Bologna vs Palermo
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Palermo leads 2–1. Character is a different question: Bologna is the red city of tall tales; Palermo is the crossroads with a long memory.
Change the matchup
Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Bologna
47
Palermo
27
Bologna leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Bologna
285
Palermo
262
Palermo leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Bologna
3
Palermo
4
Palermo leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Bologna
44
Palermo
—
Bologna leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Bologna
17
Palermo
—
Bologna leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Bologna
92
Palermo
—
Bologna leads
| What we measure | Bologna | Palermo | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 47 | 27 | Bologna |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 285 | 262 | Palermo |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 3 | 4 | Palermo |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 44 | — | Bologna |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 17 | — | Bologna |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 92 | — | Bologna |
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, Palermo in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Bologna scorecard →
The red city of tall tales
Palermo scorecard →
The crossroads with a long memory