10 Things to Do with Your Family in Bologna

Many visitors make Piazza Maggiore their first stop. This town square in the heart of Bologna is where you can get a good feel of the historical city, with the large and neatly tiled square surrounded by some of the city’s ancient and important Renaissance landmarks, such as the San Petronio Basilica which dominates the piazza’s scene and the Palazzo dei Banchi with its colonnaded façade. Kids will love running freely in the square’s open spaces and on its Crescentone platform. You can also explore the 16th-century Fountain of Neptune together and admire its details. 

The little red San Luca Express train bus has headphones on every seat that you can use to guide you through the tour. The ride from downtown and up to the basilica takes around half an hour. Some parts of the route are bumpy and others are very steep, which simply adds to the thrill of the ride. While romantics and grownups can enjoy the scenic forested uphill walk to Bologna’s Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca, families with kids may opt for this more exciting and convenient way. 

As one of the green oases in the heart of Bologna, Orto Botanico di Bologna at the University of Bologna offers families a relaxing walk while admiring nature’s artistry. The gardens are free to enter, and can be a good place to escape from the summer heat. Kids can explore the tropical rainforest house with its unique herbs, as well as a cactus house and one with carnivorous plants. Some herb specimens even date back to the 16th century, during the establishment of the gardens by Bologna’s Civic Senate. 

Bologna is best known as a food destination, and this “theme park” epitomises just that. FICO Eataly World is Italy’s largest food-themed exhibition space, spanning 10 hectares, and often requiring an onsite rentable bike to get around conveniently. Agricultural exhibits showcase the production of foods and drinks, and, for kids, there are 6 educational rides and multimedia displays themed around food sustainability and how famous dishes are made. While mum and dad check out the fine wines, youngsters will find the dessert sections and pizza-making demos irresistible.

The City Red Bus is operated by the same company behind the San Luca Express train bus, similarly fitted with headphones that you can put on to guide you through the historical sites and areas along the route. The top open deck allows for great photo opportunities, with uninterrupted views of Bologna’s landmarks and gardens. Be ready with appropriate sun protection and drinking water in the summer. 

The Carpigiani Gelato Museum is clearly all about gelato, offering an interesting tour through the past and current of the world-famous Italian dessert. The showroom showcases various exhibits such as historical apparatuses used in making gelato, up to modern machines using the latest technology, alongside multimedia presentations and historical photos. Guided tours and pre-booked “gelato lab” workshops are available. Museum tickets include a small cup of gelato with a mix of flavours.

Formerly a stock exchange, this public library at the corner of Bologna’s town square is an interesting deviation from sightseeing. Warm, welcoming, and naturally quiet, Salaborsa is free to visit, and can be a good go-to spot to beat the heat with fancy seats and plenty of stuff to read. As you enter its immense hall, look up to admire its amazing ceiling, which itself is easily worth the visit. Uniquely, you head downstairs to discover an archaeological site that’s filled with ancient Roman ruins. 

There is no shortage of great gelaterias and cremerias (creameries) around downtown, but you can be sure to find a good variety of flavours at some of the most popular ice cream spots. These include Cremeria Cavour on Piazza Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour, Cremeria Funivia on Via Porrettana, and Cremeria Santo Stefano along the complex of Bologna’s Seven Churches. Besides creamy gelato for around €2, you can also try their cold and refreshing tropical fruit sorbets. 

This public park south of Bologna’s Piazza di Porta Santo Stefano offers families a cool escape away from the traffic and busy city scenes. The 26-hectare park features a beautiful lake surrounded by vast green lawns, cypress and oak groves, and tree-lined pathways. There’s plenty of space where the kids can freely run and play, and they can have fun spotting tortoises in the lake and birds in the trees throughout the park. Both locals and visitors can enjoy picnics with ample shade. 

Housed in a historical villa that’s now also a public medical centre, the Museo Storico del Soldatino (Toy Soldier Museum) takes you back in time through its exhibits of old and rare scale models and toys, dominantly showcasing toy soldiers. The museum is within a half-hour drive south from downtown Bologna, and is free to visit. There are well over tens of thousands of small pieces, made from various materials known in history ranging from paper, wood, metal, and plastic. Some toy sets originate from as far away as France and Russia.