Bologna with children: what to do in one day
Bologna is a city that lends itself very well to being seen on a day with children! It has a nice pedestrian centre, the major tourist attractions can be easily reached on foot and, very importantly, it has 38 km of arcades to walk under even if the weather is not the best.
In this article I recommend an itinerary for a quiet and carefree day in Bologna; a way to experience it in a different and interesting way for children too!
HOW TO GET TO THE CENTER OF BOLOGNA
If you are coming from out of town my advice is to arrive by train. The central station is a stone's throw from the historic center, you will arrive right at the gates of Via Indipendenza, one of the main streets that will take you to Piazza Maggiore in about 15 minutes.
If you come by car you can park in the large underground paid car park in Piazza XX Settembre, although I advise against it on weekends because the square hosts the large open-air market called "piazzola" by us Bolognese, so there is a lot of confusion.
The alternative is to take the bus, leaving the car on the outskirts of the city, where there is free parking.
FIRST STEP
Piazza Maggiore
First of all, after having walked and admired the many shops along Via Indipendenza, you will arrive in Piazza Maggiore, the main square of Bologna, surrounded by the most important buildings of the city (Palazzo Re Enzo, Basilica of San Petronio...).
Here you can relax and let the children run around freely, and perhaps have a breakfast/snack sitting at the outdoor tables of the Bar Vittorio Emanuele: the best place to enjoy sweets and coffee!
The San Luca Express train
Once the break is over, all you have to do is spot the red and blue train that stops right in the square: the San Luca Express!
The San Luca Express is the tourist line that connects the historic center of Bologna with the fascinating Basilica of San Luca, which stands out over Bologna, immersed in the splendor of the Bolognese hills.
The ride on the train lasts about an hour and will be loved by children, with its ups and downs whizzing up the hills and along the narrow streets of the centre.
It will also be an opportunity to discover many interesting things about Bologna thanks to the audio guide and map supplied.
Once you reach the top, you can stop to visit San Luca and return with the train later (they run every half hour or so) or not get off and go back straight away. If the day is beautiful you can take advantage of it to have a nice picnic on the hills with a super view!
Useful information
Complete tour duration 1 hour (without getting off to visit the Sanctuary)
The ticket includes a return trip from the Basilica (with the same ticket you can get off at S. Luca, make an independent visit and take the next train or minibus during the day to return to Piazza Maggiore)
Map and audio guide included
Refreshment points: restaurant, food truck and bar
SECOND STAGE
Stock Exchange Hall
Once back in Piazza Maggiore, I recommend a visit to the beautiful Sala Borsa, right in front of the Nettuno.
Sala Borsa is a public multimedia library with 12,000 m2 of space, full of activities dedicated to families such as: readings, workshops, courses. The amazing thing that will leave you and the children speechless are the excavations visible under the crystal of the Covered Square!
https://www.bibliotecasalaborsa.it/
Attention: the library is closed on Sundays!
The Middle Market
It's time for lunch, and here you will be spoiled for choice because the center is full of restaurants, trattorias and clubs of all kinds!
My advice is to go to the Mercato di Mezzo! To reach it all you have to do is walk about ten minutes towards Via Clavature,12.
Why do I recommend it to you? Because it is a very particular structure, where you will enter a three-storey building where you will find everything, an excellent strategy to satisfy all tastes!
On the first floor there is a pizzeria and, in the basement, a craft brewery. On the ground floor several food cloisters selling meat, fish, pastries and ice cream. And on the second-third floor other bars and restaurants.
You can decide to have a quick snack or sit at one of the tables made available. In any case, you will savor the atmosphere of one of the historical places that represents the culture of Bolognese food. Once out, take the opportunity to walk among the many shops and markets selling fruit, vegetables, fish, etc.!
In this article I recommend an itinerary for a quiet and carefree day in Bologna; a way to experience it in a different and interesting way for children too!
HOW TO GET TO THE CENTER OF BOLOGNA
If you are coming from out of town my advice is to arrive by train. The central station is a stone's throw from the historic center, you will arrive right at the gates of Via Indipendenza, one of the main streets that will take you to Piazza Maggiore in about 15 minutes.
If you come by car you can park in the large underground paid car park in Piazza XX Settembre, although I advise against it on weekends because the square hosts the large open-air market called "piazzola" by us Bolognese, so there is a lot of confusion.
The alternative is to take the bus, leaving the car on the outskirts of the city, where there is free parking.
FIRST STEP
Piazza Maggiore
First of all, after having walked and admired the many shops along Via Indipendenza, you will arrive in Piazza Maggiore, the main square of Bologna, surrounded by the most important buildings of the city (Palazzo Re Enzo, Basilica of San Petronio...).
Here you can relax and let the children run around freely, and perhaps have a breakfast/snack sitting at the outdoor tables of the Bar Vittorio Emanuele: the best place to enjoy sweets and coffee!
The San Luca Express train
Once the break is over, all you have to do is spot the red and blue train that stops right in the square: the San Luca Express!
The San Luca Express is the tourist line that connects the historic center of Bologna with the fascinating Basilica of San Luca, which stands out over Bologna, immersed in the splendor of the Bolognese hills.
The ride on the train lasts about an hour and will be loved by children, with its ups and downs whizzing up the hills and along the narrow streets of the centre.
It will also be an opportunity to discover many interesting things about Bologna thanks to the audio guide and map supplied.
Once you reach the top, you can stop to visit San Luca and return with the train later (they run every half hour or so) or not get off and go back straight away. If the day is beautiful you can take advantage of it to have a nice picnic on the hills with a super view!
Useful information
Complete tour duration 1 hour (without getting off to visit the Sanctuary)
The ticket includes a return trip from the Basilica (with the same ticket you can get off at S. Luca, make an independent visit and take the next train or minibus during the day to return to Piazza Maggiore)
Map and audio guide included
Refreshment points: restaurant, food truck and bar
SECOND STAGE
Stock Exchange Hall
Once back in Piazza Maggiore, I recommend a visit to the beautiful Sala Borsa, right in front of the Nettuno.
Sala Borsa is a public multimedia library with 12,000 m2 of space, full of activities dedicated to families such as: readings, workshops, courses. The amazing thing that will leave you and the children speechless are the excavations visible under the crystal of the Covered Square!
https://www.bibliotecasalaborsa.it/
Attention: the library is closed on Sundays!
The Middle Market
It's time for lunch, and here you will be spoiled for choice because the center is full of restaurants, trattorias and clubs of all kinds!
My advice is to go to the Mercato di Mezzo! To reach it all you have to do is walk about ten minutes towards Via Clavature,12.
Why do I recommend it to you? Because it is a very particular structure, where you will enter a three-storey building where you will find everything, an excellent strategy to satisfy all tastes!
On the first floor there is a pizzeria and, in the basement, a craft brewery. On the ground floor several food cloisters selling meat, fish, pastries and ice cream. And on the second-third floor other bars and restaurants.
You can decide to have a quick snack or sit at one of the tables made available. In any case, you will savor the atmosphere of one of the historical places that represents the culture of Bolognese food. Once out, take the opportunity to walk among the many shops and markets selling fruit, vegetables, fish, etc.!
THIRD AND FINAL STAGE
The Giovanni Cappellini Museum, Geology collection
If you still have time and are not too tired, you can dedicate the afternoon to discovering the Giovanni Cappellini Museum in Via Zamboni, 63. You can reach it on foot in about 15 minutes, and it is the perfect place to see with children... especially if you love art dinosaurs!
The museum houses a precious collection of fossil, dinosaur and mineral finds. Children will be enchanted by the imposing historical cast of the dinosaur Diplodocus carnegei, twenty-six meters long and four meters high!
