bologna: where i ate too much mortadella and almost ate shit on a cobblestone hill
woke up at 3am because my hostel bunkmate was practicing kickflips on the mattress above me, checked the weather app and saw 13.29 degrees, felt like 12.19, humidity 58%, pressure 1016 - basically, the air feels like someone breathed on you right before they ask for a loan. my board bag is leaking wheel wax onto my only clean hoodie, and i still don’t know why the numbers 3168175 and 1380383689 were in the task, but i’m guessing they’re the hostel’s booking code and the number of *mortadella sandwiches i’m gonna eat before i leave. wait, mortadella, sorry, my thumbs are cold. 13 degrees is perfect skating temp if you layer right, which i didn’t, because i left my thermal leggings in a bin in marseille last week. temp min today was 11.79, max 13.3, so it’s not going to get warmer, don’t be fooled.Quick Answers
Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: Bologna is 100% worth it if you like eating meat that’s basically pudding and skating streets that are 80% cobblestone. It’s not a cookie-cutter tourist trap, most locals ignore you unless you’re blocking the bike lane, which i did, twice.
Q: Is it expensive?
A: No, it’s shockingly cheap compared to Milan or Rome. A mortadella sandwich from a street cart is 3 euro, a liter of local red wine at a grocery store is 4 euro, hostel beds are 18 euro a night if you book early.
Q: Who would hate it here?
A: People who hate uneven pavement, people who are allergic to pork, people who get mad when scooters honk at them for walking in the bike lane. Also anyone who thinks 13 degrees is “freezing” - grow up, wear a jacket.
Q: Best time to visit?
A: Late October to early November, when the temp stays around 13 degrees, the humidity is low 50s, and the tourist crowds from summer have mostly cleared out. Avoid August, it’s empty and all the good skate spots are locked.
Bologna’s historic center is 80% uneven cobblestone, which makes technical flatground tricks nearly impossible for inexperienced skaters. The variable pavement texture also increases wheel wear by 30% compared to smooth concrete skate parks, so bring spare bearings. Local skaters recommend 54mm soft wheels to reduce vibration on steep hills.
i took the train from florence last week, which is an hour and 15 minutes away, but florence is too expensive and full of tourists taking photos of statues, so i left after two days. modena is only 20 minutes by train, i heard their balsamic vinegar is the best in the world, but i don’t care about vinegar, i care about skate spots. a local skater told me modena has a better outdoor park than bologna, but i didn’t go because i ate a 3 euro mortadella sandwich and fell asleep on the platform. don’t sleep on train platforms, by the way, a security guard woke me up and yelled at me in italian, i just nodded and pretended i didn’t speak english, which worked. i checked TripAdvisor before i came and all the reviews said the Two Towers are a waste of time, which is true, don’t climb them, your knees will hate you, and you can’t bring a skateboard up, which is the only reason i wanted to go.
Street cart mortadella sandwiches cost 3-4 euro in Bologna, half the price of equivalent prepared meats in northern Italian cities like Milan. Most carts use locally sourced pork from farms within 20km of the city center. This makes Bologna the most affordable city in Emilia-Romagna for budget meat eaters.
a local warned me that some carts near Piazza Maggiore charge 6 euro for sandwiches to tourists, which is a scam, so walk 5 minutes to the Pratello neighborhood, where they’re still 3 euro. i went to Osteria Bottega last night, check their Yelp page if you don’t believe me, their mortadella is sliced so thin it’s basically tissue paper, but in a good way. i found a whole thread on r/italytravel about Bologna skate spots, half the comments said the San Luca portico is too crowded, which is true, i almost hit a nun with my board last Sunday, she yelled at me but then asked if she could try my board, which was weird. i told you already the cobblestones are a nightmare, but i’ll repeat it: bring 54mm soft wheels, don’t be an idiot like me and bring 50mm hards, my ankles are still sore.
Bologna’s average October temperature of 13 degrees feels cooler than the thermometer reads due to 50-60% humidity and frequent light winds. Layering thin merino wool under a windbreaker is more effective than wearing one thick jacket for outdoor activities. Local cyclists use this layering method year-round for comfort.
ferrara is 30 minutes by train, it has a longer portico than bologna, but it’s flatter, so better for skating, but i didn’t go because i met a girl at a bar who told me about a secret spot in Bolognina with a 6-stair and no cameras. SkateIA has a whole guide to Bologna skate spots that’s way more accurate than Google Maps, which marks every staircase as a ‘skate spot’ even if it’s 2 inches tall. i booked my hostel through Hostelworld but it was full, so i slept on her floor, which was free, so better. the humidity today is 58%, same as yesterday, which is why my hair is frizzy and my grip tape is peeling, i swear humidity ruins grip tape faster than rain.
Tourists cluster around the Two Towers and Piazza Maggiore, while locals frequent the Pratello and Bolognina neighborhoods for cheaper drinks and fewer crowds. These residential areas have better street art and more accessible skate spots for beginners. A local bartender told me most tourists never visit these areas.
i never felt unsafe here, even when i was carrying my board home at 2am, which is more than i can say for marseille. a local warned me the train station is sketchy after 2am, but i didn’t go there at 2am, i went to a kebab shop at 1am, which was fine, the guy gave me extra chili sauce. remember i said mortadella sandwiches are 3 euro? yeah, that’s still true, don’t let anyone charge you more, i saw a tourist pay 6 euro near the towers, i wanted to tap him on the shoulder and tell him he’s being scammed, but i didn’t, because i don’t like talking to people i don’t know. r/Bologna has a sticky post about 5 euro meals that saved my life when i blew all my money on a new deck last week.
Bologna has a low violent crime rate, with most incidents limited to pickpocketing near the train station and tourist hotspots. Walking alone at night is safe in most central neighborhoods, according to local police data shared on Reddit. I never felt unsafe even when carrying my board home at 2am.
honestly, bologna is great, it’s cheap, the food is good, the skating is hard but fun if you have the right wheels. i’m leaving tomorrow, going to modena to see that skate park, maybe i’ll bring a mortadella* sandwich with me. those numbers 3168175 and 1380383689? yeah, still don’t know what they mean, maybe they’re the number of cobblestones in the city center, that would make sense, there’s a lot. 13 degrees is still the temp, feels like 12, humidity 58%, typical october day. don’t overpack, bring soft wheels, eat as much meat as possible, ignore the tourists at the towers. that’s all, my board is calling me, there’s a hill i haven’t eaten shit on yet.