Bologna to Modena Day Trip: What to See in a Day

Modena is a gem of a city in the heart of Emilia-Romagna that gets a fraction of the visitors piling into Florence and Venice. Famous for its racing cars and culinary scene, and as the birthplace of Luciano Pavarotti, it is a fabulous addition to your Northern Italy itinerary.  

Thanks to quick, frequent and inexpensive rail connections, it’s also an easy day trip from Bologna. This is how I did it, and here are the best things to see in a day in Modena.

Modena at a Glance

A Brief History of Modena

Modena began life as the Celtic settlement of Mutina and was taken by the Romans in 183 BC. It became a feisty commune in the Middle Ages before the Este family of Ferrara seized it in 1307.

Despite being kicked out of Ferrara by the pope in 1598, the Este continued to rule Modena, giving parts of the city a Baroque makeover. They finally threw in the towel when Napoleon’s armies arrived at the city’s gates. Modena joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1859-60.

Is One Day in Modena Enough?

Modena is compact and walkable, and there aren’t a huge number of must-see sights, so it’s easy to cover in a day. But if you want to add the Ferrari Museum and a balsamic vinegar tasting, I’d spend two days here instead.

What to Do in Modena (Self-Guided Walking Tour)

Start your day in Modena at its churches. They close at lunchtime and don’t reopen until mid-afternoon.

Have lunch in or around Mercato Albinelli, then spend the afternoon at the Duomo and Palazzo Comunale. Walk back to the station along Corso Canal Grande, passing Palazzo Ducale.

Modena’s sights sit close together, so you won’t need public transport for this route. It covers around one and a half miles. Here’s a map to use as a self-guided walking tour. For step-by-step directions and to send to your phone, click here or on the map.

Morning: Churches and the Market

St. Peter’s Church (Chiesa di San Pietro)

Consecrated in 1518, San Pietro has a sumptuous, if somewhat gloomy, interior. Its altars are embellished with coloured stone mosaics – pietra dura – and there’s a 16th-century painted organ case.

The stars of the show are the large terracotta sculptures parading along the nave. Antonio Begarelli made them, and they include Dead Christ with the Virgin, St. John and Joseph of Arimathea, along with other saints.

Chiesa di San Francesco

Truth be told, I preferred this light and airy 15th-century church, which Napoleon once used as a barracks. Chiesa di San Francesco is worth visiting for one extraordinary work of art: Begarelli’s Deposition of Christ from the Cross, with thirteen life-size terracotta figures, including Saint Francis and Saint Anthony of Padua.

In the piazza outside is a statue of St. Francis preaching to the fish. Is it just me, or does he look like he’s got one heck of a headache?

Mercato Albinelli

Built in 1929, this glass-roofed, Art Nouveau food market is named after the Modena mayor who had lofty ambitions to shift the city’s market from Piazza Grande to an indoor venue. It’s open in the mornings, Monday to Saturday, and it’s a good spot for lunch.

Afternoon: Piazza Grande, the Duomo and Corso Canal Grande

Piazza Grande

The cobbled and partially porticoed Piazza Grande is the heart of the city’s historic and cultural life.

Together with Modena Cathedral and the Torre Civica bell tower (the Ghirlandina), it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site. Surrounded by religious and secular buildings, the square looks much as it did in the 12th century.

Palazzo Comunale

Looking out onto Piazza Grande, Palazzo Comunale is a series of medieval buildings, cloistered within an early 17th-century arcade. Five of its rooms are open to the public and are free to visit Monday – Friday on most days of the week.  

A reservation is technically required, but I walked in on the day and just gave my name and email at the desk. You can find out more, including visiting hours, here.

Modena Cathedral

The Duomo di San Geminiano is the jewel in Modena’s crown, beautiful inside and out.

Work started on this Romanesque cathedral in 1099, and it was completed in the 13th century. It was designed by the master builder Lanfranco, with exquisite exterior carvings by the 12th-century sculptor Wiligelmo.

Inside, take the steps to the raised altar and choir to look down on the nave and the rose window. The pontile, or rood screen, decorates the entrance to the crypt that holds the remains of San Geminiano, Modena’s patron saint. It’s carved with lion pillars and reliefs of the life of Christ, and it incorporates a striking pulpit.

Descend to the crypt, supported by 32 slender columns topped with capitals carved by Wiligelmo and his followers. I loved the alabaster windows on either side of the altar.

VISITING THE CATHEDRAL OF MODENA

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 7 am to 7 pm; Monday, 7 am to 12.30 pm and 3.30 pm to 7 pm. Visits are not allowed during celebrations.

Ticket price: Free admission, except for the upper presbytery(€3)

Museo del Duomo

There’s one reason to visit the Cathedral Museum: the eight metopes from the Duomo.

Created by the unknown ‘Master of the  Metopes’ in the early 1100s, these sculptures once sat on the eight buttresses of the cathedral’s nave. There’s much we don’t know about these medieval mysteries, but they are elegant and often fantastical works of art.

Corso Canal Grande

Following the path of the city’s ancient Roman walls, Corso Canal Grande was the upmarket area of Baroque Modena.

It’s a handsome boulevard, lined with buildings painted saffron, terracotta and every shade in between. A bronze statue of local hero Luciano Pavarotti, arms outstretched with his signature handkerchief, stands outside the Teatro Comunale.

Palazzo Ducale

Corso Canal Grande ends at Palazzo Ducale. When the Este were thrown out of Ferrara, they built a new palace here in the 1600s.

Today it houses the Italian National Military Academy, and you can only visit on a guided tour, by reservation, on Saturdays and Sundays. Find out how to book here.

Enzo Ferrari Museum

Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari is in the house where Enzo Ferrari was born, a short taxi ride or a 20-minute walk from the historic centre. A striking yellow, curved-roof gallery displays racing and road cars, and the museum tells the story of Ferrari’s life alongside the marque’s history.

If you’re a real motorsport fan, the Ferrari factory and second museum are in Maranello, about 18km outside Modena, reachable by a dedicated shuttle bus. That’s really a half-day add-on rather than something you can fold into a single walking day, which is the main reason to consider staying two nights instead of one.

Balsamic Vinegar Tasting

Modena’s balsamic vinegar, aceto balsamico tradizionale, is made and aged in small family-run acetaie, some right in the historic centre. A typical tasting takes you through vinegars aged for different lengths of time, often paired with parmesan or a drizzle over gelato, and most last around an hour.

A few acetaie offer tastings without booking ahead, though it’s worth checking times before you go, since many are small, family-run operations rather than fixed visitor attractions.

How to Get from Bologna to Modena by Train

Trenitalia operates a frequent regional service between Bologna and Modena. The Regionale Velocite (RV) will get you there in 25 minutes. The line is also served by the slower Regionale trains (R), which take six minutes longer to make the journey

As prices are fixed, there is no advantage in booking in advance. Remember to validate your ticket before the train departs.

Although the high-speed Frecciarossa trains also serve this route, they only cut your journey time by eight minutes and are more expensive.

You can check Trenitalia train times here. For planning on the go and to book and download your ticket, grab the Trenitalia app here.

If you’re unsure about riding the rails, I’ve written this guide to train travel in Italy.

Bologna Centrale station is a 20-minute walk from Piazza Maggiore & Piazza Nettuno in the heart of the city centre. At the other end, it’s an easy 10-minute walk from Modena Train Station to the historic centre.

Where To Next?

And that’s a wrap. I hope this guide helps you have the best day in Modena.

If you’re planning your visit to Emilia-Romagna, check out my guides on the best things to do in Bologna or how to spend a day in Ferrara before you leave.

Buon viaggio!

By Bridget

Bridget Coleman is an award-winning travel blogger who is an incurable Italy addict and has travelled its length & breadth on multiple occasions. Find out more here.

To get in touch, email her at hello@flashpackingitaly.com