Bologna Key Attractions

While Bologna is often overlooked by visitors who instead choose to travel to Venice or Florence, the one-time jewel of the Roman Empire is home to numerous wonderful sites that offer a glimpse into history as well as a thriving cultural and artistic scene that reveals the region’s pulse today. Here are some of our top recommendations for attractions in Bologna.

Piazza Maggiore

In the heart of the oldest part of Bologna and surrounded by beautiful and immense medieval and Renaissance architecture, the Piazza Maggiore is a huge square that can easily provide a full day of exploring, dining, drinking and relaxing. Street musicians and performers often congregate here to entertain, and people-watching is a popular pastime in the piazza.

Basilica di San Petronio

Bologna’s largest church, the Gothic-style Basilica di San Petronio is the fifth largest of its kind in the world. In fact, its original plans were altered after the Vatican ruled that it could not be larger than the pope’s residence in Rome, St Peter's. Construction began on the church in 1392, but was interrupted due to political reasons.

Fountain of Neptune (Fontana di Nettuno)

The ornate Fountain of Neptune, located between the popular and central Piazza del Nettuno and the Piazza Maggiore, was built in 1566, and the immense statue of Neptune, lording over angels and fishes, still serves as a popular meeting point in the heart of the old city.

Piazza di Porta Ravegnana

The tallest points in Bologna, the towers of Torre Asinelli and Torre Garisenda, are located at this plaza, and the highest of the two can be climbed. Two hundred years ago, Goethe climbed to this very point atop the Torre Asinelli, which offers a breathtaking vista of the Pianura Padana, or the plains of the River Po.

University quarter

Northeast of the two towers, in Bologna’s more modern district, the University quarter offers a multitude of bars and cafés. Europe’s academic history can be traced here to the vast University of Bologna, the continent’s oldest university, founded more than 900 years ago. Both then and today, the university is renowned as an international centre for study, attracting students from all over the world.

Museums

There’s no shortage of museums in Bologna, with more than 45 institutions across the city. Perhaps the most renowned and visited is the Archeological Museum, which houses artefacts and treasures from the region’s past, dating back to the city’s origins as an Etruscan town. For a more focused view of the Middle Ages, visit the Medieval Museum, which is housed in a 15th century building and features arms, ivories and illuminated manuscripts as well as glass and bronze works. The Museo della Tappezzeria is a great museum holding an array of ancient tapestries, located in a splendorous villa that is adorned with a garden and park. For more modern Italian culture, try the Museo Ducati, replete with films and photos documenting the famous luxury sports motorcycle as well as splendid lineup of past and present models. For fine art, go to the Museo Morandi, home to the largest collection of works by hometown painter Giorgio Morandi.