Bologna is known by three nicknames: La Dotta (The Learned, for its university founded in 1088), La Grassa (The Fat, for its food), and La Rossa (The Red, for its terracotta buildings and left-wing politics). The city’s 38 km of UNESCO-listed porticoes make walking between sights practical in any weather. Here are the specific things to do.
Top Things to Do in Bologna: Attractions, Landmarks, and Activities
Piazza Maggiore and the Basilica of San Petronio
Piazza Maggiore is Bologna’s main square since the 13th century, surrounded by the city’s most important civic and religious buildings. The Basilica of San Petronio dominates the south side: it’s the 10th largest church in the world (132 metres long, 60 metres wide) and was intended to be larger than St.
Peter’s in Rome before the Pope halted construction. Entry is free, but there’s a €2 fee to take photos inside. The meridian line (the world’s longest indoor sundial at 66.8 metres) runs across the floor. Open daily 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM. The unfinished facade (half marble, half bare brick) is deliberate; the marble funding was diverted to other projects in the 16th century. The Palazzo del Podestà and Palazzo d’Accursio (City Hall) frame the other sides.
Two Towers: Torre degli Asinelli and Torre Garisenda
Bologna once had 100+ towers built by rival noble families; roughly 20 survive. The Asinelli Tower (97.2 metres, built 1109-1119) is the tallest leaning medieval tower in Italy and the one you can climb: 498 wooden steps with no elevator. Tickets cost €5, book online at least 2 days ahead as slots are limited (45 people per time slot).
Open daily 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (summer until 7:00 PM). Not suitable for anyone with vertigo, claustrophobia, or heart/respiratory conditions. The leaning Garisenda Tower (48 metres, 3.2-metre lean) is currently closed for structural reinforcement but viewable from the ground. Piazza di Porta Ravegnana.
Archiginnasio of Bologna
The Archiginnasio housed the University of Bologna from 1563 to 1803. The main attraction is the Teatro Anatomico (Anatomical Theatre), a wooden lecture hall built in 1637 where dissections were performed on a marble table in the center, surrounded by tiered seating and carved wooden statues of physicians past and present.
The walls and ceilings of the building are covered with 6,000+ coats of arms of students who studied here. Piazza Galvani 1. Open Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, closed Sundays. Teatro Anatomico entry: €3. Budget 45-60 minutes. The adjacent Biblioteca Comunale is a working library and an atmospheric spot to see students studying under 16th-century frescoed ceilings.
Quadrilatero Market District
The Quadrilatero is a medieval grid of narrow streets east of Piazza Maggiore, packed with food shops, delis, wine bars, and fresh pasta makers that have operated for generations. Key stops: Tamburini (via Caprarie 1, a historic deli with a lunch counter serving fresh pasta for €8-12), Atti (via Caprarie 5, fresh pasta since 1868), Simoni (via Pescherie Vecchie 3B, cheese and cured meats), and Osteria del Sole (vicolo Ranocchi 1D, a 1465 wine bar where you bring your own food from the shops and order wine by the glass for €3-5). The market is at its best Tuesday-Saturday mornings;
many shops close Sunday and Monday. Free to browse; budget €15-25 for a self-curated lunch of cheese, bread, cured meats, and wine.
Basilica of Santo Stefano (Seven Churches)
A complex of four interconnected churches (originally seven) on Piazza Santo Stefano, built between the 5th and 13th centuries on the site of a Roman temple of Isis. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre contains a 12th-century copy of Christ’s tomb. The Courtyard of Pilate has a stone basin where Pontius Pilate supposedly washed his hands (a medieval myth). Free entry. Open daily 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM (7:00 PM in summer). The adjacent square is one of Bologna’s most photogenic spots. Budget 30-45 minutes.
Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca
The basilica on Colle della Guardia hill (289 metres) overlooks Bologna and houses a Byzantine icon of the Virgin Mary, brought here in 1160. The 3.8 km Portico di San Luca connects the city (starting at Porta Saragozza) to the sanctuary via 666 arches, the world’s longest continuous portico, built between 1674 and 1793.
Walking the portico takes 60-75 minutes uphill and is a local tradition. Alternatively, the San Luca Express tourist train departs from Piazza Maggiore (€12 round-trip, 25 minutes each way). The basilica itself is free, open daily 7:00 AM to 6:30 PM (winter until 5:00 PM). The view from the terrace is Bologna’s best panoramic photo spot. In summer, walk early morning or late afternoon to avoid the exposed heat.
Museo di Palazzo Poggi
The University of Bologna’s main museum, housed in a 16th-century palace on Via Zamboni 33. The collection includes the 18th-century wax anatomical models used for teaching, natural history specimens, and the geography hall with 16th-century frescoed maps. Adult tickets: €5. Open Tuesday to Friday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, closed Mondays. The wax obstetrics models are graphic and not recommended for children. Budget 60-90 minutes.
MAMbo: Museum of Modern Art
Bologna’s modern art museum occupies a former industrial bakery on Via Don Giovanni Minzoni 14. The permanent collection covers Italian art from the 1950s onward, with strong holdings in Arte Povera. Temporary exhibitions rotate and can be excellent. Adult tickets: €6 for permanent collection, €10 including temporary exhibitions. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM; Thursday 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Closed Mondays. Budget 90 minutes. The museum cafe is good for a break.
FICO Eataly World
A 10-hectare food theme park 7 km east of the city center, FICO is part food market, part educational attraction with 45 restaurants, food stalls, and workshops. You can take pasta-making classes, see buffalo mozzarella being made, or just eat your way through Italy’s 20 regions.
Entry: free. Workshops and classes: €15-40 depending on length and topic. Open daily 10:00 AM to midnight. Reach via bus 30 from the central station (20 minutes) or a €15-20 taxi. Budget 3-4 hours if you plan to eat a meal. Go hungry. The attached market sells products to take home.
For seasonal events that shape the city, read our Bologna events and festivals guide. Our Bologna neighborhoods overview maps the districts.
