BolognaMilan
City Stories Index · Italy · 2026 edition

Bologna vs Milan

Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Bologna leads 4–2. Character is a different question: Bologna is the red city of tall tales; Milan is the city of art and empire.

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VS
  • Places with a story

    spots where a route tells you what happened there

    Bologna

    47

    Milan

    105

    Milan leads

  • How often you pass a story

    metres from one story to the next; fewer is better

    Bologna

    285

    Milan

    325

    Bologna leads

  • Historical figures

    real people you meet in its stories

    Bologna

    3

    Milan

    31

    Milan leads

  • Instagrammability

    score /100, on the index’s fixed scale

    Bologna

    44

    Milan

    30

    Bologna leads

  • Group outings

    of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+

    Bologna

    17

    Milan

    16

    Bologna leads

  • International visitors

    % of player reviews written in a foreign language

    Bologna

    92

    Milan

    81

    Bologna leads

Differences under 5% count as ties. Sample sizes and definitions on the methodology page.

What their stories are about

How many places with a story each city has per theme: Bologna in orange, Milan in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.

BolognaMilan
4 places
arts & culture
45 places
13 places
faith & churches
30 places
7 places
royalty & nobility
29 places
13 places
legends & myths
16 places
10 places
crime & dark history
7 places
10 places
guilds & trade
9 places
2 places
parks & leisure
10 places
7 places
fortification & siege
8 places
6 places
industry & modern era
6 places

Bologna scorecard →

The red city of tall tales

Milan scorecard →

The city of art and empire