
There are plenty of things to do in Bologna on a small budget. With a tradition of culture and knowledge goes back thousands of years, it’s only natural that the city of Europe’s first university would want to share things that lift your spirits and broaden your understanding. You’ll find museums that open their collections to the public for free, artistic spots along cobblestoned alleys, and churches housing masterpieces and narrating centuries of history.
Bologna is also a forward-thinking city, where you can explore many modern structures hosting contemporary masterpieces. Traces from the gothic and renaissance eras intersect with futuristic trends and pop art – all of which you can experience for free.
An open-air museum dating back to 1334
适合: 历史, 照片, 经济, 与众不同
Certosa di Bologna (also known as Bologna’s Monumental Cemetery) has a romantic charm and melancholy peace that has inspired great writers like Dickens and Byron. The former Carthusian monastery is in the city’s western suburbs, about a 30-minute bus ride from the centre. This architectural masterpiece dates back to 1334 and became a cemetery in the early 19th century.
It has intricate sculptures of angels and mausoleums preserving ancient families’ forgotten glories. Poet Giosuè Carducci and singer Lucio Dalla are among Certosa di Bologna’s permanent residents. The Chiesa di San Girolamo (Church of San Girolamo) houses treasures and a pictorial cycle on the life of Christ.
地址: Via della Certosa, 18, 40134 Bologna BO, Italy
开放时间 March–October: daily from 7 am to 6 pm. November–February: daily from 8 am to 5 pm
电话: +39 051 615 0811

Certosa di Bologna
Italian gardens surrounding an 18th-century villa
适合: 历史, 照片, 经济
Villa Spada is a 19th-century Italian park and villa in Bologna. Built in the 1700s, statues and architecture frame its natural landscape, while geometric hedges delineate spaces in a symmetrical shape. The neoclassical villa houses the Museum of Tapestry, where you can see examples of dresses across different cultures and periods.
Villa Spada is open to the public, so you can stretch out on the large sun-warmed lawn on Collina di Casaglia (Casaglia Hill) and admire the cityscape. The gardens have dense and varied vegetation, including Mediterranean cypresses and laurels, as well as exotic plants such as Himalayan cedars.
地址: Via di Casaglia, 3, 40135 Bologna BO, Italy
开放时间 Monday–Friday from 8.30 am to 7 pm, Saturday–Sunday from 8.30 am to 1.30 pm
电话: +39 051 615 0811

Villa Spada
Unwind in one of Bologna’s most scenic parks
适合: 情侣/夫妇, 历史, 照片, 经济
Montagnola Park is one of the oldest public parks in Bologna, with its ancient origins evident from centuries-old sycamores. Its current landscaping is of 19th-century designs, due to Napoleon’s decision to add a French touch to the city during his stay.
The park’s scenic entrance on the northern side, along with the Scalinata Del Pincio staircase, was built to welcome those arriving in Bologna by train. Risorgimento uprisings against the Austrians took place in 1848, so you’ll see a monument dedicated to those who fell in this battle. There’s also a fountain with sculptures of fighting animals, built for the Esposizione Emiliana in 1888.
地址: Via Irnerio, 2/3, 40126 Bologna BO, Italy
开放时间 Daily from 7 am to midnight

Montagnola Park
See 19th-century anatomical wax models and real human skulls
适合: 历史, 经济, 与众不同
The Luigi Cattaneo Anatomical Wax Model Museum is a testament to Bologna’s role in medical sciences during the 18th and 19th centuries. Located in the University of Bologna, the museum was established by Luigi Cattaneo, professor of anatomy in the 1970s.
You can see wax models dating back to the 19th century, as well as real human skulls bones used for research and teaching. The museum also demonstrates the development of preservation techniques, with displays of mummified, dried and fluid-preserved organs.