Modena streets
Modena streets

Modena Walking Tour, Modena

Overview

Explore Modena's vibrant and historic city center with a guide, discovering interesting stories and architecture. Modena is the hometown of Luciano Pavarotti and Enzo Ferrari, and you’ll learn how the city raised and inspired these two famous creatives. Start in the square, Piazza Roma, and enjoy views of the imposing Ducal Palace. The Este family built this incredible mansion in the 17th century, and today, it houses the Military Academy of Modena, which prepares officers for the Italian Army.

Follow your guide through the beautiful city center, exploring its narrow streets and admiring its Renaissance palaces. Stop at Pomposa Church, where Modena’s most important historian, Ludovico Antonio Muratori, lived. Around the corner, you’ll find Novi Sad Park, a recently restored open-air archeological site. Finally, visit the Ancient Roman ruins and walk on an original Roman road, surrounded by burials and houses that date back 2,000 years!

Continue through the maze of Modena’s small streets until you reach Piazza Grande with its impressive Cathedral and the famous Ghirlandina Tower. For centuries, the square was the city’s beating heart as its economic, political, and social center. The Duomo is a jewel of art and architecture, one of the best-preserved medieval “books of stone.” Admire the detailed reliefs by Guglielmo, the Apsis, the Gates, and the Cathedra’s peaceful interior.

A few steps from the piazza are Albinelli Market and Corso Canal Grande, which houses Modena’s theater dedicated to the famous tenor, Luciano Pavarotti. Explore the market and wander along the canal as your tour comes to an end. 

Read more about unique and interesting cultural experiences in Italy.

Traveler reviews

S
Shane B.
Broomfield, CO | Reviewed on Nov 07, 2022

Our guide, Elisa, was a local teacher who gave tours in the summer. She was a very fun guide who gave us a wonderful tour! We enjoyed the mix of history and trivia she gave us.

Itineraries with Modena Walking Tour

Family Road Trip: Northern Lakes, Tuscany & Italian Riviera - 14 Days

Spend two weeks exploring northern Italy at your own speed with this self-drive itinerary that allows you to choose the stops. You'll start off in the northern lakes, with Lake Como and Lake Garda offering boat tours past villas and amusement parks alike. Then make your way into Tuscany, where you'll ride a horse-drawn wagon through the countryside and explore the medieval walled city of Siena and famous art of Florence. Finish your trip in the Italian Riviera and colorful five villages of Cinque Terre.

Jewish Heritage in Northern Italy - 9 Days

Jewish history is of fundamental importance for Italian cultural heritage, and nearly every city in Italy can trace back their Jewish communities. Spend 9 days exploring the synagogues, ghettos, old cemeteries, and more to explore this rich culture. See the San Sabba concentration camp in Trieste, explore Venice's medieval ghetto and view ancient Hebrew texts in Bologna.