Bologna is my idea of the perfect long weekend: the main sights take half a day, which leaves the rest of your time for eating and drinking coffee. I wouldn’t skip the Two Towers or the historic centre, one of the largest in Europe. I’ve also included the cafés, restaurants and bars I tried and can vouch for.
- How many days
- Two days in an Airbnb in the centre; I saw the sights in half a day and spent the rest eating and drinking coffee
- Watch out
- The Asinelli Tower is closed in 2026; for a view over the city, there’s the Torre dell’Orologio in Piazza Maggiore
- Breakfast
- Pappare, where I went both mornings; I recommend the pistachio croissant and a small glass of prosecco
- Best bar
- Fleur Du Vin, with tables right out in the street and a jukebox; my favourite of all the bars in Bologna
- What to eat
- You won’t find spaghetti Bolognese here; order tagliatelle al ragù or tortellini in brodo
- Not worth it
- The university bored me; the botanical garden right next door is a nicer walk
Contents6 chaptersHideShow
- 01Planning a trip to Bologna
- 02What to see in Bologna, Italy
- The Two Towers of Bologna
- Bologna and its UNESCO World Heritage sites
- Piazza Maggiore and the Neptune Fountain
- 03What to eat in Bologna, plus café and restaurant tips
- Where to eat in Bologna: cafés and restaurants
- Café Zamboni and the Fleur Du Vin bar
- 04Tortellini, ragù and the origin of spaghetti Bolognese
- 05Where to go in Bologna
- 06Is Bologna worth a long weekend?
I wrote this article in 2019. Prices, opening hours and transport links may have changed since then, so check them before you go.
What is there to see in Bologna? In 2019 Ryanair launched a route from Bratislava to Bologna, but it no longer operates. In 2026 you can only fly from Bratislava to Bologna with a connection.
When I searched online for what to see in Bologna, I found all sorts of information and tips. So I picked the best of them and went to Bologna to check them out for myself. Read on for my tips on what to eat in Bologna too. Bologna has one of the oldest and largest historic centres in Europe, and its universities fill it with students.
TIP: In Bologna I stayed in an Airbnb right in the centre.
Planning a trip to Bologna
What to see in Bologna, Italy
The Two Towers of Bologna are probably the most popular item on any list of what to see in Bologna. The Asinelli Tower (Torre degli Asinelli) and the Garisenda Tower (Torre Garisenda) stand side by side in Piazza di Porta Ravegnana and are the symbol of the city.
You’ll find tours of Bologna and day trips from the city here:
The Two Towers of Bologna
No fewer than 498 steps lead to the top of the Asinelli Tower, which is almost 100 metres tall. It once served as a prison. The other tower, the Garisenda, is only 47 metres tall, and what makes it interesting is its three-metre lean. I think they’re repairing it: when I was there, it was surrounded by scaffolding and workmen. It could fall at any moment, and it’s too dangerous to let the public in. Do you think it could rival the Leaning Tower of Pisa?
Bear in mind that in 2026 the Asinelli Tower is closed to the public while work goes on to make the area around the towers safe. For now, you can get a view over the city from the Torre dell’Orologio (the Clock Tower) in Piazza Maggiore instead.
When I was there in 2019, a ticket for the tower cost €5 per person, and you had to buy it online. So I bought mine online while standing at the foot of the tower and showed the email at the entrance. Easy. Just be warned: it’s a proper climb, and in places my head was spinning so much I thought I’d keel over. I’m really scared of heights, but the view from the top was worth every one of those five euros.
The Quadrilatero markets are Bologna’s pride and joy. They date back to the Middle Ages. You’ll find most of the stalls on the street called Mercato di Mezzo, known today as via Rizzoli. It’s right in the historic centre, and besides food you can buy jewellery, clothes and all sorts of other goods. It’s a market with centuries of tradition, but it isn’t always open.
The University of Bologna, the Alma Mater Studiorum, was one of the first universities in Europe and is among its three oldest. Three popes and several Italian politicians studied here, and so did Nicolaus Copernicus, who later worked out that the Sun is at the centre of our solar system. Some sources even claim it is the oldest university in the world, founded in 1088. Oxford is the second oldest. Personally, this stop bored me stiff, but right next to the university there’s a botanical garden with greenhouses that make for a pleasant walk. And it’s free to get in.
Bologna and its UNESCO World Heritage sites
Bologna is one of the richest cities in Italy, with a very high standard of living. Its historic centre is the second largest in Europe and has several UNESCO-listed sites. No other city in the world has as many porticoes as Bologna. Together they run for about 62 km and have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2021. They also have one very practical advantage: in Bologna you never need an umbrella, because under the porticoes you stay dry.
TIP: While you’re in Italy, stop off at my favourite lake, Lago Albano near Rome, too.
Piazza Maggiore and the Neptune Fountain
Piazza Maggiore is Bologna’s main square, and there’s plenty going on here: exhibitions, performances and film screenings. The famous Neptune Fountain is just round the corner. The square is full of typical 15th-century features, and around it stand well-known buildings such as the Basilica di San Petronio, the Palazzo d’Accursio and the Palazzo dei Banchi.
The sculptor commissioned to make the statue of Neptune in Piazza Maggiore had a sense of humour. The cardinal who ordered the statue asked him to give Neptune small genitals, and the sculptor did as he was told. But stand on the white rectangle marked on the ground next to the statue and take another look at Neptune.
Tip from Milan Ever wondered why the church in the square is two-tone and built from two different materials? When they started building it, more important projects took priority and there was no money left to finish it. Today it looks like two churches joined together, which only makes it more interesting.
What to eat in Bologna, plus café and restaurant tips
- Mortadella tastes best in Bologna. Have it with a glass of wine and some bread.
- Pizza in Italy needs no introduction. Seriously, what am I supposed to write here? Order any pizza, anywhere. Calories don’t exist in Italy, after all.
- You won’t find spaghetti Bolognese in Bologna. Spaghetti alla Bolognese simply doesn’t exist in Italy.
- Gelato, Italian ice cream, is an experience in its own right. Wherever you go for an ice cream in Bologna, you can be sure it’ll be excellent. When I was in Rome, I ate nothing but pizza and ice cream.
Where to eat in Bologna: cafés and restaurants
Pappare is a great place for breakfast in Bologna, and its croissants come in the most interesting varieties. You can’t try them all, but for breakfast I recommend a small glass of prosecco and a pistachio croissant. I was in heaven. I spent two days in Bologna and came here for breakfast both mornings.
Café Zamboni and the Fleur Du Vin bar
Café Zamboni is a safe bet if you’re after good Italian food. In 2019 they had an all-you-can-eat buffet around lunchtime, €10 without an Aperol and €13 with one. The food is good-quality Italian, and they also do sushi, coffee and desserts. My friend and I genuinely couldn’t work out how they made any money from it. I’m not a big fan of all-you-can-eat, because I don’t know when to stop, but here I ate my fill and then went off for a nap.
Fleur Du Vin is one of the cafés and bars in Bologna I tried. What I liked about it: the tables are set right out in the street, they have their own jukebox playing Janis Joplin and, of course, they make a mean Aperol. Of all the bars in Bologna, this one was my favourite.
Tortellini, ragù and the origin of spaghetti Bolognese
The tortellino is surely Bologna’s most famous traditional dish, and you’ll find it in most restaurants. If you want to eat like a local, ask for tortellini in brodo (in broth). According to the original recipe, tortellini are made from fresh egg pasta filled with meat and cheese, all of it from this region only.
If you’re wondering where the myth of spaghetti Bolognese came from, order tagliatelle al ragù. The spaghetti Bolognese you often find in restaurants outside Italy is just a poor copy of tagliatelle with ragù. Or better still, have the green lasagne (lasagne verdi), one of Bologna’s favourite dishes. Don’t let the spinach fool you: it is not a vegetarian dish.
Where to go in Bologna
Is Bologna worth a long weekend?
Bologna won me over. I know I always like everything. But I’d been looking for a while for a place where I could see it all in half a day, then spend the rest of the trip tasting the food, drinking coffee and chatting about everything and nothing. Thank you, Bologna.
A Slovak travel blogger who has been getting Slovaks out of their office chairs since 2013. Author of the book Influencer and founder of the Bez Mapy blog. "Bez Mapy" is Slovak for "without a map".
