Leisure: osterie, Giardini Margherita, the hills and summer in Piazza Maggiore
Rich, popular cooking between osterie, the Mercato delle Erbe and the Quadrilatero; the Giardini Margherita and the hills for running and walking, the San Luca portico; Bologna FC at the Dall'Ara and two basketball teams; evenings between the Pratello, piazza Verdi and Bolognina. Free summer cinema in Piazza Maggiore.
Sections: Cuisine · Eating out · Sport · Nightlife · Free activities
Food
Tortellini in broth, tagliatelle al ragù, green lasagne, mortadella, fried crescentine and tigelle, friggione, zuppa inglese: Bolognese cooking is eaten in osterie and trattorie, often with a reservation. The Quadrilatero and the Mercato delle Erbe (via Ugo Bassi) are the places for shopping and aperitivo; the Saturday Mercato Ritrovato in the Cineteca courtyard sells produce from local farmers. The local wine is Pignoletto from the hills; aperitivo with snacks is a local tradition.
Parks and hills
The Giardini Margherita, just outside Porta Santo Stefano, are the city park with a pond, running paths and the Serre, a coworking space, bar and event venue. The hills start right behind the centre: the San Luca portico, Villa Ghigi, the San Pellegrino park and the trails to Monte Donato and Paderno; the Montagnola is the historic park near the station, the Lungo Reno and Parco Nord the flat running areas. Municipal pools (Stadio, Carmen Longo) and the Lido di Casalecchio on the Reno are the summer refuges.
- Sport: Bologna FC at the Dall'Ara stadium; Virtus and Fortitudo in basketball, with the city's most heartfelt derby; running on the viali and the hills, Bologna Marathon in spring.
- Evenings: via del Pratello for osterie and pubs, piazza Verdi and via Zamboni for students, via Mascarella for jazz and clubs, Bolognina for cultural spaces and social clubs (DumBO in the former railway yards), the Giardini Margherita in summer.
- Culture: the Cineteca di Bologna with the Cinema Modernissimo beneath piazza Re Enzo, Teatro Comunale (opera), Arena del Sole (drama), Teatro Duse; concerts at the Estragon and the Unipol Arena in Casalecchio.
- Free: summer cinema in Piazza Maggiore (Cinema Ritrovato in June and the summer season), the Salaborsa and district libraries, the climb to San Luca, state museums on the first Sunday of the month, walks under the porticoes.
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Reviewed: 10/23/2026 · by piero.avolio · rev. 1 · Period: → 2027-10-31
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