The Best Walks in Bologna

The first suggestion I'd give you if you ask me what to visit in Bologna is to walk.

Bologna is small enough to be covered in a few hours and walking around is the best way to discover its hidden secrets.

Gardens, painted porticoes, canals and, most importantly, people are easier to meet if you walk.

Here are 3 of my favorite walks, plus one very special trekking.

1. San Luca

San Luca Basilica means a lot for Bolognese.

It's the first thing you see when you arrive in Bologna and, even for people who don't believe, its Virgin has a mystic value around it.

Walking up there, after the 666 porticoes that connect Porta Saragozza to the Basilica, is a tradition for bolognese.
You can find people jogging, pilgrims praying, or just families with children.

Walking to San Luca it's one of the must-do activities for locals on a Sunday in Bologna.

​​I usually walk up there with my camera, especially during sunset or at night, to admire the beautiful lights and relax in the quiet of the hill.

There's also a train that will bring you directly to San Luca, but I do agree with Eliot who says: 'The journey, not the destination matters'.

Where to start: Porta Saragozza
How long does it take: 55 minutes
My tip: go up there at night, even if the Basilica is closed the porticoes and its silence are invaluable.

2. Villa Ghigi

Villa Ghigi's park dominates Bologna from a hill near Porta San Mamolo. From there you get a beautiful view of Bologna's skyline and when the sky is clear you can also see the Alps mountains.

​This park is my favorite location for a Sunday picnic, a lot more chilled than Giardini Margherita. So grab some bread, mortadella and a bottle of Pignoletto and relax between the rows of vines.

Where to start: Porta San Mamolo
How long does it take: 45 minutes
My tip: visit Villa Ghigi in autumn, when the grape is ripe and the colors are beautiful

​www.fondazionevillaghigi.it

3. Parco della Chiusa (Parco Talon)

Have you heard about Parco della Chiusa?
It's one of the best parks in Bologna, no doubt.

Start your walk (or ride) at Certosa Cemetery and visit it: it's astonishing. Then skirt one of the canals whose flow rate is controlled by la Chiusa of Casalecchio.

La Chiusa (The Gate) is one of the oldest works of hydraulic in the world and helped the economic growth of Bologna during the Middle Ages by providing energy to its water mills to produce silk.

​La Chiusa is near a huge park that Stendhal, a frequent visitor of these places, compared to Paris' Bois de Boulogne.

Take your time to relax or enjoy trekking to San Luca through 'De Bregoli' road.

Where to start: Certosa Cemetery
How long does it take: 40min
My tip: Get the Bologna bike ride to Parco della Chiusa. Then leave your bike there and start your trekking.

​www.parcodellachiusa.it

4. Via degli Dei