Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy uses Europe/Rome, currently CEST (UTC+02:00). Clocks move back 1 hour on 25 October 2026.
Bologna is a city in Italy, with a population of about 394,800. Its time shifts forward and back with the seasons under daylight saving rules.
The band below is your local scale — accent shows when everyone's business hours overlap. Add or remove a city on the left and this updates too.
Written for people arriving, calling in, or planning a trip around the time difference.
Bologna's historic centre is compact, walled in outline and threaded with porticoes that run for tens of kilometres, so almost the whole core can be crossed under cover. Most visitors stay within the old centre around Piazza Maggiore, with the university quarter northeast of it giving the city its student character.
The leaning medieval towers and the vast unfinished basilica on Piazza Maggiore are the central sights, and the covered walk up to the sanctuary on the hill above the city is the classic longer excursion. The city is a serious food destination, and its markets just east of the main square are best in the morning.
The centre is walkable and the porticoes make that pleasant in almost any weather. Buses cover the wider city, the airport is close, and Bologna's position on the main north-south rail line makes it one of Italy's easiest bases for day trips.
Spring and autumn are the most comfortable, with mild temperatures and the food calendar at its best. Summers in the Po valley are hot and humid, and winters are cold and often foggy.
Italy uses the EUR, calling code +39.
Italy uses the euro, and Italian is the everyday language with English understood in the centre and among students. Meals are taken seriously and unhurriedly, and cards are widely accepted though small bars may prefer cash.
