Industrial Heritage Walks in Bologna
Have you ever taken an early morning walk along the banks of the Navile Canal, glanced at the ruins of the old factories that once lined its shores, or visited the Museum of Industrial Heritage that preserves the story of Bologna’s silk-making past?
The canal is one of Bologna’s historic symbols, a key factor in the city’s rise to industrial greatness. It was built to channel water into the heart of the manufacturing district, powering tanneries and workshops. Then came the second industrial revolution: water gave way to fuel, workshops turned into industrial plants. Then came crisis, the end of state aid, and globalization.
Today, walking along Via Ferrarese—once traversed by the Bologna–Malalbergo tram line—you’ll find an open-air, post-industrial archaeological park. These are stories of extraordinary deindustrialization. It’s a poetic landscape for those who know how to grasp its subtle tones and uncover its history.
That’s exactly what Free Walking Tour Bologna and Save Industrial Heritage set out to do: tell the story of the city’s industrial and manufacturing past through abandoned factories and waterways. WALKING INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE is a series of industrial-themed walking tours designed to explore the works and stories that made Bologna one of Italy’s leading manufacturing centers.
