What to do in Sassari when it rains: 7 indoor ideas

Ideal for: archaeology and the history of Sardinia.

The “Giovanni Antonio Sanna” National Museum is probably the first choice for a rainy day.

The collections tell the story of northern Sardinia through archaeological finds spanning millennia of history, alongside a significant ethnographic section.

From 2026, the visit is even more interesting thanks to the renovated Marcialis Pavilion, with new rooms dedicated to the Nuragic, Phoenician-Punic and Roman periods.

The museum is located on Via Roma, just a few minutes’ walk from Piazza d’Italia.

Discover our guide to the museums in Sassari that you absolutely must visit.

Ideal for: art and painting.

In the heart of the historic centre, in the former Convitto Canopoleno, lies the National Art Gallery of Sassari.

The collection includes over 400 works, with paintings and graphic works representing various Italian and European schools from the Middle Ages to the contemporary era, as well as an important section dedicated to Sardinian artists.

In 2026, the gallery is regularly open after the work carried out in the first months of the year, although at the moment only the ground floor is open to visitors.

That is not necessarily bad news if it is pouring outside: at least you have a good excuse to come back.

Ideal for: truly understanding Sassari and its traditions.

If it is your first time in the city, a rainy day can be the perfect opportunity to visit the City Museum inside Palazzo di Città, along Corso Vittorio Emanuele II.

The tour tells the story of Sassari’s urban development, city institutions, the Candelieri, traditional clothing, Holy Week and even the Sassari Carnival, featuring Ussu and Giogli.

Inside, you will also find the small and beautiful Teatro Civico, built in the nineteenth century and inspired by Turin’s Teatro Carignano.

In just a few rooms, you move from the city’s political history to its popular festivals.

Ideal for: history and unusual places.

Just a few minutes away is Palazzo Ducale, one of the most important historic buildings in the city centre.

However, the most interesting part on a rainy day is what lies inside it—and especially underground.

The Duke’s Rooms tell the story of the Manca family through objects, furnishings and artefacts, while the Duke’s Cellars allow you to descend beneath the building.

The route passes through five ancient underground rooms, with cisterns, wells and structures belonging to Renaissance Sassari, discovered during excavations.

It is raining outside, and you are beneath a sixteenth-century city. Problem solved.

Ideal for: contemporary art and design.

In front of the Public Gardens stands the Eugenio Tavolara Pavilion, one of the city’s most interesting exhibition spaces.

The programme changes throughout the year, so it is always worth checking what is on during your stay.

In summer 2026, for example, the pavilion is hosting “Liliana Cano. Il fuoco dentro”, a major exhibition featuring more than one hundred paintings, photographs, documents and archival materials covering over seventy years of the artist’s work.

The exhibition remains open until 20 September 2026 and admission is free.

Find out more about the exhibition at this link.

Ideal for: books, exhibitions and a quiet break.

The University Library of Sassari, housed in the former Hospital of the Santissima Annunziata, is another good destination to bear in mind.

Besides its book and documentary holdings, the spaces regularly host exhibitions, talks and temporary displays.

In August 2026, for example, the exhibition “I Gremi a la Faradda di li Candareri. Tradizione, fede e passione”, featuring photographs, historical documents and accounts dedicated to the protagonists of the Descent of the Candelieri, can be visited until 27 August.

It can therefore also be a way to learn about one of Sassari’s most important traditions without having to wait until 14 August.

Discover our guide to the libraries of Sassari.

Ideal for: ending the day in the most Sassarese way possible.

At some point, you also have to eat.

And if it is cold and raining outside, few things work better than a fainè fresh from the oven.

The Sassarese speciality made with chickpea flour, water, oil and salt is traditionally served hot and can be enhanced with various ingredients.

Several fainerie where you can try it can still be found in the historic centre and the city’s neighbourhoods.

Technically, this is not a cultural activity. But try telling that to someone from Sassari.

Discover our guide to the best fainè in Sassari.

If you have a whole day available, you can organise the route almost entirely on foot.

Start at the Sanna Museum, then head to the historic centre and visit Palazzo di Città. From there, it is just a few minutes to the National Art Gallery and Palazzo Ducale.

In the afternoon, you can head towards the Tavolara Pavilion or check which exhibitions are on in the libraries and other cultural spaces around the city.

And in the evening? Fainè!

Because rain can change the plans for a day in Sassari, but it can hardly ruin it.