Modena

Modena is a compact Emilian city with three things going for it, and all three are world-class. Its cathedral, campanile and Piazza Grande are a single UNESCO site and among the best Romanesque anywhere. Its traditional balsamic vinegar — aceto balsamico tradizionale, aged 12 to 25 years in a battery of shrinking barrels — is made in lofts across the city and bears no relation to the supermarket product. And within 20 km sit Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Pagani and Ducati, which is why this is called the Motor Valley.

For a food city that is smaller and calmer than Bologna but eats just as well — Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana is here, and so is a covered market that has been running since 1931. And because you can see a Ferrari museum, taste 25-year-old balsamic in someone's attic and stand in a UNESCO cathedral, all in a day.

Things to do

• Modena Cathedral and the Ghirlandina — Wiligelmo's carved Genesis reliefs on the façade, 1099, and a 86 m leaning campanile you can climb at weekends.
• Mercato Albinelli — A 1931 covered market that is still a working food market — go before noon, eat at the counters.
• An acetaia visit — Attic batteries of shrinking barrels, and a tasting of 12-year and 25-year alongside the industrial stuff, so the difference lands.
• Museo Ferrari, Maranello — The cars, the F1 hall and the option of a lap simulator. The Museo Enzo Ferrari in the city covers the man and the early years.
• Museo Lamborghini and Pagani — Sant'Agata Bolognese and San Cesario, both within 25 minutes — the Pagani factory tour is the more interesting of the two.
• Galleria Estense — The Este dukes' collection: Velázquez, Bernini's bust of Francesco I, El Greco, Correggio.
• Castelvetro and the Lambrusco hills — Towers, vineyards and a chessboard square, 20 minutes south — the best half-day drive from the city.

2 days in Modena

1. Day 1 UNESCO Modena

   Cathedral, Piazza Grande and the Ghirlandina at opening. Mercato Albinelli before noon. Lunch of tortellini in brodo. Afternoon at the Galleria Estense, then a booked acetaia visit. Dinner in the centre.

2. Day 2 Motor Valley

   Museo Enzo Ferrari in the city, then the shuttle to Maranello for the Museo Ferrari. Afternoon at Lamborghini or Pagani if the engines are the point; Castelvetro and Lambrusco if they are not.

Practical

Best time to go

April–June and September–October. Acetaie take visits year-round but are best in autumn when the new must is cooking. Winter fog is standard and does not spoil anything. August is shuttered.

Getting there

Bologna Marconi (BLQ) is 40 minutes away. Modena is 20 minutes from Bologna by regional train, 1h45 from Milan. The station is a 15-minute walk from Piazza Grande.

Getting around

Walk or cycle — Modena is flat and bike-mad. The Ferrari museums need the shuttle or a car: the Museo Enzo Ferrari is in the city, the Museo Ferrari is at Maranello, 18 km south. A bus connects the two.

Eat & drink

Tortellini in brodo — Modena and Bologna argue about them, and the broth matters more than the filling. Then tigelle and gnocco fritto with cured meats, zampone and cotechino at Christmas, and bollito misto. Aceto balsamico tradizionale di Modena DOP is sold in a 100 ml bulb-shaped bottle and costs what a good bottle of wine costs; the cheaper 'Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP' is a different, industrial product. Lambrusco — dry, cold, fizzy and red — is the local wine and is much better than its reputation.

Know before you go

Osteria Francescana books out months ahead; Bottura's Franceschetta 58 is the accessible alternative. Acetaia visits are by appointment. The Maranello museum and the factory are separate — the factory itself is not open to the public, though the track can sometimes be heard from the museum car park.