• Piazza Maggiore - Bologna’s stunning main square has been the center of civic life since the 13th century, with its harmonious blend of medieval and Renaissance architecture creating one of Italy’s most remarkable urban spaces. The Palazzo d’Accursio (Town Hall), Palazzo del Podestà, Palazzo dei Banchi, and the grand Basilica of San Petronio surround the pedestrian-friendly piazza where students, tourists, and locals gather at all times. The square’s ideal proportions, lack of traffic, and nearby cafes make it the perfect starting point for exploring a city that invites leisurely strolls through its porticoed streets.
• Basilica di San Petronio - As the world’s fifth-largest church, it was meant to surpass St. Peter’s in Rome, but papal intervention stopped its construction, leaving the facade famously unfinished with its lower half in pink marble and the upper half in bare brick. The vast interior features a meridian line installed in 1655 that tracks the sun’s movement across a 67-meter brass strip embedded in the floor, once used to verify the accuracy of the Gregorian calendar. The 22 side chapels contain significant Renaissance artworks, while the sheer size of the nave—132 meters long—reflects the ambitions that made Bologna one of medieval Europe’s largest and wealthiest cities.
• Le Due Torri Torre degli Asinell - Bologna’s iconic leaning towers have defined the city’s skyline since the 12th century when noble families competed to build the tallest structures, with the 97-meter Torre degli Asinelli standing as one of Italy’s tallest medieval towers. The shorter Torre Garisenda leans more dramatically at 3.2 degrees (compared to Pisa’s 3.97 degrees) and was shortened in the 14th century due to subsidence concerns. Climbing the 498 wooden steps of the Asinelli rewards visitors with breathtaking views across terracotta rooftops to the surrounding hills, illustrating why Bologna is called ‘La Rossa’ (The Red One) for its distinctive brick architecture.
• Quadrilatero - This medieval market quarter maintains the commercial traditions that earned Bologna its culinary reputation, with its narrow streets lined with specialty food shops selling mortadella, aged balsamic vinegar, handmade pasta, and the region’s famous Parmigiano-Reggiano. The area’s name refers to its quadrilateral street grid dating back to Roman times, now filled with the scents of roasting coffee, curing meats, and freshly baked bread that define Bolognese daily life. Market stalls spill onto Via Drapperie and Via Pescherie Vecchie, while surrounding osterie offer standing-room-only wine tastings and plates of local salumi.
• Archiginnasio di Bologna - The world’s oldest university in continuous operation was founded in 1088 and has educated Dante, Petrarch, Copernicus, and countless scholars who shaped Western civilization. The Archiginnasio palace served as the university’s main building from 1563 to 1803, with its walls and ceilings covered with over 6,000 student coats of arms and inscriptions that create a unique record of academic history. The building houses the magnificent Anatomical Theatre where Renaissance scientists conducted the first systematic dissections, its carved wooden interior representing the dawn of modern medical science.
• Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna - Bologna’s leading art museum houses the definitive collection of Emilian painting from the 14th century through the Baroque, with masterpieces by Giotto, Raphael, and the Carracci family who revolutionized European art from their Bologna academy. The collection’s particular strength lies in works by local masters including Vitale da Bologna, Guido Reni, and Guercino, whose dramatic compositions influenced painting across Europe. The museum occupies a former Jesuit novitiate whose spacious galleries allow contemplation of large-scale altarpieces that once adorned Bologna’s churches.
• Via dell’Indipendenza - Bologna’s main north-south thoroughfare showcases the portico architecture that earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2021, with its covered walkways extending nearly 40 kilometers throughout the historic center. The porticoes have sheltered Bolognese from weather since medieval times when the city required new buildings to include them, creating a unique urban environment where walking remains pleasant regardless of rain or summer heat. Via dell’Indipendenza’s arcades connect the train station to Piazza Maggiore, lined with shops, cafes, and the daily flow of citizens who consider the porticoes their extended living room.
• Basilica - Santuario di Santo Stefano - This extraordinary complex of interconnected churches, known as ‘Sette Chiese’ (Seven Churches), preserves Bologna’s most ancient religious buildings in a labyrinthine ensemble that transports visitors to the early Christian era. The complex includes a 5th-century baptistery, a Romanesque cloister, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre modeled on Jerusalem’s sacred sites, creating an atmospheric pilgrimage destination within the city walls. Wandering between the weathered stones, ancient columns, and peaceful courtyards reveals layers of construction spanning 1,500 years and offers peaceful respite from the busier streets outside.
• Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca - This baroque sanctuary perched on the Colle della Guardia has watched over Bologna since the 12th century, connected to the city by the world’s longest portico—666 arches stretching 3.8 kilometers up the hillside. The annual procession carrying the Byzantine icon of the Madonna of San Luca down to the cathedral has occurred every year since 1433, representing Bologna’s most cherished religious tradition. The church’s hilltop position offers panoramic views across the Po Valley while the climb through the shaded portico provides a meditative journey increasingly popular with joggers and pilgrims alike.
• Piazza Santo Stefano - This triangular piazza in front of the Santo Stefano complex represents one of Bologna’s most atmospheric public spaces, with its irregular medieval shape surrounded by noble palaces and the basilica’s Romanesque facade. The piazza hosts a popular antiques market on weekend mornings while surrounding cafes provide front-row seats for people-watching in a setting that has changed little since the Renaissance. The combination of ancient architecture, intimate scale, and lively cafe culture makes this square a favorite gathering spot for students and residents who prefer it to the grander Piazza Maggiore.
• Via Zamboni - This vibrant street forms the spine of Bologna’s university district, with its porticoed length lined with bookshops, student bars, faculty buildings, and the political posters and graffiti that reflect the city’s leftist traditions. The Palazzo Poggi houses university museums of natural history, anatomy, and physics whose collections illuminate the scientific achievements of Bologna’s scholars. By day, students hurry between lectures while by night, the street’s bars and pizzerias fuel the social life of over 80,000 university students whose presence keeps Bologna perpetually young despite its ancient stones.
• Giardini Margherita - Bologna’s largest and most beloved park spreads across 26 hectares just outside the historic center, with its English-style landscaping providing a green escape for students, families, and anyone seeking respite from the city’s dense urban fabric. The park’s lake, playgrounds, and shaded lawns attract picnickers and joggers while the surrounding cafes offer aperitivo with views across the gardens. Created in 1879 and named for Queen Margherita, the park has become essential to Bolognese daily life, offering the breathing room that the porticoed streets, however charming, cannot provide.

• Offline content
• Access to the audio guide for 45+ Bologna attractions and hidden spots
• Self-guided walking tour (app)

• Private transportation
• Entry fees to tourist attractions or museums.
• Our app-based self-guided tour has no physical guide on-site.

Experience Bologna’s delightful fusion of medieval charm and culinary excellence with a self-guided audio tour app, enabling exploration of Italy’s gastronomic capital at your leisure. Start at the stunning Piazza Maggiore, where Gothic palaces and the unfinished facade of San Petronio have stood for eight centuries of civic life under the iconic Two Towers, which lean dramatically over the terracotta rooftops. Stroll through 40 kilometers of elegant porticoes—UNESCO-protected covered walkways that shield Bolognesi from sun and rain, while unveiling frescoed ceilings, hidden shrines, and artisan workshops that have remained unchanged for generations. Ascend the Torre degli Asinelli for panoramic views of the red-roofed cityscape extending to the Apennine foothills, then visit the world’s oldest university, where students have engaged in debates beneath ancient arcades since 1088. Explore the Quadrilatero market district, where vendors offer mortadella, tortellini, and aged Parmigiano-Reggiano.

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