Bologna / The verdict
Is climbing the Asinelli Tower worth it?
Skip planning the climb: the Asinelli Tower has been closed since October 2023 while engineers stabilize the neighboring Garisenda, and no reopening date is confirmed. Both towers are still free to see from Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, and the official viewpoint substitute is the Clock Tower on Piazza Maggiore.
By The Real Traveler Experiences team.
The Bologna story
Bologna is Italy's food-first city: medieval towers above a grid of porticoes, the oldest university in Europe, and a market quarter where the aperitivo board counts as dinner. The portico network makes walking painless in any weather, the food scene deserves its reputation, and the city works as a trip of its own or the tastiest stop on a Milan to Florence run.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Skip
Skip planning the climb: the Asinelli Tower has been closed since October 2023 while engineers stabilize the neighboring Garisenda, and no reopening date is confirmed. Both towers are still free to see from Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, and the official viewpoint substitute is the Clock Tower on Piazza Maggiore.
Go if
- Photographers and history travelers who only need the exterior and the piazza
- Visitors content with a substitute viewpoint such as the Clock Tower
Skip if
- A tower climb is the point of your visit; no reopening date is confirmed
- You are booking a trip around it; some estimates put stabilization work running into 2028
What it costs
- Clock Tower and Municipal Art Collections, the officially recommended substitute viewpoint, full price: €10. Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 12 traveler reports (Jun 2025 to Aug 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 1 was negative.
What people like
- The pair still anchors the skyline and the medieval center's best photo stop
- The Garisenda's extreme lean is startling from street level
- The Clock Tower substitute gives a real 360-degree rooftop view for 10 euros
What people complain about
- The closure catches out visitors following older guides
- Fencing and works have at times blocked the classic base-of-the-tower photo
- The city has given no firm reopening date
How to do it right
- Walk up Via Rizzoli from Piazza Maggiore for about five minutes to Piazza di Porta Ravegnana
- View both towers free from the surrounding streets; the Asinelli leans visibly when seen square from the base
- Check the Bologna Welcome towers page for the current closure status before building a visit around it
- Book the Clock Tower climb on the official site if you want the rooftop view the towers used to give
- Allow twenty minutes at the piazza for photos and the history, then move on to the Quadrilatero next door
The trap to avoid
Outdated guides still sell the Asinelli climb as an open attraction with a 5 euro timed ticket. That ticket has not existed since October 2023; do not plan around it.
What to do instead
Why this verdict
You cannot climb the Asinelli Tower, so the straight answer to whether the climb is worth it is that there is no climb to buy. The tower closed on October 23, 2023 after sensors picked up accelerating deterioration in the foundations of the Garisenda next door, the shorter tower leaning at roughly four degrees. The two share a base area, so the Asinelli shut as a precaution even though nothing is wrong with its own staircase, and the city is now running a stabilization project modeled on the one that saved the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
What remains is still worth ten minutes of your day. The pair anchors Bologna’s medieval center at Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, both are free to see from Via Rizzoli and the surrounding streets, and the Garisenda’s lean is startling in person. Travelers consistently report the exterior is the experience now; several were caught out by older guides promising a 5 euro climb that no longer exists.
For the rooftop view, Bologna’s own tourism office steers visitors to the Clock Tower on Piazza Maggiore, a 10 euro ticket that includes the Municipal Art Collections. Watch the official towers page for a reopening date; none is confirmed and some estimates run into 2028.
Questions
Can you climb the Asinelli Tower right now?
No. It has been closed since October 23, 2023 while the city stabilizes the leaning Garisenda next to it, and no reopening date is confirmed.
Why is the tower closed?
Sensors detected accelerating deterioration in the Garisenda's foundations. The Asinelli shares the same base area, so both were closed while a roughly 19 to 20 million euro stabilization project runs.
When will it reopen?
No official date exists. City officials have described a project measured in years, and some third-party estimates run into 2028.
Can I still see the towers?
Yes. Both stand over Piazza di Porta Ravegnana and are free to view and photograph from the surrounding streets, though works fencing can intrude on close-up angles.
What is the best alternative viewpoint?
Bologna's official tourism office points visitors to the Clock Tower on Piazza Maggiore, a 10 euro ticket that includes the Municipal Art Collections and two panoramic terraces.