Bologna · Things to do
Things to Do in Bologna
Bologna’s sights sit within a short walk of Piazza Maggiore, so one day covers the essentials. Begin at the square with the Neptune Fountain, step inside the Basilica of San Petronio for Cassini’s meridian line, then walk to the Two Towers and the seven churches of Santo Stefano. The Archiginnasio and its 1637 anatomy theatre, Salaborsa’s glass floor and the Quadrilatero market lanes are all on the way. With more time, walk the world’s longest portico up to the Sanctuary of San Luca, see Raphael at the Pinacoteca Nazionale and open the little window on Via Piella. Each place has its own Holiplanet page with opening hours, tickets and how to get there.
Square
1Piazza Maggiore & the Neptune Fountain
Bologna's living room, watched over by Giambologna's bronze Neptune
★★★★★Reviews
Monument
2Palazzo d’Accursio & the Clock Tower
Bologna's town hall, with frescoed halls and a clock tower
★★★★★Reviews
Basilica
3Basilica of San Petronio
Bologna’s great Gothic church, with Cassini’s meridian line
★★★★★Reviews
Market
4The Quadrilatero market lanes
Medieval guild lanes still selling Bologna's best food
★★★★★Reviews
Museum
5Lucio Dalla’s House
Guided tours inside Lucio Dalla's home on Via D'Azeglio
★★★★★Reviews
Library
6Salaborsa and its glass floor
Walk on glass over Villanovan huts and Roman Bononia
★★★★★Reviews
Monument
7The Two Towers
The skyline's twin emblems, one leaning, both under watchful care
★★★★★Reviews
Church
8Santo Stefano, the “Seven Churches”
Seven sacred spaces in one, Bologna's little Jerusalem
★★★★★Reviews
Viewpoint
9The Finestrella of Via Piella
A little window onto Bologna's hidden canal
★★★★★Reviews
Museum
10Casa Morandi
Giorgio Morandi's studio, with his bottles back in place
★★★★★Reviews
Street
11The UNESCO porticoes
62 km of covered streets, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
★★★★★Reviews
Church
12The Sanctuary of San Luca
Bologna's hilltop Madonna, reached under the world's longest portico
★★★★★Reviews
Museum
13Marconi Museum
Marconi's family home, where radio began, by guided tour
★★★★★Reviews
Church
Santa Maria della Vita
Niccolò dell'Arca's life-size Lamentation, the 'scream in stone'
★★★★★Reviews
Monument
Archiginnasio and the Anatomical Theatre
Bologna's old university palace and its 1637 anatomy theatre
★★★★★Reviews
Museum
Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna
Raphael, Giotto and the Carracci in Bologna's great gallery
★★★★★Reviews
Museum
MAMbo – Museo d'Arte Moderna di Bologna
Contemporary art and Morandi in a former industrial bakery
★★★★★Reviews
Museum
Museo Civico Archeologico di Bologna
Egypt, Etruscans and Rome in Palazzo Galvani since 1881
★★★★★Reviews
Park
Giardini Margherita
26 hectares of lawns, lake and Etruscan traces since 1879
★★★★★Reviews
Selected by Holiplanet editors from each place’s official website. Distances are straight-line from Piazza Maggiore (map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, tiles © Esri). No platform ratings: contact each place directly.
Things to Do in Bologna: questions and answers
How many days do you need in Bologna?
One day covers Piazza Maggiore, San Petronio, the Two Towers and Santo Stefano. Two days add the San Luca portico and the Pinacoteca; a third day leaves time for Florence, the Food Valley or Maranello. See the itineraries in the City Guide.
Is Bologna walkable?
Yes. The historic centre is flat and compact, and 62 km of UNESCO porticoes keep you covered from sun and rain. Most sights on this page are within 15 minutes on foot of Piazza Maggiore.
What can you see for free in Bologna?
Piazza Maggiore and the Neptune Fountain, the Basilica of San Petronio, Santo Stefano, the porticoes, the Finestrella of Via Piella and the Giardini Margherita are free. Museums and the Clock Tower are ticketed.
Where is the best view of Bologna?
From the Clock Tower of Palazzo d’Accursio, which you book by time slot, and from the hilltop Sanctuary of San Luca, reached on foot under its 3.8 km portico.
More for your stay: Bologna map · Bologna City Guide · Best Restaurants in Bologna · Where to Stay in Bologna · Living in Bologna · Bologna in the Journal