Getting to know Bologna
It is not by chance that Bologna is often referred to as “La grassa” (the fat) and “la dotta” (the learned).
The Emilia-Romagna region is where many of Italy’s top products come from: balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese, Parma ham, tortellini and mortadella, just to mention a few! Bologna University was founded in 1088, making it the oldest university in the western world. Students from all over the world come here to study and, as you walk around, you will see a lot of young people filling up the streets and strolling below our “portici”.
You will rarely see a true Bolognese walking with an umbrella: the portici cover around 40 kilometers in total length. Not even the bad weather could ruin your visit to this city.
Bologna has medieval roots and a characteristic circular shape. You can still see pieces of the old medieval walls in many points, even very close to the department of Physics, in piazza di Porta San Donato. Nine medieval porte (doors) which lead the access to the city are also still intact.
The relatively small size of Bologna city center makes it perfect for walking, as the main attractions can be reached on foot:
- The innermost part of Bologna is called “quadrilatero”: this is where the oldest markets of Bologna are, characterised by narrowed streets and cobblestones. Many shops selling typical products are located here (like Paolo Atti, a real institution for local people).
- Piazza Santo Stefano with its “seven churches” is a must see.
- Next to the “quadrilatero” are the main monuments of Bologna: Archiginnasio, Piazza Maggiore with the Basilica of San Petronio, the fountain of Neptune, Palazzo Re Enzo and Palazzo D’Accursio.
- As you peek from Piazza Maggiore on via Rizzoli, you can have a view of “Le Due Torri”, the two towers, the main symbol of the city. The shorter one, Garisenda, is currently under heavy renovation due to its strong leaning on one side (it was even featured in a CNN article). One of the epithets coined for Bologna is "La Turrita" (the one with many towers) due to the over 150 towers that soared in the city between the 12th and 13th centuries. The towers not only represented an architectural ornament of the medieval core, but also the power of the most illustrious Bolognese families.
- Via Indipendenza is the main shopping street and the pavement under its portici features old and beautiful mosaics.
- In via Zamboni there is a lively nightlife, as it fills with students starting from the evening.
Click here to see a map with some main attractions and where to eat in Bologna !
Here there are even more suggestions for lunch or dinner (and gelato!)
You can find more ideas for your walks and visits here
Moving within Bologna
Bus tickets can be bought in "Tabaccheria" shops (signaled by a large blue "T") or "Edicola" (news kiosk). One-way ticket is 1.50€ and lasts 75 minutes. Tickets can also be bought on board with coins (2€, red machine on the bus) or cards (1.50€, contactless payment at the green machine on the bus). If you intend to pay on the bus (card/coins), please check if payment is available by looking at a sign on the side of the bus (it will be either green or red if payment on board is available or not) and be prepared with a backup option.
There is also bike sharing in the city, download the Ridemovi app to know more about it. Some useful Apps:
- https://www.tper.it/apps
- Tpiù, Webus (to check bus status and schedule)
- Roger (to buy tickets)
From Bologna Airport to the City Centre
- Marconi Express (People Mover) until the Bologna Train Station. It costs 12.80 € one-way. Tickets can be bought online or at the ticket machine available at the Marconi Express stop. It works from 5:40 am to midnight and has a frequency to match traffic demand. During peak hours there are 8 departures per hour in each direction. If for any reason the service should be interrupted, the information will be available in real-time on the website and a substitute bus service will be activated. Please, check it.
- There are different taxi services, the most common ones are TaxiBologna and Cotabo.
- Uber is available in Bologna, download the app to check for possible rides.
- Bus: The closest bus stop to the airport is "Birra", where it is possible to take 91 and 81 until the Bologna Train Station.
Tourism in nearby cities/countries
Unless specified, times refer to local trains that can be purchased from the Trenitalia website https://www.trenitalia.com/.
Please also notice the check-in rules of non-high-speed trains: https://www.trenitalia.com/en/purchase/digital-regional-ticket.html
High-speed train tickets can also be purchased from the website of Italo train company: https://www.italotreno.com/en
Modena: ~25 minutes by train from the central station.
- Piazza Grande (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Ghirlandina civic tower
Ravenna: ~1 hour by train from the central station. o
- Eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
- Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Neonian Baptistery, the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, the Arian Baptistery, the Archiepiscopal Chapel, the Mausoleum of Theodoric, the Church of San Vitale and the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe.
- Close to the seaside.
Ferrara: half an hour by train from the central station.
- Cathedral of San Giorgio o Estense Castle
- Schifanoia Palace
- & much more
Rimini: ~2 hours by train from the central station.
- seaside resorts of the Romagna Riviera.
San Marino: go to Rimini and take the bus line https://www.benedettinispa.com/en
- One of the oldest states in the world
- San Marino Castle
- Monte Titano
Padova: ~1h 40 min by train from the central station.
- Cappella degli Scrovegni, Piazza delle Erbe e della Frutta, Palazzo della Ragione, Prato della Valle, Duomo & much more.
Verona: ~1h 30 min by train from the central station.
- Arena di Verona, Piazza delle Erbe, Piazza Brà, Duomo di Verona & much more.
Firenze: easily reachable in ~40 minutes from the train station (high-speed line).
Venezia: ~2 hours by local train from the central station.
Roma: ~2 hours by high-speed train from the central station.
Torino: ~2 h 30 min by high-speed train from the central station.
Excellent food in any case!
Natural excursions
- https://www.italia.it/en/emilia-romagna/bologna/things-to-do/parks-and-gardens-in-bologna
- https://www.komoot.com/discover/Bologna/@44.4938203,11.3426327/tours?spor t=hike&map=true&max_distance=11000&pageNumber=1
- https://extrabo.com/ (visit the local office for suggestions: Piazza del Nettuno, 1/ab, 40124 Bologna BO)
Useful links
- Bologna tourist info https://www.bologna-guide.com/
- Bologna city buses and local trains https://www.tper.it/
- Buses: https://global.flixbus.com/, https://www.itabus.it/en/home
- Train info & booking: https://www.thetrainline.com/, https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html, https://www.italotreno.com/en
