Bologna, a city that surprised me and stole my heart a bit. A lovely place that is especially suitable for wandering around and enjoying what the Italian cuisine has to offer. Bologna is mainly known for its tasty food and red houses, but not for the large amount of sight-seeing places. Too bad, because they do exist! I compiled a nice list of sightseeing places to help you on your way during a first visit to Bologna.
#1 Piazza Maggiore
This is the main tourist attraction place of Bologna. All the major sights of the city can be found around Piazza Maggiore and it is therefore quite busy here. A number of terraces can be found on the edge of the square. In addition, in front of the square, in Piazza del Nettuno (Square of Neptune) stands a special statue of, indeed, Neptune.
#2 Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio
As far as I’m concerned, this is the most beautiful sight of Bologna. Located just behind Piazza Maggiore is Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio, the oldest university in Bologna. The main attraction of this former university is Teatro Anatomico, in other words, the anatomy room. This room is built entirely of wood, with a marble table in the middle on which a deceased person was dissected in the name of science in front of a whole audience. In addition, the many painted coats of arms are a beautiful sight. Every square inch of the walls is covered with these shields. When someone graduated cum laude, he was given an honorable place on the wall. Over time, the walls became full and large shields were painted over by a lot of smaller ones. Unfortunately, people have been a little too hopeful about this: there are plenty of small coats of arms that have remained unfilled. Special fact: Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio currently houses one of the oldest libraries in the world. If you want to see this, it is advisable to confidently walk in without a large camera in hand. The library is only accessible to people who come to study here, not to tourists.
#3 Biblioteca Salaborsa
There is a second library in the center of Bologna. Located right on Piazza Maggiore, Biblioteca Salaborsa is not to be missed. The outside is beautiful to see and that’s why many people stop at the door to take pictures. It is also worth taking a look inside. It’s free and especially the ceiling is definitely worth a look. In the basement there is the possibility to visit ancient Roman excavations.
#4 The towers of Asinelli and Garisenda
It seems that in the 12th century there were no less than 180 towers in Bologna. These are in the 13th century almost all demolished, probably for safety reasons. There are currently several towers in Bologna, including those of Asinelli and Garisenda. The Asinelli tower with its 97 meters is the height of the two. However, the Garisenda tower (48 meters) is more interesting because it is very skewed. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is leaning, but the Garisenda Tower is still a bit leaner. For 3 euros you can climb the Asinelli tower and get a beautiful view over Bologna. As far as I’m concerned, this is only recommended on a less beautiful day. When the sun shone, there was a long line at the entrance. When we climbed the tower on a cloudy, drizzly day, hardly anyone was there. Very nice, since the stairs are narrow and are used by both the people going up and the people coming back. I can imagine that on a busy day you mainly have to wait until you can climb further. Not pleasant.
#5 Cattedrale di San Pietro
Bologna is a city full of cathedrals and churches. It is therefore difficult to indicate which you really should have visited and which is less worthwhile. We found Cattedrale di San Pietro very beautiful. A richly decorated, traditional church with plenty to see. Definitely a must to walk in!
#6 Basilica di San Petronio
This is the strangest looking church I’ve ever seen. Its exterior is of rough stone, with white marble at the bottom. Churches are not always richly decorated or striking from the outside, but this church takes the cake in terms of a sober appearance. Striking detail: this shines the 5e largest church in Europe. We didn’t see it off, but maybe that was because of its inconspicuous appearance. Inside you will also find a rather austere church, with a white and terracotta-colored nave.
#7 Palazzo della Mercanzia
The exterior of this building is beautiful and shows the richness of Bologna in the past. The Italian Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture was located here. There is not much else to do at Palazzo della Mercanzia, but since it is literally around the corner from the two aforementioned towers, you can easily go and have a look here.
#8 The shopping street
There is a shopping street in almost all our city trip articles. We don’t do that on purpose, it’s just a fact that shopping streets in Mediterranean countries are often beautiful. The shopping street in Bologna is no exception. A super wide road (where no cars are allowed!) is framed by covered shopping arcades under which you will find a varied selection of shops. I myself fell in love with Bialetti’s shop: what beautiful kitchen items they have here! In the weekend there are a number of street artists doing their thing and it is pleasantly busy.
In addition to the above sightseeing places for tourists, Bologna has many interesting buildings, museums and churches. In that respect, two days in this city was not enough. Are you short on time and don’t want to miss anything? Then consider a guided bike tour through this city. Culture lovers can indulge themselves in Bologna because there is really a lot to see and a lot to learn about Northern Italian history. If you have a little longer time in Bologna, it is also recommended to travel to beautiful Florence for one or more days. With the express train you are in just 35 minutes from Bologna in Florence.
