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Piazza Maggiore, Bologna

No. 75 Top 100 City Destinations 2025

Bologna

Italy

Italy's food capital: miles of porticoes, leaning towers, a medieval university and tagliatelle al ragù.

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Photo: Vanni Lazzari, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Bologna is No. 75 in Euromonitor International's Top 100 City Destinations Index 2025. The capital of Emilia-Romagna is home to the oldest university in the Western world, founded in 1088.

Its porticoes, covered walkways that line the streets for many kilometres, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed in 2021. The city is famous for its food, including mortadella, tortellini and tagliatelle al ragù.

Via Rizzoli and the Two Towers, Bologna
Via Rizzoli and the Two Towers, Bologna. Photo: Armin Kleiner, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Best time to go

April to June and September to October are the most pleasant.

Summers are hot, and many locals leave in August, when some restaurants close.

Top sights

  • 1

    Piazza Maggiore

    The main square, framed by the Basilica of San Petronio and the city's medieval palaces.

  • 2

    The Two Towers

    The leaning medieval towers of Asinelli and Garisenda; check whether the Asinelli climb is open before you plan a visit.

  • 3

    Archiginnasio

    The university's former main building, with a wooden anatomical theatre.

  • 4

    Sanctuary of San Luca

    A hilltop church reached by the world's longest portico, about 3.8 km with 666 arches.

  • 5

    Quadrilatero

    Old market streets near Piazza Maggiore, full of delis, food shops and bars.

  • 6

    Basilica of Santo Stefano

    A group of interlinked medieval churches known as the Seven Churches.

Getting there

Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ) is about 6 km north-west of the centre; the Marconi Express monorail reaches the central station in about 7 minutes.

High-speed trains link Bologna Centrale with Florence in under 40 minutes, Milan in about 1 hour and Rome in about 2.5 hours.

Getting around

The historic centre is compact and best explored on foot, under the porticoes. TPER buses serve the wider city.

Practical tips

Currency
Euro (EUR). Cards, including contactless, are accepted almost everywhere.
Language
Italian. English is spoken in hotels and many restaurants.
Safety
Bologna is generally safe; watch for pickpockets around the station and in crowded areas. The emergency number is 112.
Visa & entry
Italy is in the Schengen Area. Many visitors, including citizens of the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) now records non-EU travellers' entries and exits at the border, and the ETIAS travel authorisation is due to follow. Check the official EU site travel-europe.europa.eu and your own government's travel advice before you go.
Power
230 V, 50 Hz; plug types C, F and L.

Official information: Bologna Welcome (official tourist office website). Check opening hours, prices and entry rules there before you go.

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