Modena
A classic historic center melds with a modern city in the heart of Emilia Romagna’s Modena. A vibrant place with architectural gems and culinary highlights, Modena is a city that pleases.
It is the birthplace of Pavarotti and Maserati; it is home to fine art and Ferrari. Here the sounds of opera arias mingle with the pitch of high-speed engines. Medieval piazzas are the modern scene of nightlife and mingling. It is, in short, a city for everyone.
Located on the Po River plain, it lies halfway between Bologna and Parma, and is only 90 miles north of Florence.
It shares similarities to those cities, yet it has its own distinct identity.
This is where prized balsamic vinegar is produced, so visit an “acetaia” while you’re in the area to see how it is made and taste the real thing. The delicacies of the region are found here in abundance, like prosciutto, parmigiano cheese and rich meat sauce on delicate filled pastas.
The city’s center is one of the most fascinating places in Italy, complete with a 12th-century duomo (cathedral), Torre della Ghirlandina, the cathedral’s gothic bell tower, and Piazza Grande, the main square that makes up a UNESCO World Heritage site.
GET IN
The nearest airport is Airport Guglielmo Marconi of Bologna, which is about 6 km from Bologna train station and 40 km from Modena.
The airport can be reached:
- by motorway A1 Milano – Bologna;
- by train along the Modena – Bologna line, which provides frequent links;
- by a shuttle service offered by Aerbus SACA.
Modena is on the train lines (Milano-) Piacenza-Parma-Modena-Bologna and Verona-Mantua-Modena, so it can easily be reached from the main nearest towns.
The train station is not far from the town centre, so that you can go there on foot, if you like; otherwise, at the station you’ll find a number of buses of SETA (the local transport company), by which you can reach the main areas of the town or the locations in the surroundings.
The whole historic centre of Modena is a vehicle restricted area (ZTL), meaning only residents, commercial operators or tourists staying at hotels in the centre and with a special permit can go there. The access is regulated by an automatic system, named Modena City Pass, which allows local police to monitor the access of cars and motorbikes through a network of webcams placed at the main access points; these webcams are always on and continuously register the number plate of passing cars, sending the information to an automatic control and alerting system.
In other areas, parking is in part free (identified by a white line) and in part with fee (blue line); the amount of the fee depends on the city area. Payments can be made with coins by nearby park meters; on Sundays and public holidays parking is free.
DISTANCES
- BOLOGNA 50km
- FIRENZE 148km
- MILANO 178km
- VENEZIA 194km
- TORINO 294km
- ROMA 450km