If you’re looking for things to do in Bologna, Italy, you’ve come to the right place! Bologna is a less known but definitely notice-worthy city nestled between two giants: the art capital Firenze and the fashion capital Milano.
As a smaller city a weekend might suffice for acquainting yourself with this extraordinary city. But I would recommend a longer stay because despite its smaller size, this city has a lot to offer!
I spent a winter in Bologna so I got to know the city and its quirks quite well. This is my ultimate guide to Bologna for your benefit because I want you to enjoy the city as much as I did.
5 Things to Do in Bologna in 2026
The capital of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northen Italy, Bologna, offers plenty of entertainment for all sorts of visitors. Especially for foodies! Wherever you go in Italia, they will tell you that this region has the best food in the country. And if Italians say so, it must be true!
The thing that separates Bologna from other Italian cities is its colonnades. Over 90% of the Old Town pedestrian zones consist of a continuous rows of beautiful pillars. And it’s all covered so a little surprise rain doesn’t matter much, you’ll stay dry.
This is my guide so I will be offering you hopefully some more extraordinary Bologna tips than what most people would. You’ll know to go and check the main piazza without me pointing it out to you, so I’m focusing on the things you definitely shouldn’t miss.
This Bologna guide is about things to do in Bologna, but I will also list some of my favourite restaurants that I discovered while spending a winter there. The restaurant list will be at the end of this article.
1. Archeological Museum
It’s good to start right from the beginning, right? So, for things to do in Bologna I’d recommend you start by visiting the Museo Civico Archeologico Bologna. It’s situated right next to the Basilica di San Petronio on the Piazza Maggiore (the main square). Bologna has a very long history, which reaches further back than the Roman empire.
After it became a part of the empire – at which point it was named Bononia – it became an important city in the area. To this day it hosts the oldest university in the western world with a continuous operation, the University of Bologna.
But this museum doesn’t just display the local history. It also hosts an impressive exhibition of ancient Egypt. Here you can marvel at statues, texts written on papyrus, and yes, also mummies and sarcophagi.
2. Visit an enoteca
Enoteca = wine bar, which is a must visit in any city in Italy! I always try to find local, preferably small enotecas because they have the best vibes. They’re usually small spaces so you can easily start conversing with other people, which is what I as a solo traveler prefer.
Obviously there is no shortage of enotecas in Bologna, so you can find one by just walking around the city. Some wine bars offer food but all of them certainly offer snacks like cheese, charcuterie and bread to enjoy with your wine.
My personal recommendation is Bottigleria ViniBelli in the south-west corner of the Old Town close to Porta Saragozza. This is one the most beautiful old gates into the city. As such, it is also worth checking out!
3. Find La Piccola Venezia
There’s a bizarre feature in the landscape of the Old Town of Bologna: a little window into what looks like Venice in Bologna. La piccola Venezia translates to Little Venezia, and you can get a glimpse of it by finding the Finestrella (the little window) on Via Piella.
Bologna used to resemble Venice quite a bit back in the day but the modern city has since been built over the canals. This little window gives you an interesting idea of what the days gone by looked like. Thanks to social media it’s become one of the most popular things to do in Bologna, so prepare to queue.
There are tours that take people underneath the city to see the remaining canals but these tours are organised rarely and often directed to local residents rather than tourists. So, if you manage to get on one, consider yourself very fortunate.
4. Walk up to the Santuario Madonna di San Luca
No matter which direction you arrive in Bologna from, you will notice a big domed building on a hill before arriving in the city. This is the Santuario Madonna di San Luca (Sanctuary of the mother of Saint Luca). And you can easily walk up there!
Well, I say easily… It’s quite a long uphill but like most of Bologna’s Old Town, this whole way up is covered by a beautiful colonnade. At places it gets quite steep and there’s plenty of stairs, so you might want to reserve at least half a day for this adventure. Unless you want to sweat your arse off like I did.
I wouldn’t recommend this for those who have issues with their legs or knees, or suffer from breathing-related issues. But not to fret, you can also take a taxi or the cute tourist train up there! Because this is definitely one of my favourite spots in Bologna and I’d hate for you to miss it.
The views are spectacular and even though I didn’t witness it myself, I bet it’s a brilliant spot for watching the sun set!
5. Check out the Two Towers
When you walk off the Piazza Maggiore past the Neptune’s Fountain and look to the right, you’ll see a random tower sticking at the end of the street. When you walk closer you’ll realise there are actually two towers and one of them looks frighteningly like it’s about to fall down. The leaning tower of Bologna.
- These are towers that were erected by two families: the Garisenda family and the Asinelli family.
- They are the two remaining towers from what used to be potentially hundreds of similar constructions.
- The towers never offered any practical use, they were just ego (or dick) extensions like fancy cars are these days.
Influential families in Bologna used to erect these towers all over the city to show off their dominance against other influential families. Void of any practical use, most of the towers were knocked down a long time ago to make way for practical constructions like apartments and shops. The Garisenda tower is constantly monitored because it’s perilously close to falling down any day now.
Restaurant Recommendations for Bologna
Obviously one of the most important things to do in Bologna is to enjoy some delicious Italian delicacies. The cuisine is very different in northern Italy compared to the southern regions: up north they focus a lot more on meat. Of course there’s also pasta and pizza, and since we’re in Bologna, ragú bolognese is a must try!
As promised, these are my personal favourites from the city’s restaurants but to be honest, you can’t go wrong with most restaurants here:
- Marsalino – A small local restaurant just off the busiest part of the Old Town that offers very local and very delicious dishes. Reservation is a must!
- All’Osteria Bottega – Very popular restaurant among locals, which is the best guarantee of the high quality food they offer. Local delicacies but you must book a table beforehand.
- Bistrot Bonaccorsi – My favourite pizza in town, they use plenty of Mozzarella and you can enjoy the view of Porta Saragozza from their terrace.
- Sfoglia Rina – Recommended to me by my AirBnB host in Florence 2 years previously, and for a good reason! Prepare to queue.
- Berberé – This is a pizza chain that you can find everywhere in Italia; their pizzas are extra crunchy, so I recommend you try it.
I hope you enjoy your trip to Bologna as much as I enjoyed spending a winter there! ♥
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