Bologna & Modena in 2-3 Days — Tortellini, Balsamic & Parmigiano
Route length
2 days
Moving time
~14 h
Distance
16 km
Budget
€300–800/person
Transport
Walking
Best Season
Autumn
Wanderpath gives you stops and context. Use Google Maps, Komoot or OsmAnd for turn-by-turn directions tailored to your vehicle.
Route Map
Route Waypoints
Walk from Bologna Centrale south along Via Rizzoli under the porticoes (20 min) to Piazza Maggiore — the main square, bordered by the Palazzo del Podestà (1200s), the Palazzo dei Banchi, the Basilica di San Petronio (begun 1390, still not complete — larger than St. Peter's Basilica in Rome by original design), and the Neptune Fountain (1566, Giambologna). Five minutes east: the Due Torri (Two Towers) — the Asinelli (97m, 498 steps, the best Bologna view, €5, book at duetorribologna.com) and the leaning Garisenda (47m, closed for restoration). Five minutes south: the Archiginnasio (the original 16th-century university building) with its extraordinary Anatomical Theatre (1637) — a carved wooden operating theatre where dissections were performed in front of 300-seat tiered rows.
Practical Tips
Asinelli Tower booking: duetorribologna.com — timed entry, €5, 498 steps to the top. Best time: morning (09:00–10:00, low crowds, clear light for photography). The view from the top over the red terracotta Bologna roofline is the definitive city image.
Archiginnasio Anatomical Theatre (€3): the surgeon's table, the wooden statue of the skinned man (the Spellato), and the tiered wooden benches are all original 17th century. Almost no visitors. VERIFY opening hours at archiginnasio.it — closed for events periodically.
Via Piella hidden canal: from Piazza Maggiore, walk northwest 5 min to Via Piella — at number 16 there is a small wooden shutter in the wall. Open it to see a canal below. (GPS [2])44.497711.3412. The Venice moment nobody mentions in Bologna.
Basilica di San Petronio: free entry (€3 for the small museum). The interior is vast — the unfinished facade shows the planned scale. The astronomical meridian line on the floor (1655, Giovanni Cassini) is the longest indoor solar meridian in the world.
Evening arrival: the porticoes are lit at night and used by locals for evening walks — the Prendiparte tower (privately owned, bookable for overnight stays) and Via Farini are the most atmospheric.
Coordinates:[1] 44.49380, 11.34260 · [2] 44.49770, 11.34120 · [3] 44.49603, 11.34272 · [4] 44.28151, 11.20428
Where to stay
- Grand Hotel Majestic già BaglioniHotel · €290–620 · 248 m
Frescoed dining room by the Carracci; 5min walk from Piazza Maggiore; the historic grand hotel address in Bologna
- Combo BolognaHostel · €50–130 · 26 km · ~5h 12m
Stylish hostel in a 17th-century convent; private rooms available; younger crowd; the most design-conscious accommodation at this price tier
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