Beyond the Porticos: A Practical Travel Guide to Bologna
My acquaintance with Bologna was not limited to just walking its streets or tasting the flavors on its plates.
In my first article, I explained how I felt about this city, what I ate, where I stayed, and what impressed me so much:
“Getting Lost Under the Porticos: A Slow Travel Guide to Bologna”
But now it’s time for a more practical, more list-based guide.
In this article:
- Must-see places in Bologna,
- Hidden corners outside the tourist crowds,
- And with my own map, you’ll find everything you can use in the city.
Bologna is still the same city — but this time it will be told for travelers who knock on the door before entering, take notes, and chart their own path.
🟥 Piazza Maggiore and its Surroundings (Heart of the City)
📍 Piazza Maggiore
Bologna’s largest and oldest square, Piazza Maggiore, has been the city’s meeting, celebration, and protest point since the 13th century.
The atmosphere of the square changes every hour of the day: calm and quiet in the morning, crowded and lively in the evening, and in the summer months, it transforms into a fascinating environment with the open-air film festival.
The square is surrounded by historical buildings, making it almost like an open-air museum.
When you come here, it’s enough to just look around, but sitting in the square at night and listening to the sounds of the city — that’s the real Bologna.
💡 Personal note: Watching a movie here under the stars on a summer evening was one of the most special memories of my life.
🕍 Basilica di San Petronio
This giant church is one of the largest in Europe, but it has an interestingly unfinished facade.
Its construction began in 1390 but was never finished. The huge volume inside is impressive, especially with its acoustics and use of light.
Entry is free, but appropriate attire is mandatory: shoulders and knees must be covered.
When I went with my girlfriend, she was not allowed inside, so definitely take this into consideration when planning your visit.
⏰ Visit duration: 15–30 minutes
💡 Details: The Sundial and Cassini’s lines are striking inside
🏛️ Palazzo d’Accursio (City Hall)
This is Bologna’s historic city hall. It looks plain from the outside, but once you get inside, it’s quite impressive with its frescoed rooms, inner courtyard, and a small museum.
Its history dates back to the 14th century. Some of its rooms are currently organized as museums.
The clock tower overlooking the square is one of the most striking parts.
🎟️ Entry: Usually free; if there is an exhibition, it may be paid
📸 My advice: Look up in the inner courtyard, the frescoes are overlooked
📚 Sala Borsa (Library & Archaeological Layers)
Although it looks like just a library from the outside, it will surprise you when you go inside:
The floor is covered with glass, and archaeological remains from the Roman period can be seen underneath.
This structure, which is used as a modern library today, combines the past and the present in the same space.
It can be visited silently, taking photos inside is allowed, but silence is expected.
💡 Personal contribution: The combination of stone floors and the smell of books took me out of time, I wanted to stay inside and watch the outside…
🗣️ Palazzo del Podestà – Whispering Arches
This structure, located right in the middle of the square, looks like a plain passage when viewed from the outside.
But when you go inside and pass to the two corners opposite each other, while one is whispering, you hear everything clearly in the other corner.
This sound echo system is no coincidence; The architecture of the arches built in the 13th century naturally provides this.
If you are two people, definitely experience this — it is quite surprising!
💡 Personal note: It was one of the moments we experienced and were very surprised. Simple but unforgettable.
🧜♂️ Fontana del Nettuno (Neptune Fountain)
This fountain, completed in 1566, brings the splendor of the Renaissance to the very center of Bologna.
The statue of Neptune symbolizes power and control, while the mermaids and sea creatures around it are also quite detailed.
Although taking a photo with your back to the square right in front of the fountain is a classic tourist moment, it is especially calmer if you go early in the morning.
📸 Photo tip: The light is softer in the morning, and the shadows are more aesthetic.
All these structures are a few steps away from each other, so they can all be easily seen within a 1-2 hour walk. But if you really want to feel Piazza Maggiore, I think the best way is to sit in a café and watch the time pass between these structures.
🟧 Due Torri – The Leaning Towers of Bologna
Two of the most iconic structures that shape the skyline of Bologna are the two leaning towers that reach into the sky of the city: Torre degli Asinelli and Torre Garisenda.
These towers are not only architectural structures but also reflect the social structure of Bologna in the Middle Ages.
In the Middle Ages, there were more than 100 towers in the city. Families built these towers as a symbol of wealth and power. The higher, the more prestigious. Today, only a few towers remain standing, but these two “sister towers” are still symbols of the city.
🗼 Torre degli Asinelli
- The tallest tower in Bologna is at 97 meters
- It is possible to climb to the top with 498 steps
- The city view from the top is amazing: porticos, red-tiled roofs, and the endless shades of Bologna at your feet
🎟️ Entrance fee: Approximately €5 (advance online reservation recommended)
🕒 Duration: 30–45 minutes total for the ascent + the view
⚠️ Warning: The steps are quite narrow and can be tiring
🗼 Torre Garisenda
- The shorter but more inclined tower — its inclination is very noticeable
- It is currently closed to visitors, but it is impressive to come up to it and see its inclination
💡 Fun fact: Dante mentions the inclination of this tower in his “Divine Comedy”
📸 Comparison with Pisa?
Many people compare the leaning of the towers to Pisa, but the situation here is different:
In Pisa, there is a tower standing alone in a square; here, these towers rise among narrow streets. This makes them feel more “raw” and real.
They are more like a historical relic than a commercial show. And maybe that’s why they are more meaningful.
💡 Personal note: Even if you don’t go up, just sitting at the foot of the towers and looking up is enough to establish a connection with the city. Bologna has never been shy about sharing the sky with these towers.
🟨 Quadrilatero Neighborhood – Street Flavors and Historical Shops
We can call this place the “clamshell” protected inner part of Bologna.
This historic neighborhood, consisting of four streets just behind Piazza Maggiore, has had the same function since the Middle Ages: trade, food, smells, and crowds.
But this place is not just about shopping; it is like a living street museum.
🍅 What to Find?
- Handmade pasta, local delicatessen products (mortadella, prosciutto, parmesan)
- Colorful fruit and vegetable stands
- Fresh fish and seafood
- Old shops with glass windows, non-chain butchers, and cheese shops
- Mini wine bars hidden in between, deli-style sandwiches with stools
🕰️ History
Some of the shops in this area have been run by the same family for centuries. If you pay attention to the upper parts of the shops, you can see the arch and brick details from the Middle Ages.
This is the heart of Bologna's real cuisine.
🍽️ What to Do?
- Eat a mini panini standing
- Buy fresh mortadella sandwiches and walk around
- Drink Lambrusco at a small wine bar
- Examine a pile of Parmesan cheese
- And smell, look, and taste a lot
🎯 My advice: Go at noon, but don't be too hungry. Because you will want to eat something at every corner.
📸 Photo tip: The colors are so vibrant that they make great shots in the morning or sunset light.
👜 Affiliate opportunity: For those who want to carry the flavors they get in the city home, a stylish “travel-friendly food bag” is recommended.
💬 Personal note: My girlfriend and I tasted so many things while walking around here that we forgot the idea of sitting down and eating at a restaurant. Every street corner was like a separate table. And the best part? Everyone was standing, but slow, unhurried.
🟩 Via Zamboni and the University District
One of the things that makes Bologna Bologna is not just its Porticos, towers, or cuisine; it is also the fact that it is home to the oldest university in Europe.
The University of Bologna was founded in 1088 and is still active. So, as you step into the past with every step you take in this city, the voice of youth echoes in your ears.
🎓 What is Via Zamboni?
A long two-way street that runs through the heart of the University of Bologna.
During the day, it is full of students, bookstores, and street artists.
In the evening, it takes on a lively atmosphere with live music, slightly crowded, and overflowing cafes.
📚 What Can You See?
- Main buildings of the University of Bologna
- Old faculties (law, medicine, etc.)
- Small libraries
- Antique bookstores
- Student cafes are covered in posters and political graffiti
☕ What to do?
- Grab a coffee and sit under the portico
- Browse through second-hand books
- Mix in with the student crowd and gather some “youth vibes”
- Hang out on the streets with a light drink in the evening
🎯 My advice: Quieter in the mornings and more energetic in the evenings. If you’re looking for “quiet Bologna”, go in the morning, but if you’re wondering “how the city’s heart beats”, go in the evening.
💡 Personal note: I felt like the past and the future were walking side by side while walking here. You make eye contact with someone with a backpack on their back, then when you look up you’re faced with a 900-year-old wall.
🟦 Santo Stefano Complex (Sette Chiese)
Seven churches, one silence.
The crowds, the buzz, and the students in other parts of the city give way to the echo of the stones here.
Santo Stefano is not just a building — it is actually a complex. In this area known as the “Sette Chiese” or “Seven Churches”, churches from different architectural periods that have been added on top of each other over time stand together. Although not all seven are actively open today, they work like a single deep breath with their intertwined courtyards and passages.
🕍 Why is it important?
- It bears traces of Roman and Lombard architecture, starting from the 5th century and extending to the Middle Ages
- The cross vaults, stone columns, quiet courtyards, and mosaics inside… It is as if the city takes you back a few centuries
- The fact that it contains a replica of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre makes it especially interesting in terms of religious history
🧭 Visit Information:
- Entry is generally free
- Ideal for a 30–45 minute visit
- Silence is important; there may be people praying or just resting inside
- Taking photos is allowed, but you must be quiet
📸 What Do You Feel?
This place is ideal for clearing your mind after the crowds, slowing down the rhythm of the streets.
Sitting in the cobblestone courtyard, touching the stones as you pass from one church to another, standing in the shadows...
Like disconnecting from modern life for a few minutes.
💡 Personal note: While walking inside, I heard not only the past but also myself more clearly. It was as if each stone was turning into someone who “knows how to speak in silence.”
🟪 Mercato delle Erbe (or Mercato di Mezzo)
You go there not to eat, but to explore.
One of the most effective ways to get to know a city is through the market. Markets are not just places to shop; they are living organisms where sound, smell, and rhythm intertwine.
Mercato delle Erbe is exactly that in Bologna: a living, breathing culinary showcase.
🧀 What to Find?
- Small square pizzas (our favorite!)
- Local salamis, mortadella, fresh pasta, and cheeses
- Sandwich shops, fruit and vegetable stands
- Local products such as wine, olive oil, and truffle oil
- Food courts where locals often have a quick snack while standing
🛍️ Price & Atmosphere
Much more affordable than other restaurants.
There are no fancy presentations here, but everything is fresh, fast, and real.
It’s a great place to take a short break, try different flavors, or just watch the surroundings.
It can get quite crowded during lunch hours, but it’s not hard to find a spot.
💡 Affiliate opportunity: Travel-friendly storage containers, a bag suggestion, a small cutting board, or a foldable shopping bag are recommended for the products here.
📍 Alternative: Mercato di Mezzo
Another small market areais very close to Piazza Maggiore.
A bit more “in-town” version, more organized but more touristy.
Still a good alternative to have a bite and relax with a local wine.
💬 Personal note: The pizzas we had at Mercato delle Erbe had a lot of flavor for their size. I thought with every bite, “Why is simplicity so satisfying?”
🟫 Finestrella di Via Piella – “Little Venice”
A window opens, but not as much as expected.
This spot, known as the “little Venice” of Bologna, is actually a tiny window in a narrow street.
When you look through it, you can see the Canale delle Moline, one of the rarely seen water canals of the city.
📍 What to expect?
- If you are expecting a “Wow!” feeling because of the photos you see on social media, you may be a little disappointed.
- But it is still worth a short visit as it shows a completely different side of the city.
- The canal passes silently between old brick buildings; the light is better in the morning and the water is clearer.
📸 My advice: For the best photos, between 09:00 and 11:00 in the morning. The shadows fall more in the afternoon.
💬 Personal note: When I approached the window, I did not encounter anything big, but this simplicity was beautiful. Bologna sometimes makes you feel more by “not offering much”.
🟧 Parco della Montagnola
A park during the day, a stage at night.
Located right across from Bologna Train Station, Parco della Montagnola is one of the oldest and most social parks in the city, frequented by both locals and travelers.
While there is a calm atmosphere with elderly people, children, and student groups resting in the shade of trees during the day, the rhythm changes with the evening.
🎶 Afternoon Spirit
The park suddenly comes alive on summer evenings.
Young people spread out on the grass, music is turned on, and everyone settles down somewhere with their own drink.
Sometimes dance music from small speakers, someone playing the guitar.
Like sitting in the same rhythm with people you don't know...
Free but calm. Crowded but controlled.
🍻 Drinks, Sociality, and Silence
Beers and wines purchased at affordable prices from nearby kiosks or markets are brought to the park.
Walking through the park, especially in the evening while walking to the center, is a great way to follow the rhythm of the day in Bologna.
Although alcohol seems to be forbidden, no one is bothered by it — just be respectful.
📌 Security Note
During our last visit, we noticed an increase in the number of refugees around the park.
Although we did not feel a direct threat, it is worth being cautious, especially in the evening and near the station.
Nevertheless, the park is usually lively and bright.
💬 Personal note: Just looking around was enough as we walked through the park before returning to the hotel. It was as if everyone was lost in their own moment, but we were all there together.
🕯️Hidden Corners & Unexpected Moments
For those who have not only seen Bologna…
This section is an invitation to the most beloved but least-told corners of Bologna.
Here are the moments and places that are off the tourist route, overlooked but have settled into your heart.
🕯️ 1. The Whispering Experiment – Palazzo del Podestà
A carefully placed architectural marvel in the middle of Piazza Maggiore.
Two people whisper in the corners of the arch, each hearing the other.
No technology, no effects, just acoustics.
Simple yet impressive – as if the city were sharing a secret.
🕯️ 2. Bialetti Showcase – Untaken Memories
A small display case sparkles with moka pots.
The smell of coffee seeps out.
You can’t go in, but you can establish a bond.
Some city memories are not taken, they are just looked at and stored in memory.
🕯️ 3. Where Shopping Turns into Theater – La Piazzola Market (Piazza VIII Agosto)
Every Friday and Saturday, Piazza VIII Agosto turns into a giant open-air stage.
Over 400 stalls…
Clothes, jewelry, bags, vintage-feeling details…
This is not a food market; it is a lively showcase of Bologna’s style, daily life, and relationship with the crowd.
Ideal for flowing, not wandering.
💡 Personal note: It is not like getting lost in the crowd, but blending in. The stalls here have a character you won’t find in a chain store.
🕯️ 4. Little Book Market – Corner of Piazza San Francesco
A small second-hand book market is set up on weekends.
Old magazines, yellowed postcards, handwritten recipe books…
You touch the past at a tiny table.
Everything costs 1-2 Euros, but it’s worth much more.
🕯️ 5. Medieval Street – Via del Pratello
Not known to tourists, but a popular spot for students and locals.
Its walls are covered in graffiti, and the bars are narrow but its soul is wide.
Ideal for a night walk – a little bohemian, a little rebellious.
The real Bologna feeling is here.
🕯️ 6. Overlooked Beauty – Giardino del Guasto
A tiny but green area right behind the Academy of Arts.
It’s hidden but open to the public.
Quiet during the day, you can hear a little youthful noise in the afternoon.
It’s good to take refuge here when you’re tired.
🕯️ 7. TasteAtlas’ Pistachio Ice Creams – Real Icons
When it comes to ice cream, Rome or Florence may come to mind, but Bologna is quite ambitious in this regard — in fact, it’s quietly at the top.
There are exactly two places from Bologna on TasteAtlas’ “100 Most Iconic Ice Creams” list.
Both have a common flavor: pistachio. But it’s not like everywhere else…
The real pistachio taste, with an intense but understated creaminess and that freshly roasted feel was seductive.
🍨 1. Cremeria Castiglione – Since 1994
Located in one of the quieter, more stylish corners of the city. Its pistachio ice cream is deeply flavored and has just the right consistency.
The simple design of the place is in harmony with the self-confident character of the ice cream.
Sit on a small bench and enjoy it quietly.
🍨 2. Galliera 49 – Since 1998
Located closer to the station, it has a younger, more energetic vibe.
Its pistachio ice cream is a bit “thick” but balanced. Its texture feels slightly like pistachio butter — very rich but not cloying.
Queuing is common here, but it’s worth the wait.
🍦 Local Recommendations – What to Try Besides Pistachios?
✅ Crema di Bologna:
A local variety that’s similar to vanilla but enhanced with orange peel, cinnamon, and a few other flavors.
Usually found in traditional homemade ice cream shops.
✅ Ricotta e Fichi (Ricotta and Fig):
Made with sweet figs and slightly salty ricotta cheese, this ice cream offers an unexpected yet perfect balance.
A dessert version of Bolognese cuisine that brings cheese to the table.
💬 Personal note: These two places were so different in pistachio ice cream. Same flavor name but completely different characters. Eating ice cream in Bologna is not a "sweet break", but a small taste journey.
✨ Mini Travel Tips
- Porticos protect you from all weather conditions: Enjoy the luxury of walking around without carrying an umbrella
- Daily trains are available: Cities like Modena, Verona, and Rimini are only 30-60 minutes away
- A city that is very suitable for exploring on foot: Bologna's rhythm is understood by your step
- No need to buy a city card: Apart from the museums, the spirit of the city is on the street
- Ice cream → not a break, but an experience: Castiglione and Galliera 49's pistachio ice creams are worth the wait
- Be careful around the station: Generally safe, but be careful at night
💭 Final Word: Bologna Was More Than Guidebooks
The width of Piazza Maggiore, the shadow of Torre Asinelli, the balance of tiramisu, or the music in the park...
Bologna is a city that lives in detail.
I hope this guide has shown you not only where to see, but also how to feel.
If you haven't read it yet:
➡️ [Getting Lost Under the Porticos: A Slow Travel Guide to Bologna]
in my first post, I sincerely told you how this city made me feel.
✨ Continue: For More About Bologna
This post has given you the must-see spots, hidden corners, and details that make you feel in Bologna.
But you may still have many questions:
- Where to stay in Bologna?
- What are the best hotels & hostels?
- Local flavors of the city and what to eat where?
- How to plan airport transportation and nearby city routes?
For answers to all these questions and much more, go to the next article:
➡️ [Bologna Travel Essentials: Accommodation, Food & Transport Guide]
💬 In Wanderoria, cities are not only seen, they are felt.
