Bologna is one of Italy’s lesser-visited cities. This is a shame, because the region around it has the same beauty and culture as Tuscany, but with a fraction of the tourist crowds. Motor enthusiasts will know the area as the home of Ferrari and Lamborghini, and both offer fantastic museums in their respective hometowns.
Bologna’s main claim to fame is its university, the oldest in all of Europe with a founding date of 1088. This has given it a long history of left-wing politics. For the traveler, Bologna offers one of Italy’s greatest collections of medieval architecture, some of its best food, and kilometers of porticoes perfect for strolling in any weather.
Get In
Marconi Airport has connections across Europe. This medium-sized airport is fairly modern, though it gets very crowded at the gates. The Marconi Express Monorail takes you from the airport to Bologna Centralna in just 7 minutes. Returning to the airport, queues can be as long as half an hour in peak times. Buy tickets from machines outside the stop at either end.
Bologna Centrale is the city’s huge, modern main railway station. It operates as one of Northern Italy’s most important rail hubs, with fast and easy connections to other Italian cities. By high speed rail, Florenice is just 40 minutes away, Venice 90 minutes away, and Milan just 2 hours away. You can take a regional trian to the underrated city of Trieste from Venice. If you book ahead, you can find great deals on tickets.
Finally, buses arrive and depart at Autostazione di Bologna. The station is across the street from Bologna Centrale. Buses are a cheaper but longer option for intercity travel. I found trains to be affordable enough and comfortable enough that buses are only necessary if there is no other option.
Get Around
Bologna is very easy to travel around on foot. Not only are sidewalks plenty wide, but many streets and piazzas are pedestrianized. Furthermore, Bologna’s sidewalks are covered by medieval porticoes-some 40km of them-so you can stay out of the sun and rain while walking about.
The city also has an extensive bus system, managed by TPER. Buy tickets and pick up a map at the Bologna Centrale railway station or bus station. Single tickets are otherwise available for purchase at newspaper kiosks around the city, and onboard.
Porticoes
Bolonga’s streets are lined with some 40km of medieval porticoes, or arched roofs with columns that protect the sidewalk from the elements. These are essential to the heritage of the city. In fact, no other city in the world has many as Bologna.
Bologna’s history with porticoes dates back almost 1,000 years to the medieval era. Besides being incredibly picturesque and adding to the unique aesthetic of the city, the porticoes are also very convenient for those looking to take a stroll: they keep you out of the sun and the rain, after all.
Quadrilatero
Bologna is nicknamed ‘La Grassa’, or ‘the fat one’. No place in the city represents this so well as the Quadrilatero, a warren of narrow streets lined with market stalls, delis, and cafes. Understandably, this area gets very busy in the evenings and weekends with locals.
Quadrilatero is in the oldest part of the city; the medieval quarter expanded from this district, which was once the heart of Roman Bologna. Today, it is the center of foodie culture.
Piazza Maggiore
Dating to the 13th century (though its current appearance largely dates to the 15th), Piazza Maggiore is one of Bologna’s central squares. It is flanked on one side by the monstrous San Petronio Basilica, and by Renaissance era palaces on the other.
Piazza Maggiore is lively and crowded, especially in the evening and at weekends. There is always something going on, so take the time to amble about the square and people watch.
San Petronio Basilica
Europe’s sixth-largest church dominates one side of the Piazza Maggiore. San Petronio Basilica is a hulking gothic structure that was begun in 1390, though the façade was never completed. When it was first being built, it was meant to be even larger than St Peter’s Basilica in Rome!
Inside, the cavernous space has more than 20 chapels dating back centuries. The interior’s most important feature is the meridian line inlaid on the floor to track astronomical movements. Dating back to the 17th century, the line shows off Bologna’s importance and contributions to scientific discovery.
The basilica is open from 7:45am to 1:30pm and from 3pm to 6:30pm. Weekend hours are 7:45am to 6:30pm without a mid-day break. You can enter for free, but photo permission is €2.
Le Due Torri
Bologna’s main symbol is this pair of leaning towers: the taller one is Torre degli Asinelli and the shorter one is Torre Gansenda. Both date to the 12th century, and are only two surviving examples of the hundreds that once stood.
The towers stand in the heart of the medieval city. You can climb the taller tower, Asinelli. Buy tickets online here in advance.
Cattedrale Metropolitana di San Pietro
Bologna’s cathedral has a cavernous, albeit plain, interior. It is a short walk from Piazza Maggiore. It has been rebuilt and renovated over the ages, and is now designed mainly in a baroque style. Opening hours are 7:30am to 6:45pm, from 8am Sundays. The cathedral is free to enter.
Surviving Bologna
To be honest, I really didn’t like Bologna. The temperature was unseasonably hot. Streets were so jam packed it was hard to walk. Queues for restaurants stretched forever. While some of this could have been avoided if I’d done more research ahead of time, I ultimately just had to concede Bologna wasn’t for me.
I loved Italy. While I only visited for a few days, and only ended up in Bologna for a Ryanair connection to Bucharest. I think this played a large part in my dislike. If I had done proper research into attractions and restaurants, I could have enjoyed my time in the city more.
There was one big thing that kept me from staying longer, however: hotel prices were absurdly expensive. There were more budget (less than €100 a night) options in Venice, Dubrovnik, Prague, and even London than in Bologna, and I think this really holds the city back. Despite these high hotel prices, Bologna doesn’t have near the tourist crowds of other Italian cities. So I was (and still am) confused about this.
Crowds are still crowds. And even though it wasn’t British or American throngs jamming up the streets, the fact of the matter was that my visit on a Saturday afternoon was simply unpleasant. Things didn’t calm down after dark, either. I would happily return to Bologna on a weekday to explore. There are plenty of things to see and do, after all.
Lots of blogs rave about Bologna and how ‘underrated’ it is, and there are certainly much fewer tourists, but I just found it uncomfortable. My experience most certainly shouldn’t be a reason for you to stay away, however, and I encourage you to visit and prove my experience wrong.
Final Thoughts
Bologna is a remarkable place to visit. It deserves more attention than it gets. While I didn’t have the best experience, I can certainly see its appeal. From its incredible food to its historical charm, Bologna makes a great addition to any Italian itinerary.
Visit for a few days, not just one night like I did. The city has a lived-in, grimy feel that demands some time to uncover. Take advantage of the food-focused culture and try as many restaurants as you can. Just be sure to reserve ahead.
And when you’re done with Bologna, leaving is a breeze. Bologna Centrale station is a high-speed rail hub with fantastic connections to other major cities. Florence is just 40 minutes away. Venice, Milan, and Rome are all close as well. If you want to stick around Emilia-Romagna for a few days, explore cities like Parma, Modena, or Ferrara. Add Bologna to your Italian travel plans for a less crowded, but just as interesting, experience.