What to explore in the area?

While you might be mostly excited about the restaurants and street food, there are plenty of things to do and see in Modena and the Emilia-Romagna region in general.

Ferrari & Ducati Experiences

For motorheads, we are in the middle of the “motor valley”, so you can decide to test drive a Ferrari, or simply visit the various museums scattered around.

Enzo Ferrari Modena - panormaic tours, museum visits & personalized experiences

Ducati Borgo Panigale Bologna

Parmigiano Reggiano

This world-renowned cheese originates from this very region and is made exclusively in select dairy farms under the consortium. Learn how the cheese is made and explore the maturation room where they stack wheels of Parmigiano to age.

Find Parmigiano Reggiano Dairy Farms

Aceto Balsamico di Modena

Aceto Balsamico is another regional pride, so you could decide to spend a few hours visiting an acetaia and learn how traditional balsamic vinegar is made (and definitely bring a bottle home). We recommend you book your visits in advance!

Acetaia Maria Luigia - Located in Massimo Bottura’s boutique hotel

Other acetaie around Modena

San Giovanni in Persiceto

This tiny town between Modena and Bologna is home to one of our favorites restaurants in the region - Antica Osteria del Mirasole. We also stop by Cremerie del Parco for a gelato as our second dessert :)

Ferrara

Charming Renaissance town north of Mirandola, known for its history and elegant palaces. Highlights include the majestic Este Castle and the Museo Estense, which houses a rich collection of art and artifacts from the powerful Este family who shaped the city's cultural legacy.

Modena

This gem in the heart of Emilia-Romagna is where we’ll all be staying during the wedding festivities. In your free time, stop by the historic Mercato Albinelli, where you’ll find fresh pasta, local cheeses, and plenty of aceto balsamico. Piazza Grande and Modena Cathedral are at the center and are both UNESCO World Heritage sites. For the foodies, it’s home to Osteria Francescana, one of the world’s most famous restaurants.

Bologna

The capital city of the region, home to the oldest continuously operating university in the world.

If you love markets like Tanya, make sure to stop by Mercato di Mezzo and Mercato delle Erbe.

Archiginnasio of Bologna is one of the city’s most important historical buildings, once the main seat of the University of Bologna.

Where to eat and drink?

The Emilia-Romagna region of Italy is known as the ‘belly of Italy’ because many Italian delicacies originate from here: think Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto, lasagne, tortellini, gnocco fritto, and more.

Click here to find a shared Google List of places we recommend!

We’ve also made a playlist of iconic Italian songs for you to listen to while you are preparing your trip!