Cascina Mottainai

View prices & book 9 49 reviews
Il furgone vintage "Ermanno"
Bambini in piscina
Van camperizzato nella piazzola all'ombra
Cascina mottainai dall'alto

  • Small off-grid site in the hills 20 minutes' drive from Bologna
  • On the route of Via Mater Dei and bordering a natural park
  • Simple pitches with access to campfire area; dogs welcome
Time to escape the city for a while? Or maybe you’d like a location where you can mix up urban and rural for your break? Either way, Cascina Mottainai is in a splendid location – in the Emilia Romagna hills about 20 minutes’ drive from Bologna. Bordering the Parco Naturale dei Gessi e dei Calanchi, this small-scale farm site is completely off grid, with little light pollution and lots of wildlife around – you’ll probably find it difficult to believe that you’re so close to an urban centre. The surrounding area is dotted with lakes (for fishing and swimming), streams, green hilly views and hiking trails (such as the Via Mater Dei, which is easily accessed on a path from the farmhouse). As guest numbers are kept low here, you should be in for a peaceful experience with plenty of space in which to soak up the fresh air and rural quiet. Facilities have been kept simple in order to preserve that peace, but you’ll have access to toilets, showers and wifi, plus a campfire area with a covered table and chairs nearby. Dogs and kids are welcome to come and enjoy the space with you. The town centre of Pianoro is about 10 minutes’ drive away, and a handy place to pick up supplies in the shops. There are restaurants and cafés there too, along with some in closer parts of the town (the nearest being about a half-hour walk from the site).

Site type

Rent a tent 2
Tent pitches 4
Motorhome pitches 4
Caravans for hire 1
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro) and/or any of the following: Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler, any Mastiff or Tosa.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • This is a quiet site: no music is allowed.
  • Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.
  • Access is via an uphill dirt road, so it's best to travel here in smaller vehicles only (maximum 6 metres).

Languages spoken

English

French

Italian

No availability here for your search criteria

Pitch types & availability

Reviews

  • 59%
    10
  • 14%
    9
  • 18%
    8
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    7
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    6
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    5
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    1
Location
9
Value for money
9
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
8

92% would recommend this site to a friend

92% would stay here again

What customers say

A small, peaceful eco-campsite with great views and friendly hosts. Easy access to Bologna, but the road is steep & stony. Toilet facilities are a bit limited, and watch out for mozzies in hot, still weather – though improvements are happening.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 2026/07/14

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Reviews page 1 of 5
Arrival date (latest first)

Lugar perfecto para desconectar en un…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
9
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
9

Electric gravel and earth motorhome pitch

Liked Lugar perfecto para desconectar en un ambiente eco-camping agrícola en las alturas.

Plazas amplias, piscina y un huésped (Roberto) amable y presente. Zonas comunes con cocina, frigo etc. Hay muchos detalles a descubrir como un columpio escondido etc. Muy chulo el proyecto que ha creado.

A probar si estáis por Bologna.

Atención lo único a la subida. Camino de piedras, a veces bien empinado. Sin problema para furgo y automáticos, quizá hacer atención para vehículos más grandes.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Ambiente naturale e molto accogliente e…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10

Electric mixed tent pitch

Liked Ambiente naturale e molto accogliente e pulito.

Recommend to friends Visit again

We had such a lovely stay…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
No rating
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Sara T. 1 review

Electric gravel and earth motorhome pitch

Liked We had such a lovely stay here with Rob and Magdalena! Their home is beautiful and they made their space so welcoming. The location was really ideal for us, with a great view and nice shade for our camper van, and also in terms of its proximity to Bologna itself.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great remote Campsite with a very…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
No rating
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Electric gravel and earth motorhome pitch

Liked Great remote Campsite with a very nice and helpfull owner family. Great for visiting Bologna.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you so much for the review, have a nice trip in Italy with your wonderfull family!

Great base for visiting Bologna

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10

Electric mixed tent pitch

Liked We stayed here for two nights in our small tent as a family of four, and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The campsite is small, peaceful and surrounded by beautiful countryside, making it a lovely place to relax while still being within easy reach of Bologna.

What really made the stay special were the hosts, Roberto and Maddalena. They were incredibly kind and welcoming, taking the time to chat with us about life in Italy, the history of their property and the local area. Their warmth made us feel much more like guests than customers, and they were always happy to offer recommendations and advice. We also appreciated being able to buy some of their homemade preserves and local wine.

The campsite itself is simple but very well looked after. The shared community space, which is part of the hosts' home, is cosy, spotless and always smelled wonderfully fresh. We were lucky to have good weather, but it would be a perfect place to spend some time if it were raining.

Our children especially loved the friendly dog and cat, who quickly became highlights of their stay.

Bologna is easy to reach by public transport, although we did have some difficulties buying bus tickets. We couldn't work out how to purchase tickets for all four of us, and later read that the ticket app may not accept Polish bank cards, so perhaps we were simply unlucky. It would be really helpful if the campsite could provide guests with a little information about the local ticketing system and any alternatives before they head into the city.

Overall, this is a wonderful place if you enjoy small, quiet campsites with genuine hospitality rather than large, commercial sites. We left with very happy children and would happily stay here again.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Mirosława, we were very lucky to meet you and your family, for us it's a pleasure to have children around and people who appreciate what we do. It's not easy to keep one with a such big and challanging project, so your review make us very proud and happy! Have a great stay in Italy and thanks again for your visit!

Posto isolato e "selvaggio" a pochi…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
No rating
Value for money
No rating
Facilities / Activities
No rating
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No rating
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
No rating
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Electric mixed tent pitch

Liked Posto isolato e "selvaggio" a pochi km da Bologna, reso molto accogliente e confortevole dai proprietari, gentilissimi e molto disponibili. Consigliatissimo!

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Grazie! Cerchiamo sempre di dare il massimo, non è facile ma ci proviamo! La migliore ricompensa ai nostri sforzi sono i vostri feedback, buon proseguimento e grazie per la visita.

Il posto, la natura, la gentilezza…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
9
Facilities / Activities
No rating
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
No rating
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Electric mixed tent pitch

Liked Il posto, la natura, la gentilezza del proprietario

Disliked Potrebbe essere più facile da raggiungere.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Petit camping familial, en plain nature,…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Electric mixed tent pitch

Liked Petit camping familial, en plain nature, jolie vu, hôtes agréable.

Disliked Le chemin d'accès

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Merci pour votre visite, a bientot!

Bel endroit dépaysant malgré un chemin…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
9
Facilities / Activities
No rating
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
9

Electric gravel and earth motorhome pitch

Liked Bel endroit dépaysant malgré un chemin un peu difficile, cela en vaut la peine.
Très belle vue et très bon accueil

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: 🤗🤗🤗

Très calme. Sanitaires propres. Proches des…

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
8
Facilities / Activities
No rating
Customer service
No rating
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating

Electric mixed tent pitch

Liked Très calme. Sanitaires propres. Proches des commerces.

Disliked Accès à revoir car peut etre compliqué en fonction du véhicule.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Bonjour Laurent, merci pour votre visite, oui l'accès il n'est pas pour tout le véhicule, c’est pourquoi nous précisons toujours que la longueur maximale est de 6 mètres. Il arrive que certaines personnes ne lisent pas la description, mais jusqu’à présent, cela n’a pas posé de problème. A bientot!


Features

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Car parking by pitch/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Budget/backpacker Peaceful Remote location Wild camping

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Farm Tiny (1-10 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Tennis nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Motorhome service point

Location

Cascina Mottainai

Via Rio Fabbiani 8/16

Rastignano

Pianoro

Bologna

Italy

40065

Directions

Timezone

Europe/Rome +0200 (GMT+02:00)

GPS

44,42153°N
11,35799°E

Route directions

The site is located at number 8/16 of Via Rio Fabbiani, but it's best to set your satnav to number 8, and from there follow the signs for the farmhouse (along the dirt road that goes up on the right). Follow this road for 800/900 metres to the end.

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

There are a number of nature trails and hiking routes in the Parco Naturale dei Gessi e dei Calanchi, many of which are suitable for cycles and mountain bikes as well as walkers. As you tour, it’s worth stopping in at pretty Castel de' Britti village (25 minutes’ drive), visiting the Museum of Prehistory "Luigi Donini” (15 minutes) and seeing if you can organise a tour of Grotta del Farneto (20 minutes). There are several other protected areas around this site too, so if you’d like to explore further into the local landscapes take a look at options in Parco Storico di Monte Sole (45 minutes), or walk in the area around the sanctuary in Paesaggio Protetto Colline di San Luca (15 minutes). Other interesting options for visits nearby include the Marconi museum at Villa Griffone (25 minutes) and the National Etruscan Museum (half an hour). For a bit of city life, a day in Bologna (20 minutes) is a great call – the city is famed for its food, so you may like to eat your way round the various markets and cafés while also checking out the various historic sights.

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Cascina Mottainai have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Cascina Mottainai dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Cascina Mottainai? There are a number of nature trails and hiking routes in the Parco Naturale dei Gessi e dei Calanchi, many of which are suitable for cycles and mountain bikes as well as … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Cascina Mottainai?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  Anytime –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  2 p.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  Anytime –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  2 p.m.

    It is recommended that you arrive before dark so you can set up on your pitch easily.

    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Cascina Mottainai? From R562,08 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.