Bologna is the capital of Emilia Romagna, the region that’s probably the first among equals of Italy’s culinary hubs. As such, it’s possible to make a plan for things to do in Bologna that revolve entirely around food.
However, embarking on a tour focusing only on grazing would miss much of what this vibrant, terracotta-hued city offers. With a long history as an influential power in Italy’s north, Bologna is a major center of Italian culture.
It’s also home to the oldest university in continuous operation in the West. The buzz of student life fills Bologna’s historic center with a unique verve. So look beyond the exquisite pasta dishes and tempting market stalls as you explore this captivating city.
Wander the Old Town’s Porticoes
Old Town
Named a UNESCO site in 2021, the porticoes of Bologna are an architectural element that defines the city’s historic center.
The porticoes were created in the 11th century as a way of increasing the living space on the first floor of buildings. A couple of centuries on and a law was enacted that all new homes in Bologna must have a portico.
Today, as the summer heat soars, their shade-seeking ancestors thank those early homeowners. Beyond their elegant and historic appeal, the porticoes offer cool corridors through which to make your way around Bologna’s flagstone streets.
The oldest portico in this beautiful Italian city, dating back to the 12th century, is also where you’ll find a tasty lunch at Ristorante Casa Azzoguidi. Or follow the porticoes west out of the city center to the elaborate tombs of the Monumental Cemetery.
See Titian at the Pinacoteca
Pinacoteca Photo by Paul Hermans on Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
During a hot early afternoon in a Bologna summer, slipping into the cool of the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna can be one of the best decisions you can make.
Located in the University district about 15 minutes’ walk from the historic center, the gallery is housed in a building that was once a Jesuit novitiate. It’s stuffed with Renaissance treasures.
While the overall focus is on regional artists, the collection encompasses much more. Masterpieces not to miss include Titian’s Christ and the Good Thief, El Greco’s The Last Supper, and Madonna di Santa Margherita by Parmigianino.
Climb the Two Towers
Two Towers
Bologna’s Two Towers (or “due torri”) are unmissable icons of the medieval city. Unmissable not only for their place in the city’s historic weave, but also in the sense that they’re visible from almost anywhere in Bologna. The taller of the two, the Asinelli Tower, tops out at 318 feet.
Both towers lean. These priapic constructions are named after the two families who funded them in an overheated superiority contest in 1109. Situated at an ancient intersection, they’re the most visible of the 20 medieval towers still standing. In the Middle Ages, the skyline bristled with 100 of these extravagant displays of wealth.
Two Towers
The shorter tower, the Garisenda, once neared the height of the Asinelli, but due to subsidence, it was shortened for safety reasons. Currently, the Garisenda is undergoing essential renovation to stop it from collapsing entirely.
This leaves the 498 steps of the Asinelli for those ready to ascend this preposterous pinnacle and enjoy the far-reaching views from above. If you’re a student, think twice about ascending; local superstition has it that those who reach the top will never complete their studies. Check the website in advance to ensure the tower is open on the day of your visit.
Taste Test Mercato di Mezzo
Mercato di Mezzo
One of the essential things to do in Bologna—and especially if you’re a foodie—is to stroll into the Mercato di Mezzo with an empty stomach.
Located on Via Clavature, just east of Piazza Maggiore, this covered Italian market is a temple of the region’s gastronomic heritage. While its history stretches back to the medieval era, the bright and stylish space you’ll wander into today is the result of modernization in 2014.
Mercato di Mezzo
A gallery of taste and hidden delights, there are pockets of seating all around this food hall-cum-market. Follow your nose, choose a kiosk, and settle in for a bowl of amazing fresh balazoni bolognesi or tasty stuffed tortelloni in butter and sage. Despite being one of the city’s main marketplaces, the vibe is relaxed and easygoing.
The majority of the offering is on the market’s ground floor, although there’s a basement bar and a second floor pizzeria that transforms the excellent produce downstairs into truly delicious pies. Also, look out for Mercato delle Erbe for a similar cuisine-meets-culture experience.
Read: Best Dishes in Italy
Visit the West’s Oldest University
University of Bologna
Besides the city’s nickname “La Grassa” or “The Fat”, referring to Bologna’s outstanding culinary offering, locals often call their city “La Dotta” as well, which translates as “The Learned”. This title derives from the presence of the University of Bologna—the oldest institution of its kind in the West, located in the centro storico.
Opening its doors to eager students since 1088, the university counts starry names such as Copernicus, Marconi, and Pope Gregory XIII among its alumni. So no pressure on the new intake.
Joining a walking tour is probably the best way to get the most out of your visit. You’ll see the museum dedicated to the university’s rich history, cross its Piazza S. Domenico, and admire the grand Palazzo Poggi, the institution’s central building.
Dissect the History of the Archiginnasio
Archiginnasio
If you haven’t the time for a full tour of Bologna University, then at the very least take a look inside the Archiginnasio.
This elegant 17th-century palace is actually how Bologna does municipal libraries. But beside the impressive collection of books, this building, its ceilings ornamented with frescoes, is probably best known for its Anatomical Theater.
This exquisitely wrought room, its balustrades and seats carved from wood, is where anatomy used to be taught. Rather gruesomely, beside the professor’s seat, are two statues called “The Skinned Men”, crafted by Ercole Lelli.
Seek Out Bologna’s Canals
Bologna canal
Scratch out any comparisons with Venice; Bologna’s canals are not thriving waterways awash in gondolas, striped-shirted singers, and private palazzo docks.
The city’s canals were part of its Middle Ages heyday. Their construction assisted the city in gaining pre-eminence as a local trading center. Today, most of the 12th-century waterways are buried beneath the buildings, although some stretches remain.
Most are found outside the centro storico. One of the most picturesque spots is on via Piella, where you can look through an opening in a wall to see a handsome stretch of hidden tranquil canal.
Try the City’s Specialties
Tagliatelle al ragù
Many non-Italians knew of the existence of Bolognese sauce before they had ever heard of the city from which the name of this famous dish is derived.
They’re still more surprised to discover how much the sauce they’ve eaten in their home countries differs from that found in Bologna’s traditional cuisine. In fact, the mayor of Bologna has belligerently declared that Bolognese sauce doesn’t even exist. The rich, meaty pasta sauce that does exist in this city is known as “ragù”.
And it’s usually found nowhere near spaghetti. In the Italian food city of Bologna, you’ll find it perfectly portioned on top of an elegant bundle of egg tagliatelle, the flat noodles offering a better surface area to pick up the sauce. Also tasting leagues better than the dish from back home is the Parmigiano Reggiano to blizzard on top.
Lasagna verdi
You’ll find excellent trattorias serving tagliatelle al ragù and unmissable classics like tortellini in brodo and lasagna verdi throughout the historic center and beyond. Try Trattoria da Me or All’Osteria Bottega for surefire winners. If you’re on the move, find some portable tigelle—warm flatbread parcels of mozzarella and mortadella, another Bologna specialty.
Discover History in the Museo Civico Archeologico
Museo Civico Archeologico
Housed within a stately 15th-century palazzo, the Archaeological Civic Museum of Bologna is a leading institute focused on Italian archaeological finds.
As you step onto its polished checkerboard floors with mummified alligators and Hellenistic vases housed in immense glass cabinets, it’s hard not to be affected by the sense of the history all around you.
And while you’d be forgiven for thinking that the tombstones and fine china of the Caesars would be the draw, the museum is more famous for its collection of Ancient Egyptian artifacts. Among its 3,500 pieces, you’ll gaze at brilliant blue pottery sarcophagi, amulets, and mummies. Pick up an English audio guide as many of the descriptions are in Italian.
People-Watch in Piazza Maggiore
Piazza Maggiore
You’ll pass through Piazza Maggiore many times while touring Bologna. One of the city’s hubs, it’s near to multiple sites including the Two Towers, the Basilica of San Petronio, and the Fontana del Nettuno.
Relaxing here, whether to rest your legs or for a longer, coffee-sipping sojourn taking in the stunning palazzi, is one of the best things to do in Bologna. Find a spot on the raised central platform, “the Crescentone”, and watch for students riskily crossing the square diagonally. Another long standing myth suggests doing so could prevent them from graduating.
You might spot these bag-touting nomads sensibly wandering beneath the long portico bordering one side of the piazza. This structure is one of the oldest and grandest of the sections of portico in the city, designed by Vignola in the 16th century.
Check the Time on the World’s Largest Sundial
Basilica di San Petronio
Looming on one side of Piazza Maggiore is the Gothic immensity that is the Basilica di San Petronio. Students flock to its expansive steps, appearing almost like pigeons in comparison to the size of this striking two-tone basilica.
The two-tone effect is the result of a half-completed contract; only the bottom half of this 14th-century church was finished in marble. Within you’ll find artistic treasures by talents such as Parmigianino; the world’s oldest organ still in use, dating from 1470; as well as Cassini’s sundial, in proportion to the huge space in which it’s set.
Spot Heavenly Sights in the Basilica of San Domenico
Basilica of San Domenico
To the south of the historic center, you’ll find another of the city’s major churches: the Basilica of San Domenico.
A repository of priceless art—as well as the remains of Saint Dominic, the founder of the Dominican Order—the basilica resembles a particularly ostentatious art gallery. In particular, look for the intricate inlay in the wooden choir by da Bergamo, as well as sculptures from Pisano and Michelangelo.
Cross into the Past at the Porta Galliera
Porta Galliera
The Porta Galliera is an impressive relic of Bologna’s past. Found close to the Parco della Montagnola, the porta, or gate, is one of 12 that used to provide access through the inner medieval wall, “La Circla”, and into the city’s bustling interior.
While ten of these gates are still standing, the baroque Porta Galliera is the most impressive. The gate has been rebuilt several times, the last being in 1660. Back then, the gate was the starting point of the road to Ferrara.
For the earliest example of gate architecture, find the Porta Mascarella to compare the austere 14th-century style to the Galliera’s more fancy 16th.
See Stars in the Giardini Margherita
Giardini Margherita
Bologna’s largest park, Giardini Margherita, is a leafy ode to the English Romantic style garden. Just across the ring road that delineates the historic center, it’s a lovely place for a stroll and to casually tap into the local vibe.
Along its tree-shaded walks you’ll usually encounter stalls offering clothes, blooms, and seasonal produce. Cross the bridge to reach the serene setting of the Chalet bar, one of the most sought after spots for an aperitivo when the autumn display begins.
Italian public gardens excel at containing the weird and the wonderful and in Bologna, the park offers an Etruscan burial ground as well as an astronomical observatory. This is found on the upper terrace of the grand 19th-century building on the east side.
Get the Inside Scoop at the Gelato Museum
Italy is known for its gelato. Just outside Bologna’s city limits, and only a half-hour bus ride from the center, is the unique Gelato Museum Carpigiani.
It’s been one of the top things to do in Bologna, or at least very close by, for over a decade, as the first-ever museum with a focus on gelato. You can take a guided tour through three floors of multimedia displays, various items of gelato tech, and more.
With the Carpigiani Gelato University next door, you might be inclined to sharpen your gelato skills with an educational gelato and sorbet-making workshop at the museum. Of course, taste-testing the results of your peach sorbet or hazelnut gelato is a must.
Read: Best Places to Visit in Italy for the First Time
Bologna
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