At 97 metres, the Asinelli Tower is the taller of Bologna's famous Two Towers and the tallest leaning medieval tower in Italy. Built between 1109 and 1119, it has served as a fortress, a prison, and a watchtower over the centuries.
The climb is 498 wooden steps up a narrow, creaking staircase — not for the claustrophobic, but the reward at the top is a sweeping view over Bologna's terracotta rooftops, out to the hills to the south and the Po plain to the north. On a clear day you can see all the way to the Alps.
Its shorter, more dramatically leaning neighbour, the Garisenda Tower, is closed to visitors but worth a look from below. The pair together are the most recognizable landmark in the city.