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Shopping Areas Tour in Bologna, Bologna (Self Guided)

Bologna offers a wide selection of shopping, having streets lined with small shops and markets. Shops follow an unusual schedule, being closed on Thursday afternoon and on Sunday. This self-guided tour will lead you to Bologna’s most interesting shops and shopping streets.

How it works: Download the app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from iTunes App Store or Google Play to your mobile phone or tablet. The app turns your mobile device into a personal tour guide and its built-in GPS navigation functions guide you from one tour stop to next. The app works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walks in Bologna

Guide Name: Shopping Areas Tour in Bologna
Guide Location: Italy » Bologna (See other walking tours in Bologna)
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Sightseeing)
# of Attractions: 6
Tour Duration: 1 hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.2 km
Author: vickyc

1) Antique Shops

Via San Vitale is a wonderful shopping street where you will find many antique shops. You can find a large assortment of refined original items in a wide range of prices.

Image by sailko on Wikimedia under Creative Commons License.

2) Corte Isolani

Housed in a beautiful medieval building, Corte Isolani is a good place to go for local crafts. It is not one shop but a complex of shops, offering a variety of art pieces, antiques and trendy fashions.

Image by Sunil Photos on Flickr under Creative Commons License.

3) Mercato di Mezzo

Mercato di Mezzo offers many gourmet shops that sell the best in Italian foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables. Their prices are a bit higher, but the high quality of its items is well worth the cost.

Image by Gabriele on Flickr under Creative Commons License.

4) Orefici Market

Orefici Market, located in the center of Bologna on a street of the same name, is one of the city’s most popular food mercatos. In addition to the variety of Italian specialties found here, there is also a heavenly selection of local delicacies.

Image by SanFranAnnie on Flickr under Creative Commons License.

5) Via Rizzoli

Via Rizzoli is one of Bologna’s main shopping streets, containing many women’s fashion shops. Italy is famous throughout the world for its high quality clothing. Many high-end Italian designers sell their fashion lines on Via Rizzoli. Several book and antique shops can also be found along this road.

Image by abusx on Flickr under Creative Commons License.

6) Via Indipendenza (must see)

Via Indipendenza is Bologna’s most popular street for shopping. There are a wide variety of goods sold here, where something for everyone can be found. Majani chocolates, Italy’s finest chocolates, are sold here, as well as the best Italian wines and many other things.

Image by Godslave on Wikimedia under Creative Commons License.

Walking Tours in Bologna, Italy

Create Your Own Walk in Bologna

Creating your own self-guided walk in Bologna is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Nightlife Walking Tour in Bologna

Bologna has a vibrant nightlife, where you will find many diverse nightclubs, discos and live music venues. The most popular place for a night out is the student quarter, Old Town and the streets around the main square. Take this self-guided tour to enjoy Bologna’s exciting nightlife.

Tour Duration: 1 hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 km

Southern Bologna Walking Tour

Southern Bologna boasts many great attractions, such as the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Saint Luca, museums and palaces with magnificent architecture. Take this self-guided tour and explore the most interesting sites in the south of Bologna.

Tour Duration: 2 hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.5 km

Kids Walking Tour of Bologna

Bologna is such a beautiful city, with many fascinating buildings, art galleries and museums that are interesting for both adults and kids. It also has wonderful parks and amazing toy shops children will love. This self-guided tour will lead you to Bologna’s best attractions for kids.

Tour Duration: 2 hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.0 km

Downtown Churches Walking Tour in Bologna

There are many magnificent, centuries-old churches in Bologna. Many of them are well-preserved and worth visiting during your stay in this fascinating old city. You can see unforgettable religious paintings by world famous artists. This self-guided tour will lead you to the majestic churches in downtown Bologna.

Tour Duration: 2 hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 km

Palaces Walking Tour of Bologna

Bologna is an ancient city with beautiful architecture. In these palaces you can see art by the great masters, intricately decorated interiors and luxurious old furniture. This self-guided tour will lead you to Bologna’s most historically significant palaces.

Tour Duration: 2 hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 km

Specialty Shops Walking Tour in Bologna

Italians prefer to do their shopping in small specialty shops, which are numerous in Bologna. You can find anything from Italian wines, Italian hats, ceramics and books to unique designer shoes and much more. Take this self-guided tour to discover the best in Bologna’s specialty shops.

Tour Duration: 1 hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.9 km

View all walking tours in Bologna, Italy

Tips for Exploring City on Foot at Your Own Pace

Whether you are in Bologna for a quick stopover or have a few days to see the city in more detail, exploring it on foot, at your own pace, is definitely the way to go. Here are some tips for you to save money, see the best Bologna has to offer, take good care of your feet while walking, and keep your mobile device – your ultimate "work horse" on this trip - well fed and safe.

Taking Care of Your Feet

To ensure ultimate satisfaction from a day of walking around the city as big as Bologna, it is imperative to take good care of your feet so as to avoid unpleasant things like blisters, cold or overheated soles, itchy, irritated or otherwise damaged (cracked) skin, etc. Luckily, these days there is no shortage of remedies to address (and, ideally, to prevent) these and other potential problems with feet. Among them: Compression Socks, Rechargeable Battery-Powered Thermo Socks for Cold Weather, Foot Repair Cream, Deodorant Powder, Shoes UV Sterilizer, and many more that you may wish to find a place in your travel kit for.

Travel Gadgets for Your Mobile Device

Your mobile phone or tablet will be your work horse on a self-guided walk. They offer tour map, guide you from one attraction to another, and provide informative background for the sights you wish to visit. Therefore it is absolutely essential to plan against unexpected power outages in the wrong place at the wrong time, much as to ensure the safety of your device.

For these and other contingencies, here's the list of useful appliances: Portable Charger/External Battery Pack, Worldwide Travel Charger Adapter, Power Converter for International Travel Adapter, and Mobile Device Leash.