We will be spending 3 or 4 days in Bologna this summer.
We will not have a car so we will be either walking or using public transportation.
Any advice on do's or don'ts on exploring sites?
Any suggestions on an affordable small group cooking class?
Any nearby wineries worth exploring?
Is the walk to San Luca worth the energy?
Anyone been to the Palazzo Poggi Museum?
Has anyone invested in the Welcome Card or Card Cultura?
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
17775 posts
Even if you had a car, you couldn’t use it. The historical city center is closed to private cars, except for residents with permit.
The historical center is pretty large, and most sights are near Piazza Maggiore, so try to stay close to that or you will have to walk a lot. If you plan to take day trips to other towns, which you certainly have time to do if you are there for 4 nights, then consider staying a bit north of P.zza Maggiore, so you can walk to the station more easily.
Get a guidebook (paper or online) to see what you need to see. There is quite a bit in Bologna. Summers in Bologna are scorching hot, but most of the city center has porticos in the streets so you can walk under the shade. Make sure your hotel has AC.
San Luca is definitely a place to visit, but there is no way I would walk that distance (maybe 3+ miles), partially uphill, in the heat of summer, even though mostly shaded by a long portico. Take a bus or a taxi. I’ve only driven there (by relatives from Bologna) and also by bus when I was a small kid.
Posted by
Boston
175 posts
Hi,
I was in Bologna in November, 2025, for a weekend and the walk to San Luca is absolutely worth the energy: I'm 60 and fairly fit and it was a great walk. There is a bus or you could take a taxi if you're not inclined for the walk. The seven churches in Santo Stefano is absolutely worth a visit, too. San Petronio church is also a great church worth visiting. I loved the Palazzo Archignassio, too.
Posted by
37 posts
We visited Bologna the end of November 2024 and we enjoyed our visit even though the weather did not cooperate for us. There is a tourist train available for the ride to San Luca - https://www.bolognawelcome.com/en/experiences/299216/San-Luca-Express. We did not get up there because it was raining, windy and cold but plan to go back later this year. We stayed in Hotel Corona d’Oro which was walking distance to everything we wanted to see. Enjoy your trip.
Posted by
78 posts
To find answers to your many questions, I also suggest using the Search bar at the top of this website.
In your search results, you can "Filter by Type" to narrow the list to forum results and narrow those further by timeframe.
Here's an example using "Bologna cooking class" as a search phrase: https://search.ricksteves.com/?query=Bologna+cooking+class&button=
Posted by
NYC
150 posts
Are you familiar with Greeter walks? We had a terrific one in Bologna. If you Google “ Bologna Greeter” the online sign-up should show up.