For the people of Bologna, the hills are all about fun and freedom, a way to spend a few hours surrounded by nature just a stone’s throw from home. As a famous song by the well-known Bolognese singer Cesare Cremonini suggests, one of the best ways to enjoy them is on two wheels, feeling the wind on your face. We recommend stopping here and there to admire the landscape and take a few steps on foot, perhaps combining it with a picnic.

If you also want to enjoy the view of the city from above during your outing, we recommend two spots (lesser known than the Sanctuary of San Luca on Colle della Guardia): the Hermitage of Ronzano on Colle dell’Osservanza (how to get there) and the meadow at the top of the so-called Trecento Scalini (next to the Longhena Primary School, Via Casaglia 39).

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  Bologna, Biblioteca Salaborsa | Ph. Everson Bueno via Shutterstock (for editorial use only)

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The Bologna Botanical Garden is a heavenly natural corner in the heart of the city (access from Via Irnerio 42). Founded in 1568 on the initiative of Ulisse Aldrovandi, the Bologna Botanical Garden is one of the oldest in Italy and therefore in the world. Perhaps not everyone knows that botanical gardens originated in Italy.

The Garden is home to more than 5,000 specimens of local and exotic plants and features reconstructions of natural environments, such as the woods of the Bolognese Apennines and the pond. It also includes several greenhouses (two tropical greenhouses, a greenhouse for succulent plants and a greenhouse for carnivorous plants) as well as a reconstruction of the Orto dei Semplici, based on the original one designed by Aldrovandi.

The San Michele in Bosco complex not only offers a fantastic view of Bologna from above, but is also full of surprises. Located just outside the city centre, the church is definitely worth a visit to admire its finely decorated interior and the adjacent Umberto I Library, which houses a vast collection of works on orthopaedics (not far away is the Rizzoli Hospital, which specialises in orthopaedics) and fascinates visitors with its wooden shelves and frescoed ceilings.

But that’s not all. Passing through the church (admission is free), you enter the long corridor of the former Olivetan convent, called “il cannocchiale” (the telescope) because of a remarkable optical effect. Walking towards the large window overlooking the historic centre, the Asinelli Tower seems to become smaller and smaller; moving away, on the contrary, it becomes larger and larger.

Surrounded by historic buildings, Piazza Santo Stefano is home to the unique Complex of Seven Churches and is one of the most picturesque spots in Bologna. When the weather is nice enough to enjoy the evening outdoors, we recommend stopping here at sunset, sitting under one of the porticoes and observing what is happening around you. This square is one of the most popular meeting places for students and citizens, who linger for an aperitivo and a chat…that’s the Bolognese art of living!