Discover Malalbergo and Find Hotels

If you’re looking for a hotel in Malalbergo, you can shape your stay around a range of interests: waterway history, church art, cycling, local festivals, or a landscape of wetlands and woodland. History and festivals offer a different focus from the cycling route and landscape—consider which themes matter to your travel plans.

Waterways and the History of Local Rule

In 1292, the Navile between Pegola and Malalbergo was completely rebuilt. In Malalbergo, the upper navigable stretch was connected to the Canal Morto as the lower navigable stretch, linking Bologna and Ferrara by water. The canal also represents a time when waterways shaped the connections between cities.

In 1583, the Gabella Grossa of Bologna had the Palazzo della Dogana built between the Canale Navile and the Canale Morto. The building served as the headquarters of the captaincy for navigation at the “Porto di Malalbergo” and as a customs post between the Papal States and the Duchy of Este. In later centuries, it housed the Napoleonic gendarmerie and the National Guard. The name “Il Casermone” is still used for the palazzo today.

Church Art and Archaeological Traces

Despite numerous restorations, the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista has preserved its exterior architectural lines. Inside is the “Pala dell’Altare Maggiore,” a 16th-century canvas depicting the birth of John the Baptist. It is attributed to the Bolognese painter Prospero Fontana (1512–1597). The church thus combines a preserved exterior appearance with a work whose attribution has been passed down.

Altedo is also part of the area’s history: remains of a rural Roman building dating to the 1st or 2nd century AD were discovered there. It is not a Roman villa. The find was the first of its kind in the municipality of Malalbergo. The journey associated with Lucrezia Borgia from Ponte Poledrano, now Bentivoglio, to Ferrara was also planned to follow the Navile as far as Malalbergo and then continue through the Valli to Torre della Fossa.

Seasonal Festivals

The Sagra dell’Asparago Verde di Altedo IGP takes place in Altedo every year at the end of May. Exact dates vary by edition. Malalbergo holds the Sagra dell’Ortica between late August and early September, reimagining Emilian culinary traditions with nettles; dates may shift here too. The 2026 edition included a traditional food stand serving nettle-based first and second courses. If a festival is important to your travel plans, check the dates and program for the specific edition.

Landscape and Access to the Oasis

Valle La Comune is the oldest of the six Valli in the municipality of Malalbergo. It lies northeast of the main town and covers 90 hectares. Small marshes of varying depths alternate with reed beds and dry strips of land. These are home to poplars, willows, elms, and English oaks, among other trees.

Oasi Valle la Comune is privately owned and can only be accessed by prior arrangement with the owners. Therefore, arrange a visit directly with the owners before you arrive. Palazzo Marescalchi currently houses a library and exhibition rooms. If you plan to visit these spaces, check in advance what visiting options are currently available.

Cycling Route and Getting There

A 14-kilometer cycling route connects Malalbergo with the hamlets of Pegola and Altedo. It passes through a landscape shaped by asparagus cultivation and follows the Canale Navile for part of the way. Its length, local connections, and scenery offer concrete points of reference if you’d like to include cycling in your travel plans.

Malalbergo can be reached from Bologna via the Strada Statale 64, the Porrettana. If traveling via the A13, take the Altedo exit, then follow the municipal road to the S.S. 64 Porrettana and continue north to Malalbergo. Check current road conditions before setting out. Bus route 356 connects Bologna, Altedo, Malalbergo, and Ferrara; check the timetable and service details before departure.

Discover more destinations: Monte San Pietro, Cà Bianca, Pieve Di Cento, Castel Di Casio, Ozzano Dell Emilia, Loiano, Pizzano, Grizzana Morandi.

Return to the main travel overview: Bologna.