Top Things to Do in Bologna, Italy | ULTIMATE Bologna Travel Guide

Bologna is an incredible city in the heart of Italy, where medieval architecture meets modern charm. So in this travel guide, we're walking through the top things you need to do when you visit Bologna, Italy. So grab your passport and let's dive right in. The first spot you need to visit is Piazza Maggiore. Being centrally located and over 800 years old, this place is packed with history. It's actually the first public square built in Italy after the fall of the Roman Empire. And with the addition of its medieval architecture and adjacent buildings, there is a ton to see here. For starters, Neptune's Fountain in the square is the most iconic fountain in all of Bologna. Being commissioned by the Pope himself, the fountain is packed with symbolism. Its four bronze dolphins symbolize key rivers across the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. This design was submitted into a competition to build a similar fountain in Florence, but lucky for Bologna, it lost. And the city decided to build the design here instead. While near Neptune's Fountain, you'll need to wander into the Beneath the square's famous Palazzo del Podesta. This alley houses one of Bologna's best-kept secrets, the Whispering Wall. One of the things you have to do in Bologna is check out the Whispering Walls. So believe it or not, if you actually face these arches and you whisper up, your sound transmits perfectly over the arches to the other side of the room. And while this is an architectural marvel, we've heard it's been used for some pretty interesting things over the years. We actually heard during the plague, they used these to communicate with safe social distancing. We actually heard that lovers were able to use this to talk to each other without anyone knowing across the archway. So kind of cool to hear the little bit of lore behind this interesting spot. Courtney, do you read? Over. Loud and clear. Over. Roger. Be sure to like it. So if you want to find the Whispering Walls, it's basically at the intersection of Neptune's Fountain and Basilica San Petronio. And of course, while in Piazza Maggiore, you'll need to visit the Basilica of San Petrino, which is the largest brick Gothic church in the world. While free to enter, you'll need to have your shoulders covered. And if you're a woman, your knees as well. This is strictly enforced, but they do sell paper shawls at the entrance. If you don't meet the dress code to enter, while inside, be sure to take notice of the lines on the floor that make this church the largest sundial in the entire world. Next on our list is to visit another key icon and probably the most defining structures of Bologna's skyline, the two towers. While Bologna's skyline used to have almost 200 towers, not only 20 or so remain standing. The two most famous are the Assinelli and Garisenda towers, one of which has been leaning for over 600 years and the other being a massive 900-year-old tower. To climb the tall tower, you'll need to visit the website below to secure tickets. Once inside, it's a grueling walk up to the top on some tricky wooden stairs. For those scared of heights, consider sitting this one out. However, if you do make it to the top, you'll be greeted by one of the best views in all of Bologna. We enjoyed the views from the top and felt it helped us get our bearings in this neat city. So we are inside the taller of the two towers right now. You can reserve a time slot online to climb it. And it is quite the hike to get to the top. We climbed the belt tower in Florence and we thought that was exhausting. And this was way more exhausting. And the stairs are way more rickety, but the views you get at the top of Bologna are absolutely worth it. You get amazing views of the main square. You can see all the cathedrals, all the red roof buildings. It's an amazing view. And if you look closely, you can even see the smaller tower to your right. Believe it or not, that smaller tower used to be a lot taller. Actually about 650 years ago, they cut the tower down to size to make it lean a little bit less. And when you see it from above, it is definitely leaning still. If you're scared of heights, maybe consider escaping this because it is one of the more frightful and exhausting towers we've climbed. So keep that in mind if you decide to do this. So behind me, we have the leaning tower. And believe it or not, this tower is actually leaning more than the leaning tower Pisa, which is a little known fact. And you get way less people doing one of these guys out front. So if it was a little bit more authentic. And no trip to Bologna would be complete without seeing Bologna's Basilica di San Luca. Nestled on the top of a large hill overlooking the city, this beautiful church has great views and stunning architecture. With its orange-hued walls and intricate interior, this 258-year-old church is a must-see spot in Bologna. So we've made it to the top of the Sanctuary Madonna di San Luca, and the views you get from the top are absolutely incredible. The church itself is pretty pretty. There's actually been a church on this hill for over a thousand years, and you can clearly see why. With views like this of the countryside and the city below, it's absolutely a breathtaking spot to put a basilica. And getting to the basilica is actually all a part of the experience. To get here, you'll walk up the world's longest portico, and it is long. There's actually 666 arches that make up this portico. And that number, we think, is intentional. People think that the shape of the portico resembles a snake. And so the sanctuary at the top is symbolically conquering the devil in that way. It's definitely a pretty long walk up. It took us about an hour from the start of portico to reach the basilica. So definitely give yourself some time to explore here. And definitely bring some water too, because it is exhausting. You kind of alternate between ramps up and stairs up. So it's definitely a workout. If you break a sweat while coming up here, there is a water bottle station that fills up the bottle at the top. So bring one if you're worried about getting thirsty. And really quick, we want to give a big thanks to the partner of today's video, Mint Mobile. We're so excited to be working with Mint Mobile, because one of the best ways you can save money for travel is to bring down your reoccurring costs. And if you ever really considered how much your existing phone plan is costing you, big wireless companies want to trap you in expensive plans. Let me introduce Mint Mobile's owner and user to quickly demonstrate what this feels like. 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Go to trymintmobile.com slash you're in the road, also linked in my description, to get premium wireless for as low as $15 a month. Thanks again to Mint Mobile for partnering with us on this video. Now let's jump back to Italy. And while we're talking about San Lucas porticos, while in Bologna, you need to admire the city's other famous porticos. Believe it or not, Bologna has more porticos than any other city on earth. And all throughout the city, these covered walkways provide both beauty and protection from the elements. These porticos are such an important part of Bologna's history that they're actually a UNESCO world heritage site. Bologna's porticos date back to the 12th century. A strict Bolognan law dictated that they had to be tall and wide enough for a man on horseback to travel underneath them. We visited Bologna in August with 100 degree plus days, and we never felt too uncomfortably hot thanks to the limitless shade these porticos provide. So definitely take the time to admire them all here. So one of my favorite things about Bologna is the whole city's painted in sunset colors. So you have all these oranges, pinks, yellows, and it gives the whole city a cohesive vibe. And when you see it with the sun, the whole city looks like it's at sunset all the time. The city is so magical. The next spot you need to check out is quite literally a hole in the wall, and that's Little Venice. In the Middle Ages, Bologna used to have many canals like Venice, but today many run underground and are covered by Bologna streets. However, there's a fun viewpoint where you can literally peer through a small square to get a great view of Bologna's ancient canals. Another thing you need to see when you're in Bologna is Little Venice. And little is quite literally the right word. It's just this little bitty window that gives you this really cool perspective when you're looking straight down. It's almost like a mirror. So if you can't make it to Venice on your trip to Italy, this is absolutely worth checking out. Next on our list is to visit Bologna's Arche Genasio, the original main building for the University of Bologna, which is actually the oldest university in the entire world. While you can pop inside and see its beautiful courtyard and coat of arms covered walls for free, if you want to visit the two main rooms, you can pick up tickets on site. Inside, you'll find Bologna's Anatomical Theater, which is the famous room where animals and humans have been dissected to study biology for almost 400 years. The room itself is grand with the carving of Apollo, the god of medicine, hovering on the ceiling above the operating table. While here, be sure to admire the intricate wood carvings and try to imagine this room packed with students hundreds of years ago. The other room to see here is a Stabat Mater Hall, which is a fancy reading room full of old books and painted walls. The name comes from the famous Giacchino Rossini composition that was first performed right here. While here, be sure to sneak a peek through the iron door at the end of the room to see the attached library's long hall of bookshelves. Next on our list is to step into the past at the Santo Stefano Basilica Complex. This is known as the Seven Churches because over the years, seven different churches built on this site have all been joined together into a sprawling network of interconnected buildings. This religious treasure trove is steeped in history and offers a serene escape from the city's hustle and bustle. We loved wandering here and even popping into the free mini museum inside to see old paintings and even some holy relics from the Virgin Mary. We're in front of the Basilica of Santo Stefano, and this is better known as Siete Cese, which translates to seven churches. This is pretty unassuming in the front, but it's actually really cool to explore. It's free to enter. There are a bunch of different worship spaces inside, a couple courtyards, and museum with some ancient relics in it. And another thing to note, it doesn't seem like the dress code is as enforced as other churches we've seen in Bologna. So just keep that in mind if you forgot your shawl. The next thing to do in Bologna is to try the food. Believe it or not, Bologna is considered to be the food capital of Italy. So all throughout this city, you'll find unbelievable eats. We have an entire food tour walking through some of the top foods you need to try when visiting Bologna. So make sure you check that out if you want to see some of the city's most famous delicacies and historic spots to eat. If you found this video useful, it really helps out our channel if you hit that like button and the subscribe button. We also have videos coming out covering other exciting locations in Italy, Europe, and all around the world. So make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss them. Thanks, and we'll see you in the next one. Ciao!