santuario di madonna di san luca

We were able to see this from the plane and it looked interesting so decided to visit The number 20 bus takes you to Villa Spada and from there a number 58 bus goes up the hill to the Church.Bus number 20 run frequently but number 58 do not. We would have had to wait to long for the number 58 so decided to walk the 2 kilometres to the top. There are porticoes all the way up but it is very very steep. We took our time, some of it is steps and some is just steep, but there are handrails. It was worth the climb, it is approx. 1000 feet above sea level. The Church was built in 1723 as a replacement for the previous 15th century one. It is currently undergoing extensive renovation but still worth a visit.

I had not known that the stairway to this sanctuary was 3 km long, so, the hike seemed to never end. But it was all worth it at the end though, the sanctuary was very beautiful both outside and inside. The view of the mountain from here was magnificent, totally loved it! Bring some snacks with you though. That would be my only advise. We regretted not bringing any food with us when we saw the beautiful garden where we could have had a lovey lunch with fabulous view.

It was summer when i hiked under the 666 porticos up to San Lucabe sure to wear light clothing and good walking shoes, also bring water to drink. A spare t shirt is also good to change into when your reach the top.

Interesting interior. Wonderful views of the city. Worth thr walk up and down the longest colonnade in the world.

We caught the number 20 bus to melon cello arch. From there it is an uphill walk to the church at the top of the hill. It is beautiful walking under the many arches. At the top of the hill the church is magnificent with a huge main dome and great views over the city to one side and natural countryside the other.You could walk the whole way down the portico the 3.7km length but the buses come very regularly to take you to coffee and cake.

Located on a hill on the outskirts of town this church is worth visiting mainly for the views and for the covered portico walk way with over 600 arches which leads from the town to the church. The church itself is massif and commands fine views, but the interior is rather disappointing and not in the top league of many neighbouring churches in the Bologna area. A good place to walk on a sunny day though. A nice place for an outing and to take a picnic.

You have to pass under 666 arches in the portico and when you reach the top you are rewarded witha view across the Apennines towards Florence. Unfortunately when we went to go inside we found it was shut so check in advance!

What a lovely place. I love the churches of Italy and this was well worth the trek. The view is of the entire area surrounding Bologna. You can see the church from miles below. The interior is beautiful and sacred, as always in Italy. When in Bologna do not miss this lovely church.

The best thing to visit in Bologna. Fantastic to see by night. On a hill, fantastic and memorable. Will visit it any time again.

A truly wonderful walk from the city to the top of the hill. If you are in Bologna this is so worth doing.

As others have noted, the real attraction here is the walk to the sanctuary, along the longest covered walkway in the world: 666 arches, about half of which is uphill. We took the route that used to be covered by the parade of the icon (back before it became permanently mounted in the church) from Piazza Nettuno, which amounts to about a five mile walk. We're both in decent shape, but even we were pretty footsore by the time we got back to our apartment. It's a scenic trip, with great views of Bologna along the way as well as glimpses of large country estates on either side of the portico. The sanctuary itself is situated next to a fine garden if your feet are still up for a stroll at that point (ours weren't) and the view from the balcony is stunning. There are plenty of food shops and bars along the way just outside of the Porta Saragozza, so you might want to take a panino to go on the way up. You're likely to want it when you reach the top. Note that we went in November when it was cool; if you do this in the summer, take water!

Walk from Piazza Maggiore takes 3hrs or so but worth it. The Portico di San Luca makes it easy to not get lost.

Three plus kilometre walk up a hill in the outskirts of the city. Choice of walking up road or under the arches. 670 of them. Church not as spectacular as the main church in downtown Bologna. Does have very old icon of the Virgin Mary and Child that was very interesting. Very good view of Bologna from up top. But that was about it.

My husband and I set out in the late afternoon to walk to the basilica before dinner. We're both in good shape and reached the top in a leisurely 45 minutes, stopping along the way to snap photos and enjoys the views. Although we didn't think the path was difficult, we could see how it might be challenging for people who aren't used to walking longer distances or have issues going uphill. It's always good to know your limits. Also, bring a bottle of water. Although the basilica and the views it afforded were beautiful, we really enjoyed the walk there the best. It was great to get some fresh air and view the city from afar. On the way back, we also stopped at a couple of bakeries along Via Saragozza for a few pastries and cookies--a nice little treat to top off a lovely afternoon.

We rode the little red train up and back and were hoping for a great view from up top but didn't really see all that much. The train ride was fun.