Bologna in one day: the right route

Bologna is a city to explore on foot: the historic centre is compact, almost entirely covered by porticoes, and distances are short. You can’t see everything in a day, but you’ll understand why people keep coming back. Here is our route, designed for a full, unhurried day.

Morning: the heart of the city

Start in Piazza Maggiore, Bologna’s living room. Around you are the Basilica of San Petronio with its unfinished façade, Palazzo d’Accursio (the city hall) and Palazzo del Podestà. In the next square stands Giambologna’s Neptune fountain. Before moving on, try the “wireless telephone” under the Voltone del Podestà: we explain it in the three secrets of Bologna.

A few steps away is the Archiginnasio, for centuries the seat of the University: its courtyard and staircase are covered with students’ coats of arms, and the wooden Anatomical Theatre alone is worth the visit.

Lunch: the Quadrilatero

Behind Piazza Maggiore lies the Quadrilatero, the medieval market: narrow streets full of fresh-pasta shops, delis, fishmongers and fruit stalls. It’s the place for a board of mortadella and crescentine or a plate of tagliatelle al ragù. Take your time: in Bologna, lunch is serious business.

Afternoon: towers, churches and canals

From the Quadrilatero you’re a minute from the Two Towers. You can’t climb them for now, but seeing them from below is still a thrill. Then follow Via Santo Stefano to the Seven Churches complex, one of the oldest and quietest places in the city.

Heading back north, stop in Via Piella for the little window over the Canale delle Moline: it’s Bologna’s best postcard view, and it’s free.

Sunset: San Luca

If your legs still work, end the day at the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca on the hill. You climb under the longest portico in the world: almost 4 kilometres and 666 arches. If your legs have given up, there’s a tourist train from the centre, or a bus to the Meloncello Arch where the climb begins. The view over the city and the hills makes up for everything.

Evening: aperitivo and osteria

Back in the centre, in the evening Bologna fills with students: the liveliest areas are Via del Pratello, Piazza Santo Stefano and the University streets. For dinner, look for an osteria with tortellini in broth on the menu… and remember that cream is a touchy subject here.