Things to Do in Bologna

Former main university building (1563–1803) with an ornate Anatomical Theatre carved entirely from spruce and a grand library hall covered in coats of arms.

🕐 Mon-Fri 9:00-18:45, Sat 9:00-13:45

💡 The theatre is free only during term-time library hours; if the door is locked, check the library’s opening times online—it's often open 9–13 on weekdays.

A medieval covered market now lined with food stalls—tortellini, salumi, and fresh pasta—with no admission fee to wander and taste.

🕐 Tue-Sat 7:00-20:00, Sun 9:00-14:00

💡 Buy a cone of fried gnocco fritto (savoury dough puffs) from the back stall for €2. Eat standing at the bar; you'll save €4–5 on a seated menu.

A dense network of narrow streets packed with food stalls, butchers, cheese sellers, pasta makers, and wine shops dating back to the Middle Ages. It's a living food market, open daily.

🕐 Generally Monday–Saturday 07:00-19:00, some stalls closed Sunday

💡 No need to buy a full meal – grab a cone of fried seafood or a slice of pizza al taglio for €3–5. The alleyway Via Pescherie Vecchie has the best panino spots, like Tamburini.

An ancient network of alleyways just behind Piazza Maggiore filled with food shops, small restaurants, and stalls. You can walk through for free, see historic spot where the Etruscan market once stood, and window shop at the pasta factories and chees

🕐 Shops generally open 8:00–19:30, closed Sunday afternoons and Monday mornings in some stores.

💡 Go early around 10am to see the shops in full swing. Avoid eating at the tourist-friendly places with menus in English; instead grab a tray of tortellini from a deli counter to eat standing up. Costs about €4–5 for lunch.

The original University of Bologna building from the 1500s. The main courtyard and the huge Anatomical Theatre (a wooden lecture hall shaped like a human body) are free to enter on certain days. The walls are covered in thousands of student and facul

🕐 The portico areas are accessible generally Mon–Sat 9:00–18:00; the Anatomical Theatre has separate paid hours.

💡 Check their official website before visiting. The Anatomical Theatre has a small fee (around €3) on most days, but the courtyard and Porto library wing are always free and worth a slow wander.

A small window on Via Piella that frames a view of the Canale delle Moline — one of the few surviving sections of Bologna's canal network. It looks like a tiny Venetian scene tucked between buildings.

🕐 Accessible 24/7 (window may be locked but the view is through a grate)

💡 Go early (before 10am) or at sunset. In the middle of the day, you'll queue and the light is harsh. If the window is closed, knock on the wooden door — the elderly lady who lives there sometimes opens it for visitors.

Peaceful Renaissance cloisters attached to a 13th-century church. Two levels of arched walkways with faded frescoes.

🕐 Daily 07:30–12:00, 15:30–18:30

💡 Walk right past the church entrance to the quiet inner courtyard — hardly any tourists find it. The church itself is free too, with chapels by Bentivoglio family.

One of the largest churches in the world, built in the 14th century. Its unfinished facade contrasts with a vast, stark interior that holds a meridian line and important artworks.

🕐 Daily 07:30-18:30

💡 Climb the nearby Torre degli Asinelli for a panorama (paid), but first walk around the basilica's side streets to see the tiny, frescoed Oratorio dei Battuti Bianchi – free and often missed.

The historic seat of Bologna University, built in 1563. The Anatomical Theatre (where students watched dissections) and the vast wooden library hall are the main draws.

🕐 09:00-19:00 Mon-Sat, 10:00-18:00 Sun

💡 You can walk into the entrance courtyard and the staircase for free. To enter the Anatomical Theatre and library, you need to buy a ticket (€3 in 2024) — worth it, but check the website for closures during events.

The massive unfinished Gothic basilica right on Piazza Maggiore. Head inside for the huge Meridian line on the floor, a giant sundial built in 1655. The nave is vast and plain compared to other Italian churches, but that's part of its character.

🕐 Open daily 7:45–12:30 and 15:00–18:00; sometimes closed midday or for services.

💡 Don't pay to go in the small museum in the back rooms. Instead walk around the left side to the rear of the building to see the impressive 'Porta Magna' unfinished facade with its carved reliefs.

Over 62 km of covered walkways line the city's streets, built from the 12th century onwards. They protected medieval merchants from rain and sun. The most impressive is the Portico di San Luca, stretching nearly 4 km uphill to the sanctuary.

🕐 Always open

💡 Walk the Portico di San Luca starting from Porta Saragozza at dawn — it's cooler, you'll beat the heat, and you get the sanctuary almost to yourself. Bring water; there are few fountains.

A distinctive triangular piazza connecting the complex of seven churches (Basilica of Santo Stefano). The cobblestone space has a quieter, less touristy feel than Piazza Maggiore. The churches are mostly free to enter individually.

🕐 Churches daily 09:00–12:30 and 14:30–18:00; piazza always open

💡 Sit on the steps of the church on a weekday morning — locals walk dogs and buy vegetables at the tiny market. The courtyard inside the complex has a medieval stone well that's easy to miss.

Massive Gothic church in Piazza Maggiore. Inside you'll find a giant sundial and unfinished facade showing medieval brickwork.

🕐 Daily 07:45–13:30, 15:00–18:30

💡 Climb the small spiral staircase near the main door to see the sundial up close — on sunny days it still marks noon precisely.

Massive Gothic church on Piazza Maggiore; holds the longest meridian line in the world and a chapel with Renaissance frescoes.

🕐 Mon-Sat 7:30-18:15, Sun 9:00-17:30

💡 Skip the queue by entering through the side door on Via dell'Archiginnasio. Climb the terrace for €5 for a solid view of the porticoes.

Irregular-shaped piazza with seven medieval churches grouped together (the 'Santo Stefano complex'). Cobblestones, porticoes, and a relaxed vibe.

🕐 Piazza always open; churches 08:00–12:30, 15:00–19:00

💡 Go late afternoon when the sun hits the brick church facades. The churches themselves are free to enter but close 12:30–15:00. Grab a €1.50 caffè at Cremeria Santo Stefano.

The sixth-largest church in the world, dominating Piazza Maggiore. Inside, see the longest sundial line ever built (a meridian line from 1656) and a fresco of the Last Judgement by Bolognese artist Giovanni da Modena.

🕐 08:00-13:00, 15:00-19:00 daily

💡 Skip the short queue at the main door. Enter from the side door on Via dell'Archiginnasio — it's usually quicker and puts you right by the meridian line.

UNESCO-listed system of 62 km of covered walkways, many dating from the 13th–19th centuries. The longest runs from Porta Saragozza to San Luca.

🕐 Open 24 hours

💡 Walk the 3.8 km portico to San Luca on a Sunday morning when traffic is light. The wooden section near the top is original 17th-century work.

The main square of Bologna, surrounded by medieval buildings like the Basilica of San Petronio, the Palazzo dei Notai, and the Palazzo d'Accursio. It's the city's social heart.

🕐 Always open

💡 Go just before sunset to watch the light hit the brick facades, then grab a cheap spritz from a nearby bar and sit on the steps of San Petronio with the locals.

One of the largest brick churches in the world, dominating Piazza Maggiore. Houses a working sundial designed in 1657 by astronomer Cassini. The unfinished facade tells a story of civic ambition versus papal power.

🕐 Daily 07:45–13:00 and 15:00–18:00

💡 Go around mid-afternoon when the sun hits the sundial line on the floor — you can watch the light move. Climb the nearby Torre degli Asinelli (paid) for the best roof view over this church.

Old city park on an artificial hill with a central fountain, shaded benches, and a stage for summer events. Quiet escape from the crowds.

🕐 Open 24 hours

💡 Come at sunset for a clear view of the porticoes leading up to the sanctuary of San Luca. The park stays open late, but avoid after dark alone.