The beating heart of Bologna’s nightlife – a street of cheap, unpretentious historic pubs where students and locals gather over a beer or glass of wine and endless conversation. Strolling its length is the surest way to feel the city’s free-spirited after-dark scene; by day it’s full of restaurants and pizzerie too.
A rare rooftop view over “the red city” from the terrace of the San Petronio basilica, opened in 2015 to help fund restoration work. Enter from the back of the church on Piazza Galvani, take the stairs or lift, and drink in the rooftops. Open in spring and summer; a small €3 registration fee goes toward the works.
Elegant Via San Felice is Bologna’s quietly stylish fashion street, mixing vintage and second-hand shops with polished boutiques and artisan goldsmiths, plus a few bars and restaurants to break up the browsing. A paradise for shoe lovers, and only five minutes from Piazza Maggiore.
The best things to do in Bologna, chosen by locals: top sights, where to eat, where to stay and the best tours, with a handy trip planner.