A city-break for car-loving teens, Modena’s Motor Valley celebrates all the big Italian sports cars and has just opened its new Ferrari museum.
Why go?
There’s only one place in Italy to take fledgling petrol heads and that’s Modena, the roaring capital of Motor Valley. This pretty little medieval town in the heart of the Po Valley, with its cobbled squares and ancient spires, is famous as the birthplace of the world’s fastest cars. All the big Italian sports cars, Ferrari, De Tomaso, Lamborghini, Pagani and Maserati, were made here.
Activities
The city’s fast car heritage is now being celebrated in the new Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari, a museum celebrating the life, loves and cars of Ferrari boss, Enzo. This is a museum for the true Ferrari aficionado and set in his former family home, a 19th century red brick carriage workshop where Enzo was born and his father Alfred worked. The museum’s new exhibition space has been built to replicate the Modena-yellow Ferrari bonnet. Inside this vast hanger is a collection of rare vintage sports cars, which have influenced Enzo over the years.
To get your head under shiny Ferrari bonnets, travel a few kilometres outside of Modena to the Museo Farrari, Maranello. While your budding Lewis Hamilton’s are too young to get behind the wheel of a real sports car, check out the museum’s F1 Driving Experience (€25), a Formula 1 driving simulator which takes wannabes around the Grand Prix track at Monza.
The lowdown
Best time to go: Spring and autumn are the nicest times to visit, during July and August it can be very hot.
Travel time: Flights from London to Bologna take just over 2 hours, it is then a 35 minute transfer to Modena.
How to get there: British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Bologna; from £153 return. easyJet flies from London Gatwick to Bologna; from £60.48 return.
More information: Combined tickets to visit the Ferrari Museum and Casa Enzo Ferrari are €22 for adults and €18 for children. Get more information on the region.