Visit Bologna, Italy, the Right Way with Kids

Conveniently located between Venice and Florence, Bologna is a good stop for families traveling through Italy. Level and easy to explore on foot, its compact, traffic-free center is also stroller-friendly thanks to flat pavements. More than 20 miles of porticos protect sidewalks from sun and rain, making it an all-season place to visit.

Bologna has its own leaning tower, Torre degli Asinelli, made even more dramatic by its height and narrow silhouette, which make the lean more evident. Energetic older kids will want to climb its almost 500 steps to stand at the top.

Churches are rarely on kids’ must-see lists, but Bologna’s cathedral has a curiosity inside. On the floor of the main aisle is one of the world’s most important sundials. It shows the exact moment when the sun crosses the meridian at noon, but unlike most sundials, it’s not in the sun. Instead, a hole in the roof allows the sunlight in.

Look for a long line in the floor beginning to the left of the main entrance; marble markers indicate days and months throughout its length. At noon on a sunny day, a dot of light will hit that day’s marker. Try to be there at noon on a sunny day so the kids can see how it works.

Bologna has another trick that intrigues young visitors, and it’s just across the piazza in Palazzo Podestra. Inside its central chamber, directly under the tower, are four statues, one in each corner. Have kids stand facing the corner wall under one of the statues and whisper something. Meanwhile, go to the opposite corner and lean close to the wall — you’ll hear the whisper clearly.

Bologna has a lot more than its oddities to interest kids. The collection of Egyptian artifacts in Museum of Archaeology is one of Italy’s finest, and a half-hour bus ride takes you to the Gelato Museum, where kids can learn about, taste and learn to make everyone’s favorite Italian treat. For more food fun, there are activities and family classes in pasta, gelato and pizza-making at Italy’s first food theme park, FFICO by Eataly. A free bus takes you there from the center.