The paths to San Luca

San Luca is certainly one of the symbols of Bologna: an iconic city sanctuary, located on the Colle della Guardia (Guardia Hill), it has always been a destination for religious pilgrimages linked to the devotion of the image of the Blessed Virgin; more recently it has become a must-see for visitors to the city and a natural gym for citizens who want to stay in shape, walking and running up and down its portico.

Do you want to reach San Luca? Here's how to get there: routes and ways to reach the Sanctuary.

• Walking to San Luca from the centre

• Walking to San Luca from Casalecchio

• Other ways: by public transport or by bicycle

© Wildlab

Walking to San Luca

Option 1: from the city centre

If you want to reach San Luca with a nice walk, you can start from the historic centre along via Saragozza. Once at Porta Saragozza, continue under the portico, one of the sections recently named UNESCO world heritage site, which, with its 3.5 km, is the longest in the world and is marked by 666 arches.

At a certain point, the portico crosses the road and forms a large arch. This is the Arco del Meloncello, built in 1732 based on a design by Carlo Francesco Dotti. From here begins the stretch of portico that climbs up to the Sanctuary of San Luca, interspersed with fifteen chapels with painted depictions of the Mysteries of the Rosary. Once at the top of the Sanctuary, it is possible to enjoy a spectacular view of the city and the surrounding hills by visiting the panoramic terrace. This route coincides with a section of the first stage of the famous Via degli Dei (Way of the Gods) walk from Bologna to Florence.

Option 2: from Parco della Chiusa/Talon

The second route involves starting from Casalecchio di Reno, specifically from the Church of San Martino, reachable via bus 20 from central Bologna.

From here, you continue inside the Parco della Chiusa or Talon: before the recent floods that hit the city, one would climb the Sentiero dei Bregoli (Bregoli path), a fascinating and quite demanding 1.7 km path through the woods due to its slopes, but which is currently unusable.

However, there is an alternative and panoramic route to the sanctuary also ascending from the Parco della Chiusa/Talon via the Via Panoramica which first leads to the Montagnola di Mezzo and then connects to Via Monte Albano, from which, continuing left, you arrive behind the Sanctuary.

The return route involves descending along the portico that leads to the Arco del Meloncello, along via Saragozza, up to Porta Saragozza. Continuing inside the walls, you arrive at the Collegio di Spagna (Spanish College), and finally return to Piazza Maggiore.

By transport: public and tourist services

San Luca can also be reached in other ways, of course, for example by public transport. The bus 20 connects the centre with Casalecchio and therefore, starting from one side or the other, you can get off at the Villa Spada stop, on Via Saragozza. Here you can change buses and go up to the sanctuary with n°58. The same ticket will be valid for the entire journey: be sure to validate it when you board both means of transport. One note: the bus 58 is not very frequent, check the exact times on the Tper website.

In addition to public transport, the tourist service San Luca Express is available: a comfortable train that leaves from Piazza Maggiore, complete with an audio guide in various languages to accompany the ascent to the sanctuary from a historical and cultural point of view.

By bicycle

Finally, for the more athletic, why not try the ascent to the sanctuary by bicycle? Only if you are well trained should you challenge the slopes that climb the Guardia Hill. Find out everything about how to cycle up to San Luca in our dedicated article.