Modena sits in Emilia-Romagna, and it suits travelers who want a UNESCO-listed cathedral square and a Ferrari museum in the same town. The Ferrari Museum in Maranello is just over half an hour from the city centre, so the car side of the trip is an easy add-on.
Parma’s airport is the other close option.
At a glance
- Region: Emilia-Romagna
- Nearest airports: Bologna Guglielmo Marconi and Parma
- Train from Bologna Centrale: about 18-25 minutes on frequent regional trains
- Station to the centre: about 15 minutes on foot
- UNESCO site: the Cathedral, the Ghirlandina Tower and Piazza Grande
- Ferrari Museum in Maranello: just over half an hour from the city centre
Where is Modena and what is it like?
Modena is in Emilia-Romagna. Bologna and Parma have the nearest airports, and the town’s railway station is on the Bologna-Milano and Modena-Mantova-Verona lines. That puts it on a corridor that runs between Milan and Bologna.
The UNESCO site brings together the Cathedral of Modena, the Ghirlandina Tower and Piazza Grande. The Palazzo dei Musei and the Ducal Palace add to the list of places to visit on foot. Outside town, the Salse di Nirano Nature Preserve in Fiorano Modenese has small mud volcanoes.
The Cathedral Museums hold the so-called Treasure of the Cathedral. Modena’s patron saint is San Geminiano, and his feast on January 31 brings a Historical Procession and a fair to the streets and squares of the centre.
What is there to do in Modena?
The Cathedral, the Ghirlandina Tower and Piazza Grande
The tower can be climbed via 200 steps, so wear comfortable shoes. Guided tours of the Ghirlandina Tower and the historic rooms of the Palazzo Comunale are offered, including English and/or French tours, which makes them a good choice if you don’t read Italian.
The Ex Albergo Diurno offers immersive visits with 6 laser projectors of 6300ANSI Lumen.
The Enzo Ferrari Museum and the motor trail
The Enzo Ferrari Museum is at Via Paolo Ferrari 85, Modena. The Ferrari Museum in Maranello is just over half an hour from the city centre.
Museum visitors can drive around the Modena Autodrome track for 15 minutes in their own vehicle. A shuttle also offers a panoramic tour along the Fiorano Circuit and the Viale Enzo Ferrari boulevard.
‘Modena Terra di Motori’ takes place in May and June. Motor fans who can choose their dates may want to travel then.
Albinelli Market and the food festivals
The Albinelli Historical Market is at Via Luigi Albinelli 13.
La Bonissima food festival fills Piazza Grande with pavilions of farms, pastry shops, artisanal workshops and micro-producers.
Other dates fill the calendar. Festival Filosofia is held in September in Modena, Carpi and Sassuolo. On giovedì grasso, the mask Sandrone and the Pavironica family are in Piazza Grande.
The Palazzo dei Musei and the Ducal Palace
The Palazzo dei Musei houses the Civic Museum, the Municipal Historical Archive, the art history library and the Estense Gallery. That is several collections under one roof, so it suits a rainy half day.
The Ducal Palace of Modena is in Piazza Roma 15. It is a separate stop from the museum palace, so plan them as two visits.
If you want history and art, start with the cathedral square and the Palazzo dei Musei. For cars, go to the Enzo Ferrari Museum, then Maranello. For food, go to the Albinelli Market. If you want a short outing out of town, the Salse di Nirano mud volcanoes in Fiorano Modenese are an option.
Where to stay in Modena
Emilia-Romagna offers hostels, bed & breakfasts, luxury hotels, spa resorts, farm stays in the countryside and Apennines, and campsites along the Riviera. In Modena itself there are tourist-use apartments (Appartamento per uso turistico).
Accommodation suits every budget. Bologna is 18-25 minutes away on a regional train, so it is a workable alternative base if Modena’s rooms are full, for instance around a festival weekend.
How do you get to Modena and get around?
Bologna Guglielmo Marconi is the nearest airport to Modena, and Parma is the other close one. ModenaFiere is a 45-minute drive from Verona’s Catullo Airport and an hour 15 minutes from Milan’s Linate Airport.
By train, some Frecciarossa services stop at Modena Station (Piazza Dante Alighieri), with direct connections to Milan, Bologna, Rome and the Adriatic coast. Bologna Centrale can be reached in about 18-25 minutes on frequent regional trains. The Modena Ferrovie Emilia Romagna station is on the Modena-Sassuolo line.
By car, take the A1 Milan-Rome motorway and the Modena Nord or Modena Sud exit. The Reggio Emilia AV Mediopadana station is about 20-30 minutes away by car.
From the Modena railway station it is about 15 minutes on foot to the centre. Bus lines 7 or 11 are recommended from the station. SETA extraurban lines connect Modena bus station with all the province’s cities, which helps for day trips.
When should you go to Modena?
May and June are the comfortable window. Afternoons reach 75°F (24°C) in May and 83°F (28°C) in June, and lows stay mild enough for evenings outdoors. Modena’s summer festival starts in June and continues until mid-September.
July is hotter, with highs of 87°F (31°C) and three rainy days. April has eight rainy days, against five or six in the months around it, so bring a rain jacket.
January is the cold end of the range, with highs of 44°F (7°C) and lows of 33°F (0°C). A warm coat is needed, and the reward is the San Geminiano feast on January 31.
What to know before visiting Modena
According to the U.S. State Department, U.S. citizens can stay in Italy for 90 days without a tourist or business visa.
- Passports must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned date of departure from the Schengen area. A 6-month validity is recommended, and passports must have 2 blank pages for entry stamp.
- A passport that has ever been reported lost or stolen, or that is expired, can lead Italian authorities to deny entry.
- You will need proof of sufficient funds and a return plane ticket.
- Italy sets a 10,000 euro currency limit, or equivalent, on entry and on exit.
- There are no vaccination requirements to enter Italy.
Sources
- italia.it (https://www.italia.it/en/emilia-romagna/things-to-do/one-day-in-modena-italy-itinerary), checked 2026-10-30
- travel.state.gov (https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/italy.html), checked 2026-10-30
- bolognafiere.it (https://bolognafiere.it/en/business-activities/venue-management/modenafiere/getting-to-modenafiere/), checked 2026-10-30
- ambwashingtondc.esteri.it (https://ambwashingtondc.esteri.it/en/chi-siamo/gli-uffici/), checked 2026-10-25
- open-meteo.com (https://open-meteo.com/en/docs/historical-weather-api), checked 2026-10-30
- patrimoniomondiale.modena.it (https://patrimoniomondiale.modena.it/fr/visiter/reception/comment-sy-rendre/), checked 2026-10-30
- portaleturismo.provincia.modena.it (http://www.portaleturismo.provincia.modena.it/page.asp?Stampa=1&Stampa=1&Stampa=1&Stampa=1&IDCategoria=305&IDSezione=7436), checked 2026-10-30
- portaleturismo.provincia.modena.it (http://www.portaleturismo.provincia.modena.it/page.asp?Stampa=1&Stampa=1&Stampa=1&Stampa=1&Stampa=1&IDCategoria=305&IDSezione=7928), checked 2026-10-30