A Polish travel blogger, Karosolotravel, has sparked controversy by labeling Bologna, Italy, as the "most disgusting city in Italy" in a viral TikTok video. She described the city in Emilia-Romagna, which she visited in autumn 2025, as "very dirty, neglected, and smells of urine everywhere," citing years of neglect, dirty facades, and dilapidated monuments. The blogger claimed she felt sick from the smell and left early, regretting not visiting Verona or Florence instead. While her Instagram following is small, her TikTok video garnered over 400,000 views, eliciting both strong criticism from locals and tourists who defend Bologna's beauty and charm, and surprising agreement from some Italians who acknowledge a growing decay in the city. This criticism echoes a 2024 New York Times article that called Bologna a "tourist hell."