Bologna's scavenger hunt, explained
The Bologna scavenger hunt is a self-guided city game you play on your phone: you walk through the medieval centre, solve a riddle at each of 10 landmarks by looking closely at what is in front of you, and unlock the stories behind it. Two hours are plenty at a relaxed pace, because the 10 stops are packed into 2.5 km and the walking between them adds up to just 33 minutes; when you begin is entirely your call.
Highlights include the Asinelli and Garisenda towers, the glass floor of the Salaborsa library, the terracotta heads of Palazzo Bolognini on Piazza Santo Stefano, the church of Saints Vitale and Agricola and the tomb of Saint Dominic. Bologna's old centre is compact and lined with porticoes, so you walk in the shade or out of the rain almost all the way.
- Durationabout 2 hours
- Walkingabout 33 min · 2.5 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
Riddles under the porticoes of Bologna
Read the red city
Every stop carries one riddle, and its answer is part of the street: a pope in bronze above a portal, a row of terracotta heads, a date carved into brick. Observation and a little logic do the work, and nothing needs studying beforehand.
Leaning towers and a Bologna pope
When a riddle is solved, the stop opens up: why the Garisenda leans and how Dante came to mention it, which Bologna-born pope gave his name to the Gregorian calendar, how the young Michelangelo came to carve statues for the tomb of Saint Dominic. Turn on the audio narration and the stories are read to you as you go.
A compact 2.5 km
Google Maps guides you between the stops, which are never far apart: 33 minutes of walking in all, from the Two Towers across Piazza Maggiore to Santo Stefano and San Domenico. Much of it runs under the porticoes that line Bologna's streets.
Tagliatelle can come first
The game pauses whenever you do, so a plate of tagliatelle or a glass of wine in the lanes of the Quadrilatero costs you nothing. Pick up again later that day or on another, and use the app to reorder the stops if Santo Stefano is closer to where you are staying.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who Bologna's riddles are for
A short stay in Bologna
The towers, the main square, the Seven Churches and the basilica of San Domenico all sit within 2.5 km, so even a stopover gives you the shape of the medieval city. The riddles give you a reason to look up at the terracotta and brick that most visitors hurry past.
Children with an eye for odd details
Bologna is full of them: a tower that visibly leans, a glass floor in Salaborsa over the remains of the Roman town, terracotta faces peering down from a palace, medieval tombs raised on columns. Every team needs a grown-up, yet the sharpest eyes in it often belong to the youngest.
Students, colleagues and friends
A team takes up to 5 players, each following the game on their own phone, so a class, a department or a group of friends can play as rival teams and compare answers at the end of the route. All of it happens in public streets and squares, so the only thing to organise is the tickets.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Teams of up to 5 work best; bigger groups split into several teams, one ticket per player.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
paul (verified owner) –
Very good time with family visiting places in the city ! Done few cities ! Next one in next days !
Anonym (verified owner) –