Discover Bologna: Porticoes, Culture and Culinary Delights

Bologna combines an impressive urban history with unusual routes, museums and a vibrant culinary culture. Particularly characteristic are the porticoes, historic buildings and the different perspectives on the city: You can explore architecture and university history, visit a collection covering the prehistoric and Roman periods, discover Ducati or experience Bologna’s connection to the Santuario di San Luca.

Bologna’s porticoes as a unique urban experience

The Portici di Bologna have been listed as a serial UNESCO World Heritage Site since 28 July 2021. The World Heritage Site comprises 12 groups of porticoes and the surrounding built-up areas within the municipality of Bologna. These areas were built from the 12th century to the present day. In total, Bologna’s porticoes extend over 62 kilometres, making them the largest portico system in the world.

A special characteristic is part of the history and present-day character of this system: The porticoes are privately owned but used by the public. As a result, they shape not only individual buildings but also the way the city can be experienced. When planning your trip, consider seeing the porticoes not merely as photo opportunities but as a cultural and historical theme in their own right between different stops in Bologna.

University history and historic buildings

The Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio was built between 1562 and 1563 to provide university teaching in Bologna with a central location. The building contains the Teatro Anatomico, which was designed in 1637 for anatomy lectures. Online reservation is mandatory for visiting the Teatro Anatomico and the Sala dello Stabat Mater. If you would like to include these places in your plans, you should therefore regard the reservation as an integral part of your preparations.

The Basilica di San Petronio in Piazza Maggiore is also one of the city’s prominent historic destinations. It is Bologna’s largest and most important church. Inside is the 67.27-metre-long meridian line created by the astronomer Cassini, described as the longest in the world. Another widely known landmark is the Torre degli Asinelli, built between 1109 and 1119 by the family of the same name.

Museums spanning archaeology and motorcycle history

The Museo Civico Archeologico preserves important evidence of all periods of life in the Bologna area, from prehistory to the Roman era. One particular focus is its collection of Egyptian antiquities, which ranks among the most significant in Europe. This makes the museum suitable for a day of travel on which you would like to explore the region’s history across long periods of time.

The Ducati Museum offers a completely different perspective. It tells the company’s history through four exhibition routes, from its beginnings to the present day. During a guided tour of the Ducati factory, visitors are taken through the production processes and the creation of Ducati motorcycles. This allows Bologna’s cultural offerings to be complemented by a technical and industrial focus.

San Luca, urban routes and culinary culture

The Santuario di San Luca is connected to Bologna’s city centre by a four-kilometre-long portico with more than 600 arches. This portico is described as the longest in the world. Anyone who would like to visit more than just interiors and squares on a city break can incorporate this connection into their plans as a route in its own right, linking architecture, the cityscape and a significant destination.

The Mercato di Mezzo is a destination for culinary discoveries. Tastings and events relating to food culture are often held there. The market complements the historical and museum experiences with an introduction to the city’s culinary traditions.

The right accommodation for planning your trip

If you would like to make the city itself the focus of your trip, you can pay particular attention to the experiences that matter to you when searching for a holiday apartment in Bologna. Culture enthusiasts will find a range of historical themes in the Archiginnasio, San Petronio, the Museo Civico Archeologico and the Portici. Technology enthusiasts can include the Ducati Museum and the guided factory tour in their plans. Anyone who would like to combine exercise and urban history has another specific theme for planning their day in the portico leading to San Luca.

For further destinations, you can also visit the pages for Zola Predosa, Molino del Pallone, Sasso Marconi, Bentivoglio, San Giovanni In Persiceto, Gaggio Montano, Baricella and Monzuno.

To the higher-level travel overview: Bologna.