Bologna with children, among towers, parks and museums

Bologna is a city full of life, pleasant and easy to visit with children in tow.
Known as a university city, cradle of music and good food, it is a destination suitable for all ages: it offers many activities, walks and museums suitable for the little ones at home.
It is also easily visited with strollers as well as on two wheels.
Bologna with children can also be transformed into a simple impromptu day spent strolling through the beautiful historic center among good food and shopping in the company of the little ones at home (there is no shortage of official Lego and Disney stores).

Strolling through the center of Bologna

We set out to discover Bologna, map in hand:

With its porticoes, pedestrian streets, and stores overflowing with all kinds of goodness, the historic center of Bologna is all to be discovered, starting with its symbol: the two towers!
The famous Two Towers, the Asinelli Tower and the Garisenda, are the symbol of Bologna.
The Asinelli Tower with its 97 meters is the tallest leaning tower in Italy and its curious name is due to the family to whom the construction is attributed.
The Asinelli Tower can be visited all the way to the top: as many as 500 steps, so advisable with children ages 6 and up.

If you don't feel like climbing 500 steps, but want to see Bologna from above, you can climb to the roof of the San Petronio, the cathedral of Bologna,
From there you can enjoy a 360° panorama of the city!

Here the tickets for the Asinelli tower.

Panorama Bologna from the San Petronio

Reading books in Salaborsa

For a post-lunch break it might be a good idea to stop in the Library - Sala Borsa.
Salaborsa is a great Library, where book lovers young and old truly find paradise.
Here there are rooms dedicated to every age group from the library for toddlers, with sensory books and games, to the perfect one for teenagers, with comics and manga.
Readings for children are often organized.
Participation is free, free and open to all. See the Salaborsa website for the calendar.

Visiting Bologna's museums

On cold and rainy days, what could be better than holing up in one of Bologna's Museums?
There is a wide choice of art, music and natural sciences. The museums are interactive with a full calendar of children's activities.

MamBo, the Museum of Modern Art in Bologna

If you are a lover of modern and contemporary art and want to immerse yourself in this world together with children, don't miss a visit to MamBo, the Museum of Modern Art in Bologna.
Inside, works are preserved but also the promotion of knowledge and experimentation in artistic research is done.
To this end, guided tours and dedicated workshops, there are many ideas and educational proposals offered for families with children.

Museum of Communication

One of the museums loved by families with children is the Museum of Communication, also called A Thousand Voices and A Thousand Sounds.
Here you can observe various musical instruments, from gramophones to pianos.
Early radios and TVs with their history and early models of PCs are preserved.
Children can learn about and discover the evolution of the pc up to modern tablets and smartphones.

Museum of Zoology and Geology Collection

For lovers of the animal world, worth marking is the Museum of Zoology with free admission.
Here little budding scientists have the opportunity to observe skeletons and remains of animals and compare the anatomy of various species.

Museum of the History of Bologna

To learn about the history of Bologna, you must visit the History Museum.
Inside you can admire historical city remains, documents and letters that tell the story of Bologna's evolution from ancient Etruscan Felsina to the medieval center to the modern city. A multimedia and sensory journey through 2,500 years of history.
For children, admission is free. The museum was created inside the Palazzo Pepoli.

The multifunctional space “Altro?” at the Mercato delle Erbe

After a morning of art and culture, you are sure to be hungry.
Bologna is known for its excellent Emilian cuisine, there is a space "Altro?" inside the Mercato delle Erbe where good local food is combined with the warm welcome of the managers.
"Other?" (which is a way of saying hello and saying 'I don't need anything else') is a meeting place from breakfast to aperitif, until late. Family friendly and free activities for children are also offered.
Remember to make reservations.

Discover the secrets of Bologna

Like any city with a very long tradition Bologna has secrets, known only to those who have spent many years there.
We won't reveal them all to you (partly because some are not exactly kids-friendly), but here are two!

A short distance from Piazza Maggiore, under the Arengo tower in the Palazzo del Podestà is a sort of wireless phone.
Try talking in one corner and see how it is heard from the other corner!!!
Such a discreet long-distance communication 'channel' was contrived in medieval times to get lepers to confess.

In via Piella, there is a small window from which you can see Venice!
Actually, it's just a small canal, very reminiscent of the Venetian ones, but for children, the effect is just like magic!

For those who want to discover them all there is this Tour of the secret Bologna really intriguing

Giardini Margherita Park

If you're in the mood for a nice playgrounda stone's throw from the center, take a walk to the Giardini Margherita Park.
Here kids can run in the park's lawns, play in the playgrounds, and at the end indulge in a good ice cream all together! Perhaps this is why Giardini Margherita Park is a favorite hangout for Bolognese families.

A few kilometers from the center of Bologna

If you stay several days in beautiful Bologna, you can consider moving and spending a day a few kilometers from the center.

The Dinosaur Park

In the Dinosaur Park in San Lazzaro di Savena there are Dinosaurs in the flesh!
Here children can discover live how dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, such as the ancestors of the sloth and the crocodile, were made.
All the models have been reconstructed strictly life-size to tell the story and evolution of life on earth.
Children are sure to be amazed.

The park is close to an interesting museum dedicated to prehistory

The shrine of Our Lady of St. Luke

On the hills not far from the center of Bologna stands the sanctuary of Madonna di San Luca, a landmark of the Bolognese, from which there is a beautiful view of the city.
You can get to the shrine by your own car, but it is truly impressive to walk the path of 4 km that leads from the city center to the top of the hill. The path is a very long, slightly uphill arcade with a few flights of stairs.
Alternatively, there is a red train that leads from the center of town to the shrine.