Interactive museums, downtown walks and park rides-these are the buzzwords for those who choose to visit Bologna with children.


Traveling with your children is the perfect opportunity to rediscover Italy’s most beautiful art cities: to look at the most famous monuments with different eyes, but also to visit places and museums that there had been no time to see.

Among the most fascinating destinations for a weekend getaway or a family day out is Bologna for children: including interactive museums, beautiful architecture, and large parks to run around in, there really is something for everyone!

Bologna coi bambini - San Luca credits Federica Poluzzi via Flickr

© Federica Poluzzi via Flickr

Bologna from above: the Bologna to see with children

It’s a beautiful, sunny day, and you find yourself in Bologna with the children: what to do to discover its beauties and savor a delightful relaxation break? Bologna is a city that can easily be seen in a day, strolling under the porticoes between the city squares.

It is especially pleasant to enjoy the historic center from the most famous vantage points: to savor a breathtaking view, for example, you can head to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of St. Luke. Absolutely not to be missed, not only for the view, but also for its wonderful portico, the longest in the world!

Visiting Bologna with children, of course, also means admiring its iconic monuments: among the seven must-see stops in Bologna in a day, there are definitely the two Towers, the Garisenda and the soaring Torre degli Asinelli, a true compass for finding your way around the historic center. If you wish, you can also climb it with the whole family – if your lungs are up to it!

Bologna coi bambini credits Dimitris Kamaras via Flickr

© Dimitris Kamaras via Flickr

Shall we go play at the museum?

Just a stone’s throw from the towers is Palazzo Pepoli, among the most interesting children’s museums in Bologna: the right place to spend a special day with the family and learn many new things.

Bologna coi bambini museo credits Fausto Deseri

© Fausto Deseri via Flickr

In fact, the palazzo houses the Museum of the History of Bologna, with fun workshops for the little ones: your children can transform themselves into ladies and knights for the occasion and make jewelry, fans, swords and armor, creating their own coat of arms and flag. The perfect demonstration of how educational trips can be a lot of fun in Italy’s most beautiful science and interactive museums!

Also not to be missed is the Zoology collection of the SMA – Sistema Museale di Ateneo dell’Università di Bologna, one of the most important in Italy: here, your children can have fun recognizing the rarest and most unusual animals, such as the fascinating sunfish.

You will also be able to wander among guided tours, activities set in the Botanical Garden, and many other workshops for children in Bologna. In Bologna, you can also enjoy guided tours, activities set in the Botanical Garden, and many other workshops for Children.

With children in Bologna’s green surroundings

As we saw for travel ideas with kids in Rome, learning is important, but so is enjoying the great outdoors! Where can you unleash your little wild ones? The right backdrop for a nice outdoor run is the Giardini Margherita, the city’s largest park.

Bologna in un giorno Giardini Margherita

© Mapio

With its tree-lined avenues, dense groves and a charming pond, the park is also equipped with dedicated play areas for young children. Chasing your kids among the greenery is a great way to keep fit, but it will leave you hungry: to satisfy the pangs, see our tips on where to eat tortellini in Bologna and locations of Bologna’s best osterias!

To Bologna with Italo

Are you ready for an exciting family day out or a two-day break in Bologna? You certainly won’t have time to get bored, not even on the train, given the many pastimes for children on the trip: how about a cartoon on the ItaloLive Portal, for example? Traveling by train is ideal for a vacation with children to discover Italy, because distances are magically shortened. With over 50 trains to Bologna every day, you can optimize your schedule and avoid rushing! For example, do you know that from Rome to Bologna by train takes only 2 hours and 15 minutes?

 

Cover photo: © Yann Quillevere via Flickr