Bologna, Italy: Self-Guided Walking Tour

The best things to do in Bologna include exploring Piazza Maggiore, following the city’s famous porticoes, visiting important churches and art museums, and discovering landmarks connected to Bologna’s medieval and university history. Bologna is also known for its distinctive terracotta architecture and lively civic atmosphere. Neywo offers a free Bologna audio guide with 72 narrated places.

What to See in Bologna

Piazza Maggiore and Its Medieval Palaces

Piazza Maggiore is Bologna’s principal square and the center of its civic, religious, and social life. It measures about 115 meters long and 60 meters wide, and its present form developed from the Middle Ages onward.

The square is surrounded by major historic buildings. The Palazzo del Podestà dates to around 1200 and is topped by the Torre dell’Arengo. Beside it stands Palazzo Re Enzo, built between 1244 and 1246 as an extension of the municipal buildings. The palace takes its name from Enzo of Sardinia, son of Emperor Frederick II, who was captured by Bolognese forces in 1249 and held there until his death in 1272.

On the western side, Palazzo d’Accursio closes the square. The southern side is dominated by the unfinished façade of the Basilica of Saint Petronius.

Palazzo dei Notai

Palazzo dei Notai is another defining building on Piazza Maggiore. The Society of Bolognese Notaries built it in 1381 as its headquarters. The section facing the Basilica of San Petronio belongs to that first phase, while the façade facing Palazzo d’Accursio was redone around 1437 by Bartolomeo Fioravanti.

The rectangular brick palace has a crenellated roofline and awnings at ground level. Inside, 15th-century frescoes preserve part of its history. Its façade also reflects the building’s original purpose, displaying a coat of arms with three inkwells and three quills.

The Basilica of San Domenico

The Basilica of San Domenico preserves the remains of Saint Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers, who died in 1221 in a cell of the adjoining convent. Its central artistic feature is the Arca di San Domenico, a marble tomb in the chapel on the right, about halfway down the basilica.

Two Bolognese saints, Proculus and Petronius, appear on the Arca holding a model of Bologna. Above it, Guido Reni’s dome painting depicts Saint Dominic in glory with Christ, the Madonna, and saints. The church also contains works by Michelangelo, Pisano, and Filippino Lippi, as well as Giunta Pisano’s 1250 Crucifix in the left transept.

The Porticoes of Bologna

Bologna’s porticoes are among the city’s most characteristic features. These covered galleries shape the ground floors of many central streets and connect churches, squares, palaces, shops, and other parts of the city.

Together, the porticoes extend for nearly 40 kilometers in the historic center and reach about 62 kilometers when those outside the medieval walls are included. In 2021, part of the porticoes was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Portico di San Luca is especially remarkable. It runs for about 3.8 kilometers between the city and the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, with 666 arches. Built between 1674 and 1793, it includes arches originally sponsored by prominent families, some with icons or small chapels.

Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca

The Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca stands on the forested hill of Colle della Guardia, southwest of Bologna’s historic center. It is a basilica dedicated to Marian devotion and is closely associated with pilgrimages to venerate the image of the Virgin Mary with the Child, known as “di San Luca.”

The distinctive pink basilica dates from 1732 and took fifty years to construct. Its interior follows the plan of a Greek cross and contains works by Donato Creti, Guido Reni, Vittorio Bigari, Guercino, and Domenico Pestrini. Reaching the sanctuary beneath the long San Luca portico is one of the city’s most memorable walks.

The Two Towers

The Two Towers, known in Italian as the Due torri, are among Bologna’s most recognizable medieval landmarks. Both towers lean: the taller Asinelli Tower and the smaller Garisenda Tower, which leans more noticeably.

The towers are traditionally associated with the Asinelli and Garisenda families and are thought to have been constructed between 1109 and 1119, although the early documentation is limited. Their distinctive forms have inspired writers including Giosuè Carducci, Charles Dickens, and Antal Szerb.

Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna

The Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna traces the development of painting from the 13th through the 18th century. Its collection offers a broad panorama of Emilian painting while also including important works by artists connected with the city from elsewhere.

Among the highlights are Vitale da Bologna’s Saint George and the Dragon, dated around 1335, and Giotto’s Madonna and Child with Saints. The museum notes that the latter is one of only three panel paintings in the world bearing Giotto’s signature.

Chiesa di San Girolamo alla Certosa

The Chiesa di San Girolamo alla Certosa is connected to the Certosa of San Girolamo di Casara, a Carthusian monastic center founded in Bologna in the 14th century. The complex was adapted as a public cemetery in the early 19th century.

The church retains paintings by Elisabetta Sirani, Canuti, Bibbiena, Bartolomeo Cesi, Antonio and Bartolomeo Vivarini, Ludovico and Agostino Carracci, and Guercino. In 1796, Bonaparte took artworks to Paris; after their return in 1815, they were deposited at the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna.

Other Places to Visit

Bologna’s historic and cultural landscape extends beyond its best-known center. Palazzo Pallavicini is a large 15th-century palace once known as Palazzo Alamandini, extending between Via San Felice, Via del Pratello, and Via de’Coltellini.

Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, inaugurated in 1927, is the home of Bologna FC. Originally called Stadio Littoriale, it was later known as Stadio Comunale before being dedicated to Renato Dall’Ara on June 3, 1984. Its design, particularly the integration of the stands into the architecture, became an influential model for stadiums elsewhere. The stadium hosted matches during the 1934 and 1990 FIFA World Cups.

For museum visits, Bologna also offers the Museo Ottocento Bologna, the Museum of Italian Basketball, and the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna. Smaller religious landmarks include Chiesa di San Paolo in Monte, also known as the Chiesa dell’Osservanza, and San Nicolò degli Albari.

Explore Bologna with a Free Audio Guide

Neywo has six walking tours, one bus route, and one bike route in Bologna. Together, they cover routes from 1.14 to 5.76 km and from 20 to 144 minutes, with tours featuring between 3 and 12 narrated stops. The audio guide includes 72 narrated places, and narration is available in 11 languages.

Choose a Bologna self-guided walking tour through Piazza Maggiore and the Pinacoteca, follow the porticoes out to the Certosa, explore Santo Stefano and Strada Maggiore, or discover the university quarter. There is also a bus route across Bologna’s Old Centre and a bike route from the San Luca arch to the Certosa and Porta Galliera.

Download Neywo and explore at your own pace: the app tells the story of each place as you reach it, with no group and no schedule. If you are continuing through the region, you can also discover Emilia-Romagna and nearby cities including Modena, Ferrara, and Ravenna.