15 Immersive Things to Do in Bologna For Solo Travelers

Did you know that Maserati (yes, the car) originated in Bologna, and that you can still find the inspiration for its logo if you know where to look?

That’s the beauty of knowing not only what to see, but why you should see it, too!

An absolute history nerd that I am, I collected my hours in Bologna by exploring every nook, cranny, church, museum, and restaurant in the city.

Now I’m here to share with you the most solo-friendly, super cultural things to do in Bologna and why each of them deserves your time.

From walking the UNESCO heritage porticoes (including the longest one in the world), having a sip of wine in Europe’s oldest tavern, learning how to make pasta in a local’s home, to wowing at a 17th-century anatomy classroom, get ready to nerd out as hard as I did.

I wouldn’t blame you if you never want to go home afterwards. Real talk.

Why I Think Bologna’s Freakin’ Great for Solo Travelers

Bologna’s very solo-friendly for a few solid reasons.

First, it’s very safe. The city vibe itself is calm, mellow, and a bit intellectual (it reminds me a bit of Boston, if you know what I mean). The locals are friendly and helpful.

The historical center is also very walkable. I don’t know about you, but taking long walks on a solo trip helps me process my own experiences, and I end up enjoying the trip on a much deeper level.

Plus, you know how you feel more alone and miserable with wet socks? (😂) None of those problems here. With over 60 kilometers of porticoes around the city, you’re more than safe from getting soaked in the rain!

A Quick Introduction to Bologna

Next to more famous cities like Rome, Florence, or Milan, I think it’s safe to say that only the cool kids visit Bologna. (Yes, you and me both 😉)

Let me quickly introduce the most important things about Bologna, so everything you see and do holds even more weight.

The city’s history dates back over 2,700 years before the unification of Italy, when it was once known as “Felsina” and inhabited by the Etruscan people.

Influences you’ll see from that era are the long, wide pastas like Tagliatelle and Lasagna.

With Bologna’s nickname being La Dotta, La Grassa, La Rossa (The Learned, The Fat, and The Red), you know what to pay attention to: The oldest university in Europe, local dishes from the country’s food capital, and the famously red terracotta buildings and porticoes!

The Icons of Bologna You Shouldn’t Miss

As much as people like to say that some tourists are better than others (as long as we remain respectful, otherwise, yes, we would be bad tourists), a tourist is a tourist.

So I’ll start with the biggest icons of Bologna that you need to see.

Bologna itself is not nearly as touristy as Rome or Florence, so none of these places will ever be overrun with tourists anyway. There’s no reason to skip them!

1. Wander Around Piazza Maggiore

One of the best spots to people-watch in Bologna is also the best place to start exploring the city!

Piazza Maggiore (which means the Main Square) is inarguably Bologna’s heart, where people would gather for anything from live music to protests.

The square is also surrounded by the city’s top sights. Palazzo del Podestà, Palazzo d’Accursio, Palazzo dei Notai, and Basilica di San Petronio are all here.

While the ground floor of Palazzo dei Notai is occupied by modern businesses, it’s good to know that it once housed the Notary Guild of Bologna.

Walk closer to the Fountain of Neptune and take a good look at his trident. Doesn’t it look exactly like the Maserati logo? That’s because it was the inspiration for Mario Maserati’s design!

I also love sitting on the steps in front of Basilica di San Petronio at night. Palazzo del Podestà always lights up in different colors.

On some nights, people will even gather around for a good dance to live music.

2. Find the “Wireless Phone” Inside the Mayor’s Vault

While you’re exploring the nooks and crannies of Piazza Maggiore on your first morning, head into Palazzo del Podestà and right under Torre dell’Arengo, where locals call it “voltore del podestà.”

Each of the four corners surrounding you will echo any whispers made near them back to the corner diagonal from it!

I’d say this is the most “solo-unfriendly” item on the list because you’d need two people to test out the theory.

Most walking tours of the city include it as a stop, though. Asking your guide to pair up with you is a good way to test it as a solo traveler.

Take care to notice before you leave… that Torre dell’Arengo, uh… is a tower with no base. That’s why you’re standing right underneath it in the first place!

3. Stroll Under the Porticoes (Don’t Miss the Medieval Ones!)

One of the best things about Bologna is its abundance of covered walkways called Porticoes, now recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

These date back to the medieval age, when local artisans needed a covered space to showcase their works without getting them ruined by the weather.

With the growth of the university in the 11th century, more of them were built around the city.

The extra “building space” right above the walkway, formerly used to store artisanal tools, became lodging for students from out of town.

Today, there are over 60 kilometers of porticoes all over Bologna, with four of those leading from Porta Saragozza all the way up to San Luca Sanctuary.

The most ornately painted one is Portici di Piazza Cavour e Via Farini.

Don’t forget to look for the few medieval ones still remaining! The easiest one to find is right at the end of Via Santo Stefano that merges into Piazza della Mercanzia.

4. Peek Through the Finestrella di Via Piella

Bologna was once a city with countless canals, not unlike Venice. However, all the canals have been covered with streets… except one.

You can find it on Via Piella, where there’s a cute little window (finestrella) for you to peek out at it.

You’ll also quickly find that the window is a tourist gimmick (that works 😅) because you can get a better view of the same canal just across the street.

There’s not even a wall on that side, just an open bridge!

I’d say it’s a bit of a stretch to speed-walk there from the center just to see the window.

Why not make it a part of your walk up to an epic meal at Trattoria del Rosso or the coziest cup of hot chocolate at Oro Panzerotto?

Foodie Experiences You’ll Love

When in the food capital of Italy, any diet regimen you’ve been following needs to go straight out the window. Tell your trainer in advance that you’re sorry, but how can you not, though?

Here are some foodie experiences you can’t ever leave Bologna without trying. If you have to break your healthy food routine anyway, might as well just make the best of it, am I right?

5. Sample Local Food in Quadrilatero With a Local Guide

As a cultural traveler, one of the first things I do as soon as I hit a new city is join a food tour.

Food is a large part of any culture, and there’s no faster way to understand a place’s culture than to have a local explain it to you.

In as little as three hours, you’ll have tasted the most popular specialties from the region, found out where you want to eat (or not) for the rest of your time there, and maybe make a few friends.

Learning to pair Squacquerone cheese with Parma ham while chatting with the guide inside the oldest Osteria in Europe was truly a mood.

6. Eat Your Way Through the City’s Best Restaurants

There are countless wonderful restaurants around the city. Trattoria del Rosso, Osteria Solferino, and Drogheria della Rosa were some of my favorites.

Avoid inauthentic places that serve you reheated food by looking for shorter menus and running away from places that make both pizza and pasta.

If you’re not in the mood to fight anyone for a reserved table, Mercato di Mezzo will always be there for you.

The city’s “middle market” became the city’s first covered market in the 1860s. Today, you can line up at any of the shops inside and get food to eat at any open table.

Have I mentioned never ordering another region’s dish when in Italy? Here are the local dishes from Emilia-Romagna you should try in the trattorias and osterias you go to!

7. Bring Cured Meat into Europe’s Oldest Osteria

Osteria del Sole has been around since 1465. It is definitely the oldest tavern in Europe, and possibly the world, but I’ll save that ambitious thought.

The only sign you’ll see outside is a little plaque that says “vino” (wine) above the doors. Or if the place is closed, a sun spray-painted onto the metal roll-up door.

They serve nothing else inside but wine, so you’ll have to buy the goodies from somewhere else to bring in.

I recommend some cheese and cured meat, like Mortadella, Parma ham, or Salame rosa from Salumeria Simoni. They go amazingly with the house sparkling white wine.

The place gets super crowded the later in the day you go. What’s the best way to ensure you get a seat? With the 9-menu food tour that I keep raving about.

8. Learn to Make Pasta by Hand in a Local’s Home

Taking a local cooking class is one of the most amazing foodie activities anywhere.

But it’s hard to avoid those commercialized classes with 20 foreigners surrounding one polished marble counter at some cooking school.

In this cooking class I took in Bologna, that doesn’t happen. Instead, you actually get to enter a local’s home and learn from them in a very intimate setting.

I really got to connect with my host in a way that I could only get from spending several hours alone with her.

We got to talk about where she’s from, her family traditions, what her grandmother told her to help her avoid perfectionism while making pasta, and so many other stories.

It was the most unforgettable few hours of my time in Bologna.

9. Enjoy the Best Gelatos in Town

How can you be in Italy and not crave gelato, right?

But even in Italy, not every gelateria you see will be a good one. Knowing which ones sell freshly-made gelato or are popular among locals makes all the difference. For that, I’ve done the work for you.

Try Crema Libanese at Cremeria Santo Stefano or Pistachio at Cremeria Cavour. Both places are native to Bologna and have yet to branch out to any other city.

For Culture and History Nerds

If you love nerding out on culture and history (ahem… like me), these next three things should fly straight onto your list. These are some fascinating sights and information.

10. Admire the Ornate Churches of Bologna

I don’t know how many catholic churches there are in Bologna, but you surely can’t see them all in a week or two.

Don’t worry, though. Each of the best seven of them has a special thing of its own, and I can help you decide which one to visit while you’re there.

If you don’t know where to start, visit Basilica di San Petronio, right off Piazza Maggiore.

It’s the city’s main church, so massive that its original plan got blocked by the pope. No one was supposed to build a church bigger than St. Peter’s in the Vatican, but the Bolognese were gonna do it. 😂

The world’s longest sundial is inside this church, which you can see, along with a working organ that dates back to the 15th century.

My second favorite church was Basilica di San Domenico, where you’ll find important Renaissance artworks from Michelangelo and Niccolò dell’Arco.

11. Visit a Museum and Learn Bologna’s Backstory

Wondering how you can possibly learn all of Bologna’s long history? A visit to Palazzo Pepoli does the trick.

This building, originally a palace of the ruling family, has been converted into the city’s history museum.

It took me over two hours to walk, listen, and read my way through its 35 exhibition halls, but the knowledge I gained about the city was well worth that time.

Tip: Walk along Via de’ Pepoli towards Piazza Santo Stefano, and you’ll find the original Maserati factory on the way. There’s not much to see but a plaque marking it as a historical building, but why not see it once?

Palazzo Pepoli Visitors’ Information

• Hours of Operation: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM (Closed on Tuesdays)
• Admission Fee: €10 (€7 for visitors over 65)
• Address: Via Castiglione, 10, 40125 Bologna BO, Italy

More interested in Etruscan-era objects? Then the Archeological Museum is your place, with its collection of countless Etruscan artifacts and tombstones.

Check the underground exhibition hall for what else is on show.

Archeological Museum Visitors’ Information

• Weekday Hours: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Closed on Tuesdays)
• Weekend Hours: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
• Admission Fee: €6
• Address: V. dell’Archiginnasio, 2, 40124 Bologna BO, Italy

12. Visit the Anatomical Theater from the 17th Century

Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio is a must-visit for a few reasons.

One, it was the first unified seat of the University of Bologna, after 500 years of scattered classes held in teachers’ homes. Second, the frescoes inside are just stunning to look at.

And most importantly, you can still take a tour of the place to see an anatomy classroom from 1637, where medical students and artists watched human dissections for educational purposes.

The room is all wood, with wooden walls and wooden statues of ancient physicians.

Don’t miss the statue of Luigi Galvani in the courtyard right outside the building.

If the word Galvanism sounds familiar to you, you’d know that his study kickstarted electrophysiology. In layman’s terms, this man helped us figure out how our brains send signals to our bodies today.

Trails and Stairs Up to the Best Views of the City

Are you fit? No, really, are you? If your mind and body are up for some uphill steps, boy, does Bologna have some amazing views for you.

Here are my two favorite viewpoints, one right in the middle of the city and the other quite far out.

I’d also like to give a quick shoutout and a minute of silence for the Torre Prendiparte rooftop climb, which will permanently close to the public from January 2026 (but luckily, I got to do 😌).

13. Walk the World’s Longest Portico to San Luca

It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the longest covered walk in the world.

For 3.8 kilometers (roughly 2.4 miles), it leads from Porta Saragozza out of the city center and goes up the hill towards Santuario Madonna di San Luca.

Notice the number on each arc as you walk up the portico. There are exactly 666 of them. This number was intentional because as the evil serpent snakes up the hill, it gets subdued by the virgin (the sanctuary).

The flat walk from Porta Saragozza took me 20 minutes at a relaxed pace, and the climb took 45 minutes with a few short breaks.

The view up there is so worth it, though. You could look back at the city center or out the other side at the rolling green hills. They’re equally amazing.

I recommend starting your walk no later than 8 AM to avoid the crowd, both on the walk and up at the sanctuary.

I had a nice, quiet time up there, but there were a lot of people passing me on my way back down. A lot. And it was winter.

14. Climb the Clock Tower at Palazzo d’Accursio

It’s a bummer that the Asinelli Tower (the taller of the two leaning ones) is closed to the public until further notice.

You used to be able to climb up there for a good view of Bologna, but Garisenda (the lower and more leaning one) started leaning over so much that it became a safety concern for Asinelli, too.

But even though the clock tower on Piazza Maggiore seems a lot lower than Asinelli, it still gives you a pretty epic view.

I saw all the main landmarks I wanted to see, and I noticed Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vita for the first time up there.

Book your visit directly with the city’s tourism office, and you’ll also get to visit the Municipal Art Collection for free. Both are inside Palazzo d’Accursio.

Hidden Gems for When You Have Extra Time

So you’ve done everything on the list, but your flight is not until the next morning?

I have just the perfect way for you to wind down, people-watch, and process everything you’ve seen and done in Bologna.

15. Relax at Giardini Margherita

Right outside the southeastern edge of the historical center, you’ll find Giardini Margherita. It’s not one of those fancy gardens you’d expect in Europe, but more a public park where locals hang out.

But you may be excited to know that the largest number of Etruscan artifacts were found right under this garden. That means those original inhabitants of the area were living right where you stand.

If you want to enjoy this park exactly the same way I did, head to Paolo Atti & Figli, the oldest running bakery in town, before you head south.

Grab a few Raviole alla mostarda to go, and enjoy them on a bench as you watch how the locals spend their time inside the park.

Follow My Cultural Itinerary for Bologna

Not sure how to put all these things together? I’ve designed two itineraries for you for:

• One day in Bologna, and
• Two days in Bologna

Especially for cultural foodies, here are the top Bolognese dishes to try, and my favorite restaurants in the city, mostly inside the historical center.

Still need to look for somewhere to stay in the city? I can tell you where to stay so you won’t need any rides at all. Don’t forget to check the most important cultural tips you should know for Italy, too!

FAQs About Traveling to Bologna

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