menu facebook twitter instagram pinterest youtube search chevron-down chevron-up
Be My Travel Muse
  • About
    • About
    • Contact Me
    • Press
    • Work With Me
  • Blog
    • Archives
    • Best of BMTM
  • YouTube
  • Solo Female Travel
    • Bucket List
      • The 30 Cheapest Places to Travel in 2023
      • 30 BEST Places in the USA for Solo Female Travelers in 2023
      • 25 Unexpectedly Awesome Destinations for Solo Female Travelers
      • 20 Best Countries to Travel Alone for the First Time
      • 13 Perfect Weekend Trips for Solo Female Travelers
      • 10 Best Weekend Trips from Phoenix, Arizona
    • Resources
      • How to take the best travel selfies
      • 41 safety tips for solo female travelers
      • The ultimate solo female travel guide
      • Best group tours for solo female travelers
      • Why Every Woman Should Travel Alone
    • All solo female travel blogs
  • Be My Travel Muse
  • Tours
  • Destinations
    • USA
      • Hawaii
      • California
      • Nevada
      • Idaho
      • Arizona
      • Florida
      • Alaska
      • Utah
    • North America
      • Mexico
      • Costa Rica
      • Canada
    • Asia
      • Thailand
      • Philippines
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Aruba
      • Chile
      • The Galápagos
    • Europe
      • Germany
      • Iceland
      • Italy
    • All Destinations
  • Travel Resources
    • Outdoors 101
    • Itineraries
    • Spiritual Travel

Bologna, the Gem of Italy

10/01/2013 by Kristin Addis 10 Comments

“How about a motorbike tour of the city?” he offered.

It was a warm evening and the cobble-stoned streets were lined with twinkling lights, young Friday night party revelers, college coeds, and couples with hands intertwined, enjoying all that the city had to offer.  It reminded me in some ways of my college town, where everyone hung out as if in one cohesive group, bringing a warmth and energy to our small city that is rare to find elsewhere.

“Absolutely,” I replied.  Riding a motorbike on a warm night has quickly become one of my favorite things.

—

I have to be honest, when I think about “my place” in the world, almost nowhere in Europe really comes to mind.  I feel very at home in Asia and I never have been able to discern why.  I guess it was just the friendliness of locals in the small towns, the natural beauty, and the innate cultural warmness and inclusiveness that tends to be present in so many places in Asia.  I thought it just had to do with the difference in Eastern vs. Western culture, and figured the rest of the world simply lacked that kind of warmth.

Then I came to Bologna in Emilia Romagna, Italy, and realized that it has all of that and more.

off the beaten path italy
A hidden window reveals a “secret” canal in Bologna

In the past, the various places in Europe haven’t really given me that welcoming feeling, but I understand why now: I was always firmly on the tourist trail.

Off the beaten path travel is all about finding smaller towns – places that haven’t yet been overrun by tourism and don’t leave locals feeling exhausted by the occasional bad egg.  

Bologna, and especially the smaller surrounding towns, like Modena and Nonantola, truly felt different to me.  I don’t know how else to explain it or put my finger on it, but places are always about the people, and the people just seemed really nice in this part of Italy.

Included in this group is Francesco, a med student in Bologna whom I had met via couchsurfing.  He takes pride in both his cooking ability (and rightly so) and hospitality.  He delights in taking visitors around Bologna, showing them the awesome street art and historical sights.

He knows every little secret of the city – things that a guidebook can’t tell you.  It’s experiences like this, hanging out with locals, that always really make a place for me. 

off the beaten path italy
Some really cool street art by Blu in Bologna

“It feels really safe here,” I said to him.  It was 1am and the streets were still bustling with young people, running around, laughing, and enjoying the warm evening.

“At least 120,000 students live in Bologna,” he replied to me, “almost every family has someone here, so it has to be safe.”

off the beaten path italy
Part of the grand night tour – a famous church in the hills overlooking Bologna

It made sense.  I didn’t walk around clutching my bag, scared of being pick-pocketed like I was in Rome.  I didn’t get practically bowled over by hoards of people like I did in Florence, and I didn’t have rude men cat calling after me here like I did in Sorrento. I felt completely alright walking around by myself, walking around at night, and trusting my intuition which told me that things there were different, in a good way.

I went to Italy with no expectations and left with a heavy heart, because it really captivated me.

Europe definitely warrants a deeper exploration, so I think I’ll stick around this continent a bit longer than originally planned and see what other beautiful gems it may hold.

*Thanks to BlogVille in Emilia Romagna for helping me rediscover Italy. I was a guest of theirs but all opinions are my own. 

1 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
Get the guidebook for solo female travelers!

About Kristin Addis

Kristin Addis is the founder and CEO of Be My Travel Muse, a resource for female travelers all around the world since 2012. She's traveled solo to over 65 countries and has brought over 150 women on her all-female adventure tours from Botswana to the Alaskan tundra.

« Sak Yant Tattoos: The Ultimate Travel Memento
How to Quell Your Parents’ Fears About Your Solo Travels »

Hello There!

headshot

Welcome to Be My Travel Muse, one of the top female travel blogs in the world, welcoming over 5 million readers annually.

I'm Kristin, and my vision of a better world is one where more women are empowered and living out their dreams. Solo traveling is the best method I've found to become the best, bravest version of me. This site is all about how YOU can have the adventure of a lifetime in an easy, fun, approachable way, so that you can feel empowered, too. Want to learn more about me?

Click here!

Get the Solo Female Travel Guidebook

Popular Posts

I am currently in:

The USA!

Check it out on Instagram Stories!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. ieio says

    10/06/2013 at 9:05 am

    bless you Kris ^_^ thanks for sharing your world and for these warm words! there will be always a big hug and some decent dishes waiting for you in Bologna!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      10/06/2013 at 3:55 pm

      Love you Francesco!

      Reply
  2. Pamela | Pam Goes Travelling says

    10/06/2013 at 10:55 pm

    seems like a place not to be missed in Italy! This is going to be added into my to-visit place in Italy!

    Reply
  3. Sand In My Suitcase says

    10/08/2013 at 3:10 am

    Sounds like Bologna is one of those European gems you’re glad you’ve explored. And like a local! We’ve got Le Marche on our mind – dubbed “the next Tuscany” but said to be less touristy.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      10/09/2013 at 8:08 am

      OOooh sounds worth checking out!

      Reply
  4. Emily Tankersley says

    09/11/2014 at 2:53 pm

    I love that you mentioned Francesco – he was also part of my Bologna experience + someone I keep in touch with, and is truly fabulous (as is his gorgeous city)!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      09/11/2014 at 6:23 pm

      You’re kidding! He’s awesome.

      Reply
  5. Eden says

    11/11/2015 at 11:45 am

    Kris! Have you ever been to Livorno? I think it’s close-ish to Bolognia so I thought you might, anyways your blog helped me get over my fear and I’m going in January to be an au pair XD

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      11/11/2015 at 11:54 am

      that’s awesome! No I’ve never been there but I haven’t found a part of Italy I don’t like so I’m keen to keep exploring. Such great news you took the leap. Keep in touch and let me know how it goes!

      Reply

Stay Connected

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Archives
  • Privacy Policy and Disclaimer

© 2023 · Be My Travel Muse. All Rights Reserved

footer-icon

1 shares