Modena

Piazza Grande one day, Ferrari at Maranello the next

Give Modena two days: one for Piazza Grande, one for the Ferrari sites. Day one covers the cathedral, the Ghirlandina tower, the Palazzo Comunale and its vinegar loft, then Lambrusco in the evening. Day two goes to Maranello or the Museo Enzo Ferrari, then the Biblioteca Estense and a night at the Teatro Pavarotti-Freni.

Morning one belongs to Piazza Grande. Look at the carved front of the cathedral, then walk round to the apse for the old measuring units cut into the wall. Climb the Ghirlandina on a timed ticket from the desk at its foot, then pick up an audioguide at the tourist office at number 14 and visit the cathedral museums. Lunch on tortellini at Trattoria Aldina.

In the afternoon see the historic rooms of the Palazzo Comunale and the municipal vinegar loft. In the evening, drink Lambrusco around Via Gallucci or Piazza della Pomposa.

On day two, take a provincial bus or drive south to Maranello for Ferrari, or stay in town for the Museo Enzo Ferrari near the station. Spend the afternoon at the Biblioteca Estense and outside the Baroque Ducal Palace, now the Military Academy, and end with an opera or concert at the Teatro Comunale Pavarotti-Freni on Corso Canalgrande.

Tortellini, barozzi cake and the town hall vinegar loft

Modena's table rests on tortellini, Lambrusco, Parmigiano Reggiano and traditional balsamic vinegar, which you can see ageing in the town hall vinegar loft. Trattoria Aldina serves tortellini and brassato, Antica Pasticceria San Biagio makes barozzi chocolate cake, and Osteria Francescana holds three Michelin stars and books out long in advance.

Modena's table is built on four products: tortellini, Lambrusco, Parmigiano Reggiano and traditional balsamic vinegar, which is aged for years and sold in tiny bottles. You can see how it is made in the municipal vinegar loft inside the Palazzo Comunale.

For a classic trattoria meal, Trattoria Aldina on Via Albinelli serves tortellini, veal escalope in a balsamic sauce and brassato, beef braised in red wine. For something sweet, Antica Pasticceria San Biagio on Via Emilia makes barozzi, a dark chocolate cake, and rosine. Coffee lovers should stop at La Messicana on Via Farini, a roaster that also serves until late.

At the top end, Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana on Via Stella holds three Michelin stars and books out long in advance.

Lanfranco, Wiligelmo and the stone Genesis

Modena's cathedral was begun in 1099 and consecrated in 1184. The architect Lanfranco designed it and the sculptor Wiligelmo carved the façade, and both are named in inscriptions on the building, rare for the period. Wiligelmo's Genesis reliefs, running in strips across the front, tell the story from Creation to Noah in figures that are squat, expressive and easy to read from the square.

Walk round the outside before going in. The south side has the Porta dei Principi and the Porta Regia, and the north side the Porta della Pescheria, carved with scenes from the months and an early Arthurian legend. Inside, the raised presbytery over the crypt holds the tomb of San Geminiano, the patron saint, whose feast on 31 January brings a fair to the streets around the Duomo.

UNESCO listed the cathedral, the Ghirlandina tower and Piazza Grande together in 1997, as a model of a Romanesque town centre where church and civic power share one square.

Mercato Albinelli and the Palazzo Ducale

Mercato Albinelli, a covered food market opened in 1931, is two minutes from Piazza Grande on Via Albinelli. Stalls sell Parmigiano, Lambrusco, fresh pasta and balsamic vinegar, and several counters serve lunch; go before noon on a weekday, when locals shop.

On Piazza Roma, the Palazzo Ducale was begun in 1634 to designs by Bartolomeo Avanzini, housed the Este court for more than two centuries and is now the Italian Military Academy. Cadets in uniform cross the square in term time, and the building opens for guided tours on some weekends; book through the tourist office.

Ferrari, the Motor Valley and balsamic

Modena sits in the middle of the Motor Valley, an area of about 150 km between Parma, Modena, Bologna and Rimini with four international circuits, seven manufacturers, 11 luxury car museums and 19 private collections. The Museo Enzo Ferrari in town, next to the station, and the Ferrari Museum in Maranello are separate sites with a shuttle between them; Maserati, Pagani and Lamborghini also run visits nearby.

The other local product with a protected name is balsamic vinegar. Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP comes from the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia, roughly the old Este duchy, while the traditional DOP version is aged for at least 12 years in a series of wooden barrels. Many acetaie in the hills offer free tastings.

Climbing the Ghirlandina and the stolen bucket

The Ghirlandina, the cathedral's bell tower and the symbol of Modena, rises close to 90 m: tourism sources give 86 m to the top of the spire, while city documents give 89.32 m. It served for centuries as the city's treasury and watchtower as well as a belfry, and the climb up its internal stair ends at a small terrace with a view over the roofs to the Apennines.

Inside, the Sala della Secchia keeps a copy of the most famous object in Modenese history, a wooden bucket. Modenese soldiers carried it off from a well in Bologna after their victory at the Battle of Zappolino in 1325, and kept it in the tower as a trophy. In 1622 Alessandro Tassoni turned the episode into La secchia rapita, a mock-heroic poem that is still read in Italian schools. The original bucket is in the town hall on Piazza Grande.

Opening days for the climb are limited, so check times at the Piazza Grande tourist office.

Lambrusco, the sparkling red poured with every Modenese meal, comes from vineyards across the provinces of Modena, Reggio Emilia and Parma. Ask for Lambrusco di Sorbara for a sharp, high-acid version that suits fried gnocco and cured meats, or Grasparossa for a darker, fuller one. Many producers on the plain north of the city sell by the bottle at the cellar door, and most will pour a glass before you buy.

For a slower look at the Este court, ask the tourist office about guided tours of the Palazzo Ducale, which take in the main courtyard and the state rooms of the academy.

Modena is also the home town of Massimo Bottura, whose Osteria Francescana has helped put its cooking on every food lover's list; tables there are booked months ahead, but the city's trattorias serve the same tortellini tradition for far less.