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Top Things to Do in Modena — Complete Guide 2026
From UNESCO Romanesque masterpieces to Ferrari supercars and balsamic vinegar attics — 12+ essential experiences in Emilia-Romagna's most underrated city.
1. Explore the Cathedral & Piazza Grande (UNESCO World Heritage)
Modena's Duomo is the reason to start here. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 alongside Piazza Grande and the Ghirlandina tower, this is one of Europe's most important Romanesque buildings, and one of the finest achievements of medieval architecture anywhere. Construction began in 1099 under the architect Lanfranco, and the cathedral was consecrated in 1184.
The exterior is the immediate draw. The facade features the extraordinary Genesis reliefs carved by the sculptor Wiligelmo — four marble panels depicting scenes from the Creation to Noah's Ark, considered the masterwork of Italian Romanesque sculpture. Look for the intricate carved details on the lateral portals, particularly the Porta dei Principi and the Porta Regia, where biblical scenes and mythological creatures twist around the columns.
Inside, the atmosphere shifts from dramatic to meditative. The raised presbytery over the crypt creates a sense of layered history — the crypt itself holds the tomb of San Geminiano, Modena's patron saint. The Pontile (rood screen), decorated with scenes of Christ's Passion in polychrome terracotta by the Campionesi masters, is a remarkable work of medieval narrative art. Allow at least 45 minutes for the cathedral and crypt. Entry is free.
Piazza Grande surrounds the cathedral with a sweep of medieval civic architecture. This was Modena's market square, courtroom, and meeting place for centuries, and it retains a powerful sense of communal purpose. The Palazzo Comunale (town hall) anchors the western side, while the arcaded Portico del Collegio lines the south.
2. Climb the Ghirlandina Tower
The Ghirlandina — named for the garlands (ghirlande) of marble balusters decorating its Gothic spire — rises 86.12 metres beside the cathedral. Built in stages between the 12th and 14th centuries, it is Modena's most recognisable landmark and the symbol of the city. The climb takes you up narrow medieval staircases to viewing platforms that offer panoramic views over the terracotta rooftops of the centro storico, the Po Valley plain stretching north, and the Apennine foothills rolling south.
Inside the tower, look for the Sala della Secchia, which houses a copy of the Secchia Rapita (Stolen Bucket) — a wooden bucket allegedly seized from Bologna during the Battle of Zappolino in 1325. The original hangs in the Palazzo Comunale. This absurd war trophy inspired Alessandro Tassoni's mock-heroic poem of the same name, one of the great works of 17th-century Italian literature. The climb is moderately strenuous; there is no lift.
3. Visit the Museo Enzo Ferrari
Located on Via Paolo Ferrari at Enzo Ferrari's actual birthplace, this museum is an architectural statement as much as a car exhibition. The centrepiece is a striking yellow aluminium exhibition hall — shaped like the bonnet of a sports car — that wraps around the modest early-20th-century brick house where Enzo was born on 18 February 1898. The contrast between the futuristic shell and the humble family home is powerfully moving.
Inside, rotating exhibitions cover different aspects of Ferrari's history: engine design, motorsport victories, the rivalry with Lamborghini, the evolution of the Prancing Horse logo. Dozens of historic cars are displayed at any one time, from early racing models to modern hypercars. There is also a multimedia experience that places you inside the cockpit of a racing Ferrari. Allow 1.5–2 hours. A combined ticket with the Museo Ferrari Maranello is available and recommended.
4. Drive to Museo Ferrari Maranello
The second half of the Ferrari experience awaits 18 km south in Maranello, where the factory has been based since 1943. The Museo Ferrari here is larger and more immersive than its Modena counterpart, with extensive galleries covering Formula 1 history, trophies, and a hall of legendary road cars. F1 driving simulators are a highlight for all ages.
The museum also operates a bus shuttle that takes visitors past the factory gates and alongside the Fiorano private test track — if you are lucky, you may catch a new model being tested. The town of Maranello itself is small but Ferrari-saturated: dealerships, driving experience companies, and themed restaurants line the main road. Buses run from Modena, or it is a 20-minute drive via the SP13.
5. Tour a Traditional Balsamic Vinegar Acetaia
No Modena experience is more unique than visiting a traditional acetaia — the attic workshop where aceto balsamico tradizionale is aged in batteries of wooden barrels for 12 to 25 years or more. The scent alone — sweet, sharp, deeply complex — is unforgettable. You will learn how cooked grape must (mosto cotto) from Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes is transferred through progressively smaller barrels made from different woods (cherry, chestnut, oak, mulberry, juniper), each contributing its own character to the finished vinegar.
Acetaia Giusti, established in 1605, is the world's oldest balsamic producer and offers structured tours and tastings. Acetaia Malpighi is another excellent choice, known for its warm hospitality and detailed explanations. Many smaller family-run acetaie are also open by appointment — your hotel can often arrange visits. Expect to pay €15–30 for a guided tour with tasting, and budget for a bottle or two to take home.
6. Admire Art at the Galleria Estense
Housed in the Palazzo dei Musei, the Galleria Estense holds one of northern Italy's finest art collections, built from the holdings of the Este family, who ruled Modena as dukes from 1598 to 1796. The collection includes works by Velázquez (a portrait of Duke Francesco I d'Este), El Greco, Bernini (a bust of the same duke), Correggio, Guido Reni, and Dosso Dossi.
Within the same building, the Biblioteca Estense contains the magnificent Bible of Borso d'Este, a 15th-century illuminated manuscript of extraordinary beauty, and one of the most important Renaissance books in existence. The museum is surprisingly uncrowded even in peak season — a quiet, contemplative counterpoint to the bustle of the food markets and Ferrari museums. Allow 1–1.5 hours.
7. Eat Your Way Through Mercato Albinelli
Modena's covered market, built in its current art-nouveau-influenced structure in 1931, is the city's culinary nerve centre. Under the high iron-and-glass roof, dozens of stalls sell the finest products of the region: aged Parmigiano-Reggiano cut from massive wheels, prosciutto sliced paper-thin, fresh tortellini and tagliatelle, seasonal vegetables, and bottles of lambrusco. Several stalls now serve prepared food — gnocco fritto with prosciutto, plates of tigelle, panini with cotechino — making this an ideal lunch stop. The market is busiest on Saturday mornings, when half of Modena seems to shop here.
8. Walk Around the Palazzo Ducale
The imposing Palazzo Ducale, begun in 1634 for Duke Francesco I d'Este, was the seat of the Este dukes until Italian unification. Today it houses the Italian Military Academy (Accademia Militare), so interior access is limited to special open days and guided tours. However, the grand Baroque facade — designed by Bartolomeo Avanzini with input from Bernini and Borromini — is magnificent, and the surrounding gardens and Piazza Roma are open to the public. The courtyard of honour, visible through the entrance gates, gives a sense of the building's former ducal grandeur. Cadets in uniform crossing the courtyard add an unexpected visual punctuation to the scene.
9. Go Lambrusco Tasting
Lambrusco is Modena's wine, and tasting it properly — not from a supermarket bottle but from a serious producer — is revelatory. The hills south of the city, around Castelvetro di Modena, produce Lambrusco Grasparossa, the fullest-bodied and most structured variety. Many producers offer tastings at their cantine (cellars), often paired with local salumi and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Cleto Chiarli, founded in 1860, is one of the oldest and most accessible producers. The drive through the Colli Modenesi to reach these producers is beautiful in itself — rolling hills, cherry orchards, medieval towers, and distant views of the Apennines.
10. Take a Tortellini-Making Cooking Class
Learning to make tortellini by hand is one of the most rewarding things you can do in Modena. Several cooking schools and agriturismi offer classes in which you learn to prepare the dough, make the filling (the exact proportions are a matter of fierce local debate), and fold each tiny parcel around your fingertip. You will then cook and eat your creations, ideally in a rich capon broth. Classes typically last 2–3 hours and cost €50–100 per person. Your hotel concierge can recommend options, or look for classes at Le Cesarine (a network of home cooks) or local agriturismi in the hills.
11. Day Trip to Carpi
Carpi, a town of about 72,000 people located 18 km north of Modena, is home to one of Italy's largest squares: Piazza dei Martiri, a vast Renaissance piazza measuring approximately 270 by 60 metres. The square is lined with porticoes and dominated by the Pio Palace complex, a remarkable fusion of medieval castle, Renaissance palace, and art gallery. Carpi also has a poignant connection to World War II — the Fossoli internment camp, located nearby, was used as a transit camp for deportations to Nazi concentration camps. A memorial and museum preserve this history. Carpi is easily reached by train or bus from Modena in about 20 minutes.
12. Cycle the Via Emilia
The Via Emilia — the ancient Roman road built by consul Marcus Aemilius Lepidus in 187 BC, from which Emilia-Romagna takes its name — bisects Modena and runs arrow-straight across the Po Valley. Cycling along it, or along the dedicated cycle paths that parallel it, connects you to the region's deep infrastructure in a literal sense. Head southeast toward Castelfranco Emilia (20 km) for a gentle ride through flat agricultural land, passing rice paddies and fruit orchards. Or go northwest toward Rubiera and Reggio Emilia (27 km) through the industrial heartland that generates so much of the region's wealth. Bike rental is available in Modena's centro storico. The terrain is completely flat.