The journal

Notes from Modena

Practical guides written by people who live in Modena: where to eat, how to visit a balsamic producer, how to get around, with checked hours and prices.

2026-08-25 · 14 min read

Lambrusco Wine: Why the One You Know Is Sweet, and the One We Drink Is Not

Sparkling red from Modena: the three denominations, how to read the label, what to drink it with, and where to taste it where it is actually made.

2026-08-25 · 13 min read

Ferrari Museum Maranello: tickets, hours and getting there from Modena

Seasonal prices, hours that change four times a year, the train discount, the bus from Modena, and what the Fiorano track tour really is. Checked August 2026.

2026-08-25 · 18 min read

The Ferrari factory tour you can't book, and everything you can

Ferrari says factory visits are only for clients and F1 sponsors. What you can actually book in Maranello, what it costs, and where a real factory tour exists.

2026-08-25 · 13 min read

Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena: tickets, hours and what you actually see

The yellow-roofed museum in Modena: seasonal prices, hours that change four times a year, the train discount nobody mentions, and how it differs from Maranello.

2026-08-25 · 13 min read

Car Museums in Italy: which are worth it, and where to base yourself

Italy's car museums are not spread evenly. Five of the best sit within 40 km of one city, and only one famous marque refuses to show you its factory.

2026-08-24 · 18 min read

Italy in December: Real Weather, Real Closures, and the Two Weeks to Skip

Climate normals city by city, what closes on 25 and 26 December, the dates that move everything, and why strikes are banned from 18 December to 7 January.

2026-08-24 · 18 min read

Italian Christmas Food: What Is Actually Eaten, and When

What Italians actually eat on 24, 25 and 31 December, region by region, and why the Feast of the Seven Fishes is an American name for a real Italian meal.

2026-08-24 · 18 min read

Christmas Markets in Italy: Which Ones Are Worth the Trip

Confirmed 2026 dates, the markets that justify a flight, the ones that only work if you are already there, and how to reach every one of them by train.

2026-08-24 · 14 min read

Christmas Markets in Emilia-Romagna: Where to Go, and Where to Sleep

Bologna, Ferrara, Parma, Comacchio and Modena: which Christmas markets are worth the train, how to string them together, and which town to base yourself in.

2026-08-24 · 18 min read

Christmas Market Weekend Break: Italy or Central Europe?

Which city, what it costs, which flights leave your airport, which weekend to book — and the honest answer on whether Italy beats Vienna and Prague.

2026-08-24 · 14 min read

Christmas in Modena: The Tyrolean Market, and Why It Pairs With Bologna

Modena's Christmas market runs from late November to Epiphany. What is there, how it compares to Bologna's, and how to see both in one trip.

2026-08-24 · 13 min read

Booking Osteria Francescana: How It Works, What It Costs, What to Do Instead

Reservations open six months ahead at 10am Italian time — 4am in New York. The real cost, the release calendar, and the alternatives when you miss out.

2026-08-23 · 19 min read

Parmigiano Reggiano Factory Tour Near Modena: Times, Prices, Booking

Production starts before dawn and the wheels leave the vat around 9am. Which dairies near Modena you can book, what they cost, and how to get there.

2026-08-23 · 18 min read

Parking in Modena: Where to Leave the Car and What It Costs

Where to park in Modena, what each zone costs, how the plate-entry meters and apps work, which car park is open 24 hours, and what happens if you get it wrong.

2026-08-23 · 18 min read

Gnocco Fritto and Tigelle: What They Are and How to Eat Them

Fried dough, hot flatbread and a lard spread that is not pesto. What gnocco fritto and tigelle are, where to eat them, and what you can take home.

2026-08-23 · 18 min read

Emilia Romagna Food Trip: A Week by Train, Based in Modena

A week of eating across Emilia Romagna by train from a single base, with real fares, journey times, producer opening hours and the month to avoid.

2026-08-23 · 19 min read

Albinelli Market in Modena: Hours, Stalls and What to Buy

The Albinelli Market opens at seven and shuts by mid-afternoon, closed all day Sunday. What to buy, what it costs, and how to use it without a kitchen.

2026-08-22 · 19 min read

Where to Eat in Modena: A Local's Guide

The trattorie locals actually use, with hours, prices and closing days — plus what to do when Osteria Francescana is fully booked, and how ordering works.

2026-08-22 · 19 min read

Festivalfilosofia 2026: The Modena Philosophy Festival Without Italian

The lectures are in Italian and only three are not. What a foreign visitor can actually do at Modena's philosophy festival, and how the three days work.

2026-08-22 · 18 min read

Visiting the Motor Valley from Modena: Museums, Buses and What It Really Costs

Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani from Modena: real ticket prices, opening hours, the bus to Maranello and what driving a supercar actually costs.

2026-08-22 · 13 min read

Modena's ZTL: What It Is, Who Can Drive In, and How to Avoid the Fine

Modena's limited traffic zone runs 24 hours a day. Who may enter, how guests staying in the centre get a permit, where to park, and what a fine really costs.

2026-08-22 · 29 min read

Modena Day Trip from Bologna: How to Get There & What to Do

How to day-trip to Modena from Bologna: trains take 18-30 minutes all day. Which one to catch for lunch, the Ferrari train discount, what to do if it rains.

2026-08-22 · 19 min read

Is Modena Worth Visiting? An Honest Answer, and Who Should Skip It

Modena rewards some travellers and wastes a day for others. Who should go, how long to stay, whether to sleep here or in Bologna, and what to skip.

2026-08-22 · 16 min read

Getting to Modena: From Bologna, the Airport, Florence and Milan

How far Modena is from Bologna, which trains to take, the airport shuttle versus the monorail, and why renting a car is usually the wrong call.

2026-08-22 · 19 min read

Day Trips from Modena: Where to Go on Your Second Day

Day trips from Modena by train, bus and car: real journey times, 2026 fares, which places close on Mondays, and why Sunday quietly ruins half of them.

2026-08-22 · 21 min read

Balsamic Vinegar Tours in Modena: Which Acetaie You Can Visit, and How to Book

Which balsamic vinegar producers in Modena you can actually tour, what they cost, how to book, and how to do it without a car or as a day trip from Bologna.

2026-06-10 · 16 min read

Where to Stay in Modena: Best Areas & Apartments

Where to stay in Modena, Italy: the best areas, apartments vs hotels, the ZTL & parking, and how to book a central Modena apartment directly — no commissions.

2026-06-10 · 15 min read

What to Eat in Modena: A Food Lover's Guide

The flavours of Modena: tortellini in broth, gnocco fritto, Parmigiano and traditional balsamic — what each dish is and where to try it properly.

2026-06-10 · 16 min read

One Day in Modena: The Perfect Itinerary (+ Weekend Guide)

One day in Modena: a walking itinerary with real timings, where to stop for lunch, and how to fit in a motor museum if you still have the afternoon.

2026-06-10 · 13 min read

Modena, Italy: The Complete Travel Guide

What to see in Modena: the UNESCO cathedral, the Ghirlandina tower, the covered market and the museums, with opening hours and how long each takes.

2026-06-10 · 24 min read

Modena Cathedral & the Ghirlandina: A Guide to the UNESCO Site

Modena's UNESCO cathedral: Wiligelmo's carved facade, the crypt, the Ghirlandina tower, visiting hours and how to fit it into a day in the city.

2026-06-10 · 22 min read

Hidden Modena: Unusual Things to See Off the Beaten Path

A second-day guide to hidden Modena: the synagogue, Aldo Rossi's cemetery, the metopes, the Estense masterpieces, secret canals and a balsamic loft.

2026-06-10 · 14 min read

Ferrari & Lamborghini Museums: How to Visit Them from Modena

The Ferrari museums in Modena and Maranello and the Lamborghini museum: tickets, opening hours, how to get there without a car, and which to choose.

2026-06-10 · 16 min read

Balsamic Vinegar of Modena: A Guide to the Black Gold

Balsamic vinegar of Modena: how the PDO Traditional differs from PGI, why it ages 12 or 25 years, how to use it, and how to visit a family producer.