Top things to do in Bologna

The many nicknames that Bologna has earned over the centuries reflect central tenets of the city's identity. La Grassa ("the fat one") celebrates its legendary food culture. La Dotta ("the learned one") tips its hat to the University of Bologna, founded in 1088. And La Rossa ("the red one") nods both to the city’s terra-cotta rooftops and its left-leaning politics. Together they sketch a portrait of a place where food, history and ideas mingle beneath miles of graceful porticoes. Come hungry and curious: this is a city made for savoring, strolling and lingering longer than you planned.

1. Eat traditional ragù in the city where it was invented

If you came to Bologna in search of "authentic" spaghetti bolognese, you’re out of luck. The name is a misnomer. Spaghetti Bolognese is about as Bolognese as roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, and Bologna’s fiercely traditional trattorias don’t serve it. Instead, the city prides itself on a vastly superior meat-based sauce called ragù, which sees slow-cooked minced beef and pork added to a soffritto (sautéed onions, celery and carrots), enlivened with a liberal dash of red wine, and simmered for hours.

One of the best places to try it is Trattoria Bertozzi. Here, in-the-know locals, food experts and Bologna FC superfans gather to indulge in authentic local specialties. The antics of loud and brash partners Alessandro and Fabio only up the ante on this authentic Bolognese experience. 

2. Feast on lasagne, tortellini, mortadella and more local staples

At last count, Bologna’s city center had over 700 restaurants. It’s generally hard to find a bad meal here (though you definitely need reservations at the best places, at least a week in advance). In addition to ragù, lasagna, tortellini, mortadella, gramigna con salsiccia (pasta with sausage ragù), passatelli (pasta made with breadcrumbs, eggs and Parmesan) and cotoletta alla bolognese (fried veal cutlet topped with prosciutto and Parmesan) all originate from this area. At the richly traditional Al Cambio, the lasagna is the standard by which all others are judged.

Al Sangiovese is another excellent spot to sample local food, run by a friendly husband-and-wife team known for generous portions and warm hospitality. Or try trendy Oltre, which bucks tradition with creative nightly specials, while still offering outstanding modern versions of classic dishes.

Detour: For an authentic Bolognese experience, consider exploring the nearby hills called the Colli Bolognesi. At popular destination restaurants like Nuova Roma, Osteria dal Nonno and Agriturismo Granoantico, locals devour platters of mortadella, prosciutto di Parma DOP, salumi and farmstead cheeses served between crescentine (fried dough squares) and tigelle (baked round bread) – with nary a tourist in sight!

3. Make time for more dining experiences at the old food market

Stroll around the city’s old food market, a grid of narrow lanes just southeast of Piazza Maggiore called the Quadrilatero. Follow your senses as you explore a display of freshly made tortelloni filled with ricotta, heaps of mortadella and buckets of slow-cooked ragù.

Planning tip: For a deeper dive into local kitchens, get cooking with Cesarine, a national private cooking-class network born in Bologna offering wonderful opportunities to learn the city’s signature dishes inside the homes of local culinarians. 

4. Call into one of the largest churches in Europe

The 13th-century Piazza Maggiore is dominated by Basilica di San Petronio, Europe’s sixth-largest church. Construction started in 1390 but was never completed, so its main facade remains unfinished to this day. Inside, look for the massive sundial that stretches 67.7m down the eastern aisle. Designed in 1656 by Giovanni Domenico Cassini and Domenico Guglielmi, it was key in identifying anomalies in the Julian calendar and helped lead to the development of the leap year.

5. Tour the city's signature porticoes

Bologna’s 62km of signature porticoes, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2021, began appearing in the 12th century to expand commercial and artisanal activities, and to accommodate a growing influx of students at the University of Bologna. By building roofs over the sidewalks, the city could extend space in the upper stories without erecting new buildings. Spend a few hours wandering and look out for highlights: stunning fossils embedded in the Veronese red stone used for Piazza Maggiore’s Portico del Pavaglione, the city’s most famous feature; Portico Via Farini, showcasing vibrant 19th-century frescoes by Gaetano Lodi; and the terra-cotta busts gazing at passersby along Portico Palazzo Bolognini in Piazza Santo Stefano. 

On weekends, join throngs of locals for the trek up the world’s longest portico, Portico di San Luca, which features about 664 arches as it ascends past the stations of the cross to the Basilica Santuario della Madonna di San Luca overlooking the city.

Planning tip: Reserve ahead for an outstanding meal at All’Osteria Bottega to enjoy the city’s best petroniana-style veal cutlets (topped with prosciutto di Parma and parmigiano reggiano) under the Portico Santa Caterina.

6. Visit Lucio Dalla's eccentric home and man cave

A kid-in-a-candy-store spectacle awaits at Casa di Lucio Dalla, the Bologna home of one of Italy’s most beloved and eccentric musicians, Lucio Dalla. Hidden inside the 15th-century Casa Fontana poi Gamberini, this house museum is one of the city’s most exciting off-the-radar attractions. The home, almost untouched since Dalla’s passing in 2012, features an impressive collection of art and is filled with personal artifacts (awards, cigarette cases, pocket watches, musical instruments) and antiques from around the world, along with original frescoes. Dalla’s extraordinary man cave, the Stanza dello Scemo (Fool’s Room), offers a breathtaking look into the artist's world. 

Planning tip: Reserve ahead at Bologna Welcome.

7. Visit the music museums in this UNESCO Creative City of Music

Bologna was designated a UNESCO Creative City of Music in 2006 and is home to two amazing music museums worth dedicating half a day to explore. First, visit Museo Internazionale e Biblioteca della Musica di Bologna and wander in awe of one of the most astonishing collections of musical artifacts in the world, including extinct instruments and documents curated from the lifelong collection of Giambattista Martini, who is regarded as a human Wikipedia of musical history. This humble friar single-handedly created the world’s first encyclopedia of ancient musical knowledge with no money and no resources in the mid-18th century, earning him the title of father of maestros.

Then head over to San Colombano – Collezione Tagliavini, where Chilean ancient music history specialist Catalina Vicens oversees a wonderful collection of over 80 musical instruments collected by the late organist Luigi Tagliavini. Many of the harpsichords, pianos and oboes on display date from the 1500s and, even more impressively, are still fully functional – ask Catalina to play them for you. 

8. Save an afternoon for a medieval marvels tour 

On the western side of Piazza Maggiore, Bologna's main square, is the Palazzo Comunale (Palazzo d’Accursio), which has housed the Bologna city council since 1336, along with the Collezioni Comunali d’Arte, a collection of paintings, sculptures, and furniture from the 13th to 19th centuries. Visit the attached 13th-century Torre dell’Orologio for sweeping views of the city, including Bologna's symbol: the leaning 97.2m-high Torre degli Asinelli and its shorter, off-limits neighbor, Torre Garisenda.

Finally, there’s Basilica di Santo Stefano, Bologna’s most unique religious site, a labyrinth of interlocking ecclesiastical structures dating to the 11th century, whose architecture incorporates Romanesque, Lombard and even ancient Roman elements. Finish things off with an aperitivo in Piazza Santo Stefano, Bologna’s most beautiful square.