I always love to start my city trip with seeing the city from above. This way you get a nice overview of a big part of the city and from here you can get clearer view on where you are in the city. This is why I would suggest to start your day (when it is also not so hot) by climbing one of the two towers. These towers mark the centre of Bologna and provide a beautiful view of the city. From here you can see why people call Bologna ‘La Rossa’ which is Italian for red.
The climb is rather scary (in my opinion) as you have to climb the tower by a never ending amount of wooden steps. It is quite exhausting if your condition is like mine haha, but then you will only appreciate the view more afterwards! You need to buy the tickets in advance as there is no ticket office at the tower itself and you need to buy a certain timeslot. The easiest way is to buy your ticket at Piazza Maggiore (the main square in the city) at the Bologna Welcome shop. Full price 5 euros, reduced price (e.g. kids, elderly and students) 3 euros.