The Ultimate Bologna Bucket list: Top 30 things to do in Bologna

The Italy Villa Holidays team are always super excited whenever we have a trip to Italy coming up and this time is no exception. We’re counting the days until we head to Bologna this Summer to explore the city and, whilst we have lots of work to do when we’re there, we’re going to make sure we have at least some free time to explore this beautiful city. We’re setting ourselves the challenge of ticking off at least half of this Bologna bucket list. How many have you ticked off?

1. Climb the 498 steps of the Torre degli Asinelli 
2. Enjoy the 4km walk from the centre of Bologna through the 666 arches of the Portico San Luca to the San Luca monastery
3. Discover the historic collections at the Museo Civico Archeologico
4. Admire the Oratorio dei Battuti adjacent to the Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Vita
5. Go shopping for clothes at the stalls of La Piazzola market
6. Clim the Torre Prendiparte, one of Bologna’s oldest buildings and once a prison
7. Visit FICO Eataly World
8. Discover Bologna’s hidden canals and take the perfect instagram snapshot from the Finestrella di Via Piella 
9. Visit the world’s oldest university and head to the first floor of the Archiginnasio to admire the restored Teatro Anatomico where anatomy lectures once took place
10. Shop for food at the Mercato delle Erbe and the Mercato di Mezzo
11. Admire the Neptune Fountain in the Piazza Maggiore
12. Shelter from the sun (or rain) in some of the 40 km of covered porticoes that Bologna can boast
13. Visit the Santuario di Santo Stefano 
14. Admire the artworks at Bologna’s National Gallery
15. Shop for designer goods on the Via dell’ Archiginnasio 
16. Visit the Cattedrale Metropolitana di San Pietro and climb to the top to admire the views
17. Discover the Roman ruins under the glass floor of the Sala Borsa Library
18. Taste the traditional foods of Bologna – Tortellini in Brodo, Tagliatelle al ragu Bolognese, Mortadella, Lasagna and more…
19. Take a stroll along one of Italy’s most picturesque streets – the Via Drapperie
20. Pay your respects at the Museum for the Memory of Ustica, a museum telling the story of a plane crash that took place in June 1980