The sixty municipalities around Bologna hide castles, wine roads and craft workshops, all within an hour's drive.
Last updated August 27, 2026
The area is best understood as a chain of landscapes rather than a single urban fringe. Bologna and the first hills lead into the Reno, Savena and Idice valleys; the northern plain is a world of canals, farms, castles and small museums; eastward, Imola and the Santerno, Sillaro and Sellustra valleys bring together vineyards, historic villages and Apennine produce. The following roster preserves the municipality names used for this itinerary and helps match older maps, addresses and local attractions.
| No. | Municipality |
|---|---|
| 1 | Anzola dell'Emilia |
| 2 | Argelato |
| 3 | Baricella |
| 4 | Bazzano |
| 5 | Bentivoglio |
| 6 | Bologna |
| 7 | Borgo Tossignano |
| 8 | Budrio |
| 9 | Calderara di Reno |
| 10 | Camugnano |
| 11 | Casalecchio di Reno |
| 12 | Casalfiumanese |
| 13 | Castel d'Aiano |
| 14 | Castel del Rio |
| 15 | Castel di Casio |
| 16 | Castel Guelfo di Bologna |
| 17 | Castel Maggiore |
| 18 | Castel San Pietro Terme |
| 19 | Castello d'Argile |
| 20 | Castello di Serravalle |
| 21 | Castenaso |
| 22 | Castiglione dei Pepoli |
| 23 | Crevalcore |
| 24 | Crespellano |
| 25 | Dozza |
| 26 | Fontanelice |
| 27 | Gaggio Montano |
| 28 | Galliera |
| 29 | Granaglione |
| 30 | Granarolo dell'Emilia |
| 31 | Grizzana Morandi |
| 32 | Imola |
| 33 | Lizzano in Belvedere |
| 34 | Loiano |
| 35 | Malalbergo |
| 36 | Marzabotto |
| 37 | Medicina |
| 38 | Minerbio |
| 39 | Molinella |
| 40 | Monghidoro |
| 41 | Monte San Pietro |
| 42 | Monterenzio |
| 43 | Monteveglio |
| 44 | Monzuno |
| 45 | Mordano |
| 46 | Ozzano dell'Emilia |
| 47 | Pianoro |
| 48 | Pieve di Cento |
| 49 | Porretta Terme |
| 50 | Sala Bolognese |
| 51 | San Benedetto Val di Sambro |
| 52 | San Giorgio di Piano |
| 53 | San Giovanni in Persiceto |
| 54 | San Lazzaro di Savena |
| 55 | San Pietro in Casale |
| 56 | Sant'Agata Bolognese |
| 57 | Sasso Marconi |
| 58 | Savigno |
| 59 | Vergato |
| 60 | Zola Predosa |
The hills west of Bologna are covered with vineyards and are ideal for a slow food-and-wine day. The Città Castelli Ciliegi route runs between Bologna and Modena through towns, castles and cherry-growing country. Its local bottles include Colli Bolognesi Pignoletto Superiore, Pignoletto Spumante and Riesling Italico, with full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon also represented. The route works well by car, with time left for a village walk and a cellar visit rather than a rushed list of stops.
East of Bologna, the Colli d'Imola wine-and-flavours road follows the Sillaro, Santerno and Sellustra valleys. Its stops include Borgo Tossignano, Casalfiumanese, Castel del Rio, Castel Guelfo, Castel San Pietro Terme, Dozza, Fontanelice, Imola, Medicina and Ozzano dell'Emilia. Taste Colli d'Imola wines, especially Sangiovese, and Albana di Romagna, then look for the products associated with the valleys: Romagna peaches and nectarines, Castel del Rio chestnuts, shallots, Santerno Valley apricots, Central Apennine veal, shepherd's pecorino and piadina Romagnola.
The Appennino Bolognese route is the mountain version of the same idea. The Montagna Amica producers make meat, cured meats, cheese, wild-berry products, honey, wine and baked goods in the traditional mountain style. Local bread baked in wood-fired ovens is both a food and a cultural marker. The Via del Pane della Montagna Bolognese follows the story from organically grown grain in the Apennine fields to the loaf on the table.
In Dozza, in the valleys around Imola, the Emilia-Romagna Regional Wine Emporium occupies more than 1,000 square metres and offers over 800 regional labels. Its shelves cover white and red wines, sparkling wines, passiti, traditional balsamic vinegar and spirits, arranged to suggest food pairings. There is a tasting area and wine bar, with courses, guided tastings and evenings devoted to regional specialities; on Sunday afternoons the tasting space is open to the general public. It is a practical first stop for understanding the region before visiting producers.
| Place | Location and practical details |
|---|---|
| Casoncello Gardens | Loiano, along the road linking the Strada Statale 65 Futa in the Idice Valley with the Savena valley road. One hectare contains more than 1,000 species in mixed lawns, vegetable gardens, rock and water areas, woodland, herb beds, orchard and hedges. Visits are by booked guided tour only, including an olfactory route. |
| Parco della Chiusa or Parco Talon | Via Panoramica 11, Casalecchio di Reno. The park follows the Reno around the historic dam. From the town, a cycle track reaches the Lido di Casalecchio beach, where the equipped riverbank is used for summer sunbathing and relaxation. The park also contains remnants of the Sampieri Talon villas and hosts cultural events in spring and summer. |
| Hortus Conclusus | Castello di Serravalle, on the hills above Bazzano. This small medieval-style garden recreates the Giardino delle Delizie, Orto dei Semplici and Verziere with rainwater, organic fertilisers, natural insect controls and traditional supports. It opens on the days of the Ecomuseo della Collina e del Vino; groups need at least six people, and the garden visit lasts about 45 minutes. |
| Parco dei Calanchi di Sabbiuno | Via di Sabbiuno, on the border of Sasso Marconi. Meadows, woods and sharply eroded clay badlands surround a memorial to partisans murdered by Nazi fascists in 1944. |
| Parco dei Gessi Bolognesi | Via Jussi 171, San Lazzaro di Savena. The protected area contains a striking system of gypsum caves and trails through pale, almost lunar landscapes. Wear proper walking shoes and check access conditions before entering caves or lesser paths. |
| Parco Storico di Monte Sole | Località San Martino, Marzabotto, about 30 km south of Bologna. The park combines rich flora, with 936 recorded species, wildlife and the Memorial Route through the places connected with the massacre of 770 civilians between 29 September and 5 October 1944. Information: +39 051 932525; memorial route: https://enteparchi.bo.it/itinerario-del-memoriale |
These areas are not interchangeable city parks. The Gessi and Monte Sole involve longer walking and uneven ground, while the Chiusa and the first hill parks suit a shorter outdoor break. For the Casoncello Gardens and Hortus Conclusus, booking or checking opening days is part of the visit, not an optional extra.
Bologna's motor culture is a genuine regional itinerary rather than a single museum. Eighty-four motorcycle brands were founded in the province over the decades, and the surrounding concentration of manufacturers and collectors is commonly described as Motor Valley. The programme ranges from historic motorcycles and public transport to Ducati, Lamborghini and the Imola circuit. Competitive events include vintage-car races such as the Mille Miglia, the Bologna-Raticosa, and the October uphill Bologna-San Luca speed trial; the Bologna Motor Show has drawn more than one million car and motorcycle enthusiasts.
At Via Antonio Cavalieri Ducati 3 in Borgo Panigale, map L-8, the museum traces Ducati from its early radio and electrical work through the Cucciolo, road bikes and racing machines. The exhibition includes 18 road motorcycles, 23 racing motorcycles, trophies, riders' suits and technical panels. The factory tour adds the polished production lines and must be booked.
Tip: The historic material is as important as the racing display: allow time for the company's pre-motorcycle years as well as the famous competition models.
Official site →The museum occupies the former Galotti brickworks, Via della Beverara 123, map H-10, about 3 km north of Piazza Liber Paradisus. The 1887 factory retains its Hoffmann kiln and displays working industrial models, the Bologna silk-mill tradition, the history of mortadella production, Ducati and Maserati material, and a machine capable of making 5,000 tortellini per hour. Information: +39 051 6356611.
Official site →At SP Galliera 319 in Funo di Argelato, about 15 km north of Piazza Liber Paradisus, the family museum follows Ferruccio Lamborghini from the Carioca tractor to the Countach and Miura SV. Phone +39 051 863366.
Official site →Via Modena 12 is the home of the Casa del Toro. The factory route passes the Aventador and Huracan production lines, the large engines, custom accessories and hand-finished leather department. The museum adds historic cars and the main production models. By bus, use line 576 toward Crevalcore and get off at S. Agata B. Chiesa Frati. Phone +39 051 6817611.
Official site →Budrio is the birthplace of the ocarina, the ceramic wind instrument invented there by Giuseppe Donati in 1853. The instrument became an international success and is celebrated by a festival held every two years. The Ocarina Museum documents its manufacture, repertoire and evolution with displays, books and recorded material.
Via Garibaldi 35, Budrio. The museum is a compact cultural stop on a plain-country itinerary and works well combined with Bentivoglio or Pieve di Cento. Phones: +39 051 6928306and +39 051 6928244.
Pieve di Cento, sometimes called the little Bologna for its arcaded historic character, is about 30 km north of the centre. The fourteenth-century Porta Ferrara and the former slaughterhouse now house the Centopievese String Instruments School, continuing a workshop tradition that has been established in the town since the eighteenth century. The school and music museum make this a rewarding stop for visitors interested in craft as much as performance.
A practical plain-country loop combines Pieve di Cento with Bentivoglio and Budrio. Bentivoglio, listed about 15 km south-east on the route, has Palazzo Rosso and its Sala dello Zodiaco, the Museum of Rural Civilisation and the Locanda Smeraldi. Continue toward Budrio, about 20 km south-east on the same broad itinerary, for the ocarina museum and its historic centre.
Palazzo Rosso is at Via Marconi 5. The rural museum is at Via Sammarina 35 and preserves the material culture of the plain. Phone Palazzo Rosso +39 051 8904823; museum +39 051 891050.
Official site →Via Rusticana A/1, Pieve di Cento. The collection adds a modern art stop to the plain itinerary. Phone +39 051 6861545.
Official site →A useful lunch stop beside the rural museum, with a weekday set lunch and a broader weekend offer.
Rocchetta Mattei is about 45 km from Bologna, in the first Apennine landscape beyond Sasso Marconi. The castle was begun in 1850 by Cesare Mattei as a home and treatment centre for his electro-homeopathic theories. Its theatrical architecture mixes medieval Gothic, Moorish and Liberty ideas, including a Sala dei Novanta, a recreation of Granada's Alhambra courtyard and a black-and-white arcade inspired by Cordoba's Mezquita.
From Bologna, take the A1 to Sasso Marconi and then the SS64 toward Riola. The Bologna-Porretta railway stops at Riola; from the station the castle is about a 20-minute walk, mostly on a road without a pavement. Phone +39 051 6730335.
Official site →A former mill with cakes and pastries, useful for a coffee or sweet break on a hill and Apennine route.
A hill itinerary is most enjoyable when it includes time for local food. Crescentine, tigelle, local cheeses and cured meats suit a walking or driving day, while the wine roads add Pignoletto, Sangiovese and Albana to the table. Reservations matter for small rural addresses, especially at weekends.
Since 1901, this hill osteria has focused on crescentine, tigelle and excellent cheeses. It is a natural lunch stop when visiting San Michele in Bosco, Villa Ghigi, San Luca or the western hills.