Transportation information need on how to get to this church in Bologna. Our hotel is around Pizza Santa Maggiore. Bus numbers and where to get on the bus would be helpful as well as other information.
Posted by
Saint Paul, Minnesota
2103 posts
My family was going to go there the latest time we were in Bologna, but we all got COVID. We were going to take one of the several buses that go right to Portici di San Luca and then walk up the hill to the church.
There are several buses that do go all the way there --- when I looked at Google Maps just now for Monday at 9:00am, it said this:
Walk to Piazza Malpighi, get the 20A bus to Villa Spada.
Walk about 2 minutes to Villa Spada (Head toward Via Francesco Orioli. Turn right onto Via di Casaglia. Destination will be on the right.)
Get the 58 bus to Basilica Di San Luca.
Walk 3 minutes to the Santuario Madonna di San Luca.
Google Maps on your phone will show you where the bus stops are.
It will take an hour by bus. A taxi would take half an hour.
Posted by
Southeast of Seattle
775 posts
If you want a sightseeing experience the San Luca Express leaves from Piazza Maggiore. It is one of the small open air ‘trains’. Cost around $40/pp.
There is also a roundabout city bus connection. I say roundabout because it will be a sightseeing journey of its own in that you will go up into the hills before you arrive at San Luca. Busses leave from Piazza Malpighi which is a short walk from Piazza Maggiore. Numbers are 20 and 58, I think. I couldn’t find out any specific information on them so I might not be inclined to try it unless I wanted an adventure. I don’t find the Tper site, the Bologna transportation site, very useful as you must know the entire proper name of the stops you want to use, which can be difficult to figure out
Taxi, of course, rent a car or “HIKE” it. People will say it’s a walk up, but it’s a hike unless you’re in very good condition.
The hike/walk is quite unusual and worth doing on a nice, not too hot day.
However you decide to get there, the views are wonderful, the sanctuary interesting and the grounds restful.
I just read the reply from Nancys8 and that sounds like what I thought there should be. YES!
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
8652 posts
In Bologna, a city known for its walking porticoes, the portico up to (and/or down from) San Luca is the longest. Some of it is on a sloping ramp, and there are also sections of stairs.
Bike races (including the Tour de France, which started in Italy a couple years ago) also use the streets up the hill, and from windows and openings along the sides of part of the portico, you can see names of riders and encouraging messages to them painted on the asphalt.
If you were interested in covering some/all of the portico on foot, with possibly a bit less effort needed, you could get a ride up, then walk down. Take your time, though. In a hurry to get back down, towards the end of the day at sunset, I tripped and almost fell. The portico starts/ends by the medieval Porta Saragozza gate at the southwest end of the old towns .
Posted by
Vignola, MO, IT
798 posts
I've only ever walked up and back. Never taken a bus or the mini train. Just follow the porticoes from Porta Saragozza and you will arrive there.
Posted by
OP
Maynard, MA
58 posts
Thank you to all who posted. We are thinking now to take a taxi up and walk down. Is there any places along the portico where you can exit and take the bus back to the city if we get tired? If so, can you buy at ticket on board (cash or card ?) or do you have to get a ticket before you board the bus? What would be the names of the bus stop and where to buy the ticket if we want to walk down?
Posted by
Western Canada
4096 posts
I walked up years ago, slowly!
A couple of years ago we took the little “train”….open air trucks linked like a train.
That was relaxing, and we took it back down also.
Be sure to time your visit to when the Basilica is open.
https://www.bolognawelcome.com/en/experiences/299216/San-Luca-Express