements that preceded Roman Bononia, and one of Italy's most important Egyptian collections, with stelae, sarcophagi and mummified animals.
Head to the Egyptian rooms first if you are visiting with children.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
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Museum · Borgo Panigale
9.Ducati Museum
In the Borgo Panigale suburb, about 7 km west of the centre, Ducati's museum traces the company from its 1920s start making radio components to its racing motorcycles, including MotoGP machines. Guided factory tours show the assembly lines. It is one stop in Emilia-Romagna's 'Motor Valley', with the Lamborghini and Ferrari museums within about an hour's drive.
Factory tours have age and photography rules; read them before booking, especially if you are travelling with children.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Factory tours run by reservation and fill up; book online in advance.
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Pinacoteca Nazionale, Palazzo Poggi Museum, Basilica of San Domenico and Santa Maria della Vita |
| History | Piazza Maggiore and the Neptune Fountain, Basilica of San Petronio, Two Towers (Asinelli and Garisenda) and Santo Stefano (Seven Churches) |
| Views | Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca |
| Outdoors and nature | Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca and Giardini Margherita |
| Food and markets | Quadrilatero market streets and Mercato delle Erbe |
| After dark | Piazza Maggiore and the Neptune Fountain |
| With children | Piazza Maggiore and the Neptune Fountain, Palazzo Poggi Museum, Biblioteca Salaborsa and Giardini Margherita |
| On a rainy day | Basilica of San Petronio, Santo Stefano (Seven Churches), Archiginnasio and Anatomical Theatre and Pinacoteca Nazionale |
What to book ahead
- Ducati Museum: Factory tours run by reservation and fill up; book online in advance.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Bologna?
Piazza Maggiore and the Neptune Fountain. Bologna's main square is surrounded by the unfinished facade of San Petronio, the town hall in Palazzo d'Accursio and the Palazzo del Podestà.
+What can you do for free in Bologna?
Piazza Maggiore and the Neptune Fountain, Basilica of San Petronio, Two Towers (Asinelli and Garisenda), Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca and Santo Stefano (Seven Churches). More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Bologna when it rains?
Head indoors to Basilica of San Petronio, Santo Stefano (Seven Churches), Archiginnasio and Anatomical Theatre and Pinacoteca Nazionale.
+What is there to do in Bologna at night?
Piazza Maggiore and the Neptune Fountain are best after dark.