Bolognina

Hello jennfur,

Disclaimer: I have not been to Bolognina. But I have seen it mentioned in many foodie blogs as being "the real Bologna" away from the tourists and crowds and with a thriving international food scene and a real neighborhood feel. The Wednesday market Mercato Bolognina is consistently described as one of the best in Bologna by food oriented blogs and articles. The area is also listed as the place to shop for non-Italian ingredients and restaurants.

Bolognina is consistently described as "young, multiethnic, cheap" which is always hard to decipher if these are actual descriptions or code words but also as a real neighborhood where everyone knows everyone. My hesitation would be the daily transit to the city center for the things I want to do rather than the neighborhood. I don't know if that helps or not but the fact that it is consistently mentioned as a possibility and a destination sounds to me like it is probably an okay place or they would steer tourists away from it.

My tolerance is probably different than yours - especially if your are a solo female traveler - but I hope that helps a little,
=Tod

This is great information. I'm excited that I will actually be in Bologna on a Wednesday, so just added that market to my itinerary. Everything else you said sounds good to me and is exactly what I enjoy while on vacation. Thank you for the info!

Is always tricky talk of the Bolognina.
Has been the district of factories near the train station at the beginning of 20th Century. After WWII the factories moved farer from the center and the district became the cheap suburb for workers, with big and anonymous buildings. So even a place where criminality was present: you probably could imagine an Italian version of Little Italy or Bronx (OK, far less dangerous, but to make an idea...). From the 90s a lot of buildings have been destroyed and started the construction of new modern and better buildings. So the district become a mix of very cheap old buildings and expensive new ones and the process is still going on. And of course the cheap buildings have attracted in the last 20/30 years even a lot of people from other continents.
Now is an interesting mix. Is a dangerous place? Not very much, but meet little criminals during the night that pickpocket you is possible. In any case is not the district I recommend to cross alone at late night. On the other side is true: new restaurants, food from everywhere, offices, 4* hotels are located there. So is a place perfectly safe during the day (or not worst than the rest of Bologna).
About the distance to the center is true: you have to walk more. But there even a lot of buses who cross Bolognina and there are even the shared bikes that can be used.

Very interesting thank you! I will be with my husband, but will be on alert at night. Question about the city buses in Bologna. (or anywhere in Italy). Can you tap and pay with a credit card, or do you need cash or a ticket?

A curiosity about the "Bolognina".

This district is famous in Italy because of its recent political and historical significance.

On November 12, 1989, three days after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the leaders of the Italian Communist Party held a Convention in this district and decided to dissolve and disband the Italian Communist Party, the largest Communist Party in the Western World. A minority of hardline members who disagreed with the decision exited and eventually founded their own (very small) communist parties, but the majority decided to found a new more liberal party which they named Democratic Party of the Left (now named just Democratic Party, like in America). That historical decision is known as the "Svolta della Bolognina" (Bolognina's Turning Point).

I belive for buses you need a ticket. Most tobacco shops and the train station will sell tickets. Try seaching for Bologna transit- good information easy to find.

We tried to buy bus tickets there last September in two or three different tabacchi shops and they didn’t sell them.
So when you do find them, buy a handful to keep handy, as you might not find them as you go along.
We ended up just walking everywhere instead, as we couldn’t find tickets!
There may be an app, I don’t know.

I’d ask at the tourist information booth at the train station. If not, the main tourist information office off Piazza Maggorie provides great information. They may even sell tickets.

Bus tickets in Bologna can be found in several shops, like tobacco shops of kiosks, but often are only the ones near the bus stops.
Tickets can be even purchased on board with the new contactless ATM, but some people reported that sometimes are not working and have been fined. When you are ready to go onboard please verify if there is the green label on the door saying that the ATM is working.
There are two Apps who allow to purchase tickets: ROGER https://rogerapp.it/ and MUVERF https://www.tper.it/muver
Here the kinds of tickets that can be purchased purchase: https://www.tper.it/tariffe
Remember that if you purchase a card ticket its valid 75 minutes from the first validation, so you can even use more than one bus on that time. Is important validate the ticket again when you board the next bus.

Just outside this area is Da Sandro al Navile - the finest tortellini in all of Italy.