Bologna has three nicknames: la dotta (the learned — Europe's oldest university), la grassa (the fat — the food) and la rossa (the red — its roofs and its politics). This route is mostly about the second.
Day 1 — the centre and the Quadrilatero
Start in Piazza Maggiore and the Basilica of San Petronio. Walk to the Archiginnasio, the university's old seat, for its wooden anatomical theatre. Then lose the afternoon in the Quadrilatero, the grid of medieval lanes behind the piazza packed with delicatessens and market stalls: mortadella, tortellini, cheese.
The Two Towers are the symbol of the city. The leaning Garisenda has been fenced off since 2023 for safety works, and the Asinelli has been closed to climbers since late 2023, with no reopening date yet.
Day 2 — the San Luca portico
Walk the portico of San Luca: almost four kilometres of continuous arcade, with 666 arches, climbing from the city gate to the sanctuary on the hill. Bologna's porticoes were added to the UNESCO list in 2021. Come back down for tagliatelle al ragù — what the rest of the world calls "spaghetti bolognese" — for a late lunch.
Day 3 — Modena
Modena is about half an hour away by regional train, or under 20 minutes on a high-speed one. See the Romanesque cathedral and Piazza Grande (both UNESCO), visit an acetaia to taste traditional balsamic vinegar aged for years, and eat at a trattoria. Many acetaie and Parmigiano dairies only take visitors by appointment — book ahead.
Where to stay
Anywhere inside the ring of old city gates; everything is walkable.
What we would skip
Restaurants with photo menus around Piazza Maggiore.