There is still something I left out from my trip to Bologna. The visit on our last day in town to the Sanctuary of San Luca, a place that has been of religious worship for centuries. And the most interesting thing about this place is that it’s connected to the city centre through a portico running for 4 Km, with 600 archways, considered the longest in the world. This allows pilgrims and visitors to walk all the way up the hill to the Sanctuary protected by the often tough elements of nature, such as heavy rains, hot sun in summers, or even snow in the deep winter.
Unfortunately, because it was our last day, and to be quite fair I was getting a really harsh cold, we didn’t do the walk up to the sanctuary through the longest portico of the world. It is something I would have for sure done had I had more time and been in better shape. The great thing is that if you’re short of time, or really can’t bother to go the 4 kilometres hike to the Sanctuary, you can hop on a cute little tourist train, that will take you all the way to the top and back, giving you time to visit the cathedral and also a nice tour of the city.
While you don-t have to pay to visit the inside of the church, if you want to see the view from the tower, you have to get a €5 ticket – however, if I’m being completely honest, the view is pretty, but not outstanding. You can see the hills surrounding the sanctuary.
You would never imagine that after this beautiful weather, it would start to rain and get incredibly cold(er). Thankfully, by then, we were on our way to a warm and cosy restaurant to enjoy our last meal in Bologna.
Check out my other posts on Bologna, below:
Ciao Bologna – highlights from the friendly Italian capital of knowledge
Bologna, La Grassa – Food appreciation post
Love, Nic
The Winged Bone 
The inside of the cathedral is stunning! And I think the view is beautiful as well – the clouds and green hills make a pretty picture 😊.
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The cathedral’s interior is magnificent. The protected walkway is a very thoughtful and practical idea, but a long walk without any views (the portico has enclosed walls all the way, right?) isn’t very appealing. Looks like you had a rough time towards the end of your visit with the weather and your cold. Judging by your previous post, the meal must have made you feel a lot better.
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No, actually it doesn’t have enclosed wall on one of the sides, so you can definitely admire the views, while being protected from the harsh elements of Nature 🙂 Yeah, I did catch a pretty bad cold, thankfully it was only that… but I’ve been cooped up inside for so long, that my immune system was lazy and didn’t to the job properly! But after much rest back in London, I recovered quickly and the food and the views are the memories that will stay with me 🙂
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Beautiful
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Wow, such a stunning cathedral! I had a chance to visit Bologna for a one full day many years ago and I still consider it one of Italy’s most beautiful, unique and underrated cities, because its where some of the country’s best food, people and architecture can be found☺️ I wish I knew about the magnificent cathedral back then! Thanks for sharing and have a good day ☺️ Aiva
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I couldn’t agree more, I was so deeply impressed and touched by Bologna!
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