Churches
The Seven Churches of Santo Stefano
A maze of interlocking chapels and courtyards going back to the 5th century, and the most atmospheric corner of the city. Entry is free.
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Plan · On a Budget
Free things to do in Bologna
Bologna is one of the cheapest big cities in Italy to enjoy, mostly because the best of it costs nothing. Here's what to see without spending a euro.
You can have a full, rich day in Bologna and pay for nothing but coffee. The city's churches are free, its market is free to wander, its most famous walk costs only your legs, and several museums never charge a cent. Below are the best free things to do in Bologna, all inside or just beyond the porticoed centro storico.
The whole historic centre is walkable, so string a few of these together and you've got an itinerary. Most sit within 20 minutes on foot of Piazza Maggiore.
Churches
Basilica di San Petronio
One of the largest brick churches in the world, with a famously unfinished facade right on Piazza Maggiore. Walking in is free; a few side chapels charge a small fee for photos.
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University
The Archiginnasio courtyard
The first home of the oldest university in Europe, walls plastered with thousands of carved student coats of arms. The courtyard and upper loggias are free; the anatomical theatre has a small ticket.
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Ruins
Roman ruins under Salaborsa
The city's public library has a glass floor over excavated Roman streets. Walk in, look down, and you're standing on ancient Bononia. Free, with a donation box.
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Walk · Viewpoint
The portico walk up to San Luca
The world's longest covered walkway climbs 3.8km and 666 arches to a hilltop sanctuary with the best free view in town. The main church is free to enter.
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Market
Wander the Quadrilatero market
Medieval food lanes packed with delis, fishmongers and cheese counters. Browsing costs nothing, and it's the best free way to understand why Bologna is called "la Grassa," the fat one.
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Hidden gem
The little window on Via Piella
A small shuttered window opens onto a surviving stretch of medieval canal that looks like a slice of Venice. Part of Bologna's mostly buried network of waterways.
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Museums
Bologna's free museums
The city runs a set of permanently free civic museums, from the medieval collections to the eerie 19th-century anatomical wax models. Plenty to fill a rainy afternoon.
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Parks
Giardini Margherita
The city's big green park, with a lake, Etruscan tombs and free open-air events all summer. A 10-minute walk south of the centre and a favourite local hangout.
More →Just walk the centro storico
The single best free thing to do here is wander. Bologna's centre is one big open-air museum of terracotta arcades, and the porticoes are a UNESCO World Heritage site, roughly 62km of them threaded through the city. They keep you dry in the rain and shaded in the heat, so you can ramble for hours without paying for anything but a gelato. Start at Piazza Maggiore, drift through the old market lanes, and let the streets pull you toward the leaning towers.
Local tip
The famous Asinelli Tower climb is not free and needs a timed ticket booked ahead. Its leaning neighbour, the Garisenda, is closed for structural work and can't be climbed at all. For a free panorama instead, walk up to San Luca or climb the hill to the Parco di San Michele in Bosco terrace.
Free museums and a free-Sunday trick
Several of Bologna's civic museums are free every day of the year. Beyond those, the state-run Pinacoteca Nazionale and other national sites join the country-wide free first Sunday of the month, when admission drops to zero across Italy. If your trip overlaps a first Sunday, plan the bigger paid museums for that day and save real money.
Hunt the hidden canals and street art
Most of Bologna's medieval canals were paved over a century ago, but a few stretches survive and finding them is a fun free morning. The window on Via Piella is the famous one, though there are open canal views along Via delle Moline and Via Oberdan too. The university quarter around Via Zamboni is also one of the most heavily painted street-art districts in Italy, a reflection of the city's long political streak.
The view that costs nothing
For the best free outlook over the rooftops, skip the ticketed tower and earn it on foot. The portico to San Luca ends at a hilltop sanctuary that's free to enter, with a terrace looking back over the whole city and the Apennines beyond. It's about a 45 to 60 minute uphill walk, so wear decent shoes and check the weather before you go.
Want context as you walk?
Most of Bologna is free, but a good local guide turns a walk into a story. Free-walking-tour style group tours run most mornings, and small-group history or food walks are cheap for what you learn. Browse what's on for your dates.
See Bologna walking toursKeep planning on a budget
Doing Bologna cheap is easy once you know where the free stuff is. Stretch it further with our full breakdown of daily costs and money-saving tips, work out how long to stay, and check the month-by-month weather so you can lean on those porticoes when it pours. Travelling with the family? The kids' guide flags which free sights work best for little legs. First time in town? Read the first-timer tips and our honest take on whether Bologna is worth visiting.
For the rest of your trip, dig into the wider list of things to do, the where to eat guide (the real local pasta is tagliatelle al ragù, not spaghetti bolognese), and easy day trips out to Modena and the Apennines. Getting in from the airport or station is covered in getting around.