Exploring the Motor Valley of Emilia Romagna Italy

For motorsport fans, the Italian region of Emilia Romagna is a must-visit destination. The region is home to the top brands of motorsport manufacturing.

Explore the land where speed was born and discover motor history along the Motor Valley of Emilia Romagna.

Timeless brands, international circuits and private collections all highlight the excellence of Emilia Romagna and its motorsports heritage.

So, what are we waiting for? Let’s explore this incredible region of Italy!

Pick up your Motor Valley Passport

Before we get started, let’s pick up a Motor Valley Passport.

You can pick up yours at the Modena tourist information office which is located at the Piazza Grande square in the city centre of Modena.

Once you have your passport, you can start to collect stamps at each location you visit along the way to track your journey around the region.

You can also claim a prize once you’ve collected all your stamps.

The pass will bring you to top attractions and locations related to the motorsports industry across Emilia Romagna, such as the areas of Modena, Bologna and Parma.

Within this blog post, I will visit the attractions located around the area of Modena with the Motor Valley Passport over a week.

If you’re looking for a hotel in Modena, Hotel Estense Modena is a great affordable option.

Motor Valley Fest Digital Edition

As the Motor Valley pass is currently on hold at the moment until travel opens up again in Italy, this year the Motor Valley Fest 2020 will be held as a digital edition so you can take part from the comfort of your own home.

Perfect for thousands of motorsports fans at home around the world to take part in this unique online event.

You may not be able to travel at the moment. Still, until you can, I hope this special Motor Valley Fest Digital Edition will inspire you to put your trip on hold to the region of Emilia-Romagna and travel in the future when the situation is safe and starts to improve.

The conference will begin virtually, on Thursday, 14th May, and feature prestigious Italian and international speakers, with keynotes on specific, in-depth themes being live-streamed for a global audience to showcase the professional opportunities across the Motor Valley.

The Motor Valley Fest Digital Edition will be hosted from 14th May to 17th May 2020. For more information and to read the schedule, you can visit the Motor Valley Fest Digital Edition website.

Visit the Ducati Factory

We start our tour around the Motor Valley at Ducati Motor, which is a motorcycle-manufacturing company that has its headquarters in Bologna, Italy.

Here you can go on a guided Ducati factory tour in English and see how the Ducati motorcycle comes to life going through all the different stages of manufacturing from start to finish.

They also have a museum for visitors to freely wander around, which has a display of Ducati motorcycles throughout the ages.

Photography is not allowed around the manufacturing plant, and the tour starts and ends in the gift shop. Best to look online for the guided tour times and dates.

Lamborghini Museum and Factory

The Museo Lamborghini is a two-storey automobile museum which opened in 2001. It was renovated in June 2016 to provide exhibit space for more car models and displays.

You can also go on a tour of the production line which takes you on a unique journey to witness the birth of the Lamborghini sports cars.

From the V12 line where the Aventador’s engine and frame come together for the first time and on to the V10 line where the Huracan is born.

It’s interesting to see how much detail goes into making each Lamborghini from start to finish. For example, the leather is carefully stitched together by hand.

Each step is designed to bring the most out of the car.

Enjoy lunch at restaurant Da Taiadela

Close to the Lamborghini Museum you can find the restaurant Da Taiadela.

Generally filled with staff from the Lamborghini factory on their lunch break, this location has shared a long history with the workers of Lamborghini.

Here you can enjoy the local taste of traditional dishes from the region of Emilia Romagna.

Dine at Osteria di Rubbiara

For a local dining experience in the countryside, head to Osteria di Rubbiara. This family-run restaurant specialises in making traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena on site.

Here you can sample some dishes that use balsamic vinegar in some of the recipes that they’ve been making for generations.

Just to let you know before you arrive, mobile phones are banned at the table as they want you to enjoy the moment. Not to worry, they have safety deposit boxes at the front to lock away your online world for the evening.

After your meal, you can visit the “acetaia” (vinegar cellar).

Go for a test drive at Autodromo di Modena

The highlight of my trip exploring the Motor Valley was getting behind the wheel and driving around the racetrack at Autodromo di Modena.

After learning a lot about the history and traditions of the motor industry in Emilia Romagna, it’s nice to actually understand the power of these incredible sports cars by going for a test drive.

Personally, I think it’s better to have a professional take you around the track while you’re in the passenger seat so you can feel the pure power of these incredible sports cars.

They will push them to the limit safely and professionally so you can sit back and enjoy the experience.

You can take a test drive with either a Ferrari or Lamborghini cars and go for a 2 lap (around 4 km) driving experience. I opted for the Ferrari, and it was fantastic.

I highly recommend the experience, it’s a great way to finish your trip exploring the Motor Valley on a high note.

Enzo Ferrari Museum

Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari is a museum in Modena which focuses on the life and work of Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the Ferrari sports car marque.

Walk around the showroom display and gather a better understanding of the history of all the different Ferrari motors throughout the years.

No need to book a guided tour as long as you arrive during opening hours.

Enjoy lunch in Modena at the Mercato Albinelli market

Why not head to the city centre of Modena for a light lunch at the covered market Mercato Albinelli?

Tuck into tastes of the market with homemade bread and cold cuts with a treat of wine and gelato.

After lunch, enjoy a guided tour of Modena Theatre which started the career of local legend, Luciano Pavarotti.

Dinner at Trattoria Pomposa

Experience dinner at Trattoria Pomposa which is within walking distance from the hotel. You simply have to try the pork ribs on the menu, a must in Modena.

This restaurant is located in Piazza Pomposa, one of the most beautiful squares of the town and a great place to explore at night. This area is a popular gathering point in the city centre for young people to socialise.

Visit the Maserati factory and showroom

Close to the city of Modena you can visit the Maserati factory and showroom.

You can easily spot the iconic trident logo that spins around on the roof.

The tour allows you to have a sneak-peek into Maserati’s hidden world and take a look behind the scenes.

By touring the Maserati plants in Modena, guests can learn more about the deep expertise involved in the production of the world’s most stylish sports cars.

Lasting about an hour and thirty minutes, the exclusive factory tour includes a welcome reception and an introductory talk on the history of Maserati, hosted in the recently renovated showrooms.

This is followed by a guided walk around the famous assembly lines. To conclude, guests can get up close and personal with some of the most celebrated cars and browse the Maserati store.

You must book your spot in advance if you wish to join the tour as spaces each day are limited.

Panini Motor Museum

Take a guided tour of the Umberto Panini Collection at the Panini Motor Museum.

One of the most beautiful collections of Maseratis is hosted at Hombre farm located in Modena. They produce organic Parmigiano Reggiano cheese which you can see on display in storage during your visit.

The Collection, owned by the Panini family, contains several cars of great value for Maserati, partly because of their unique nature, such as the 6CM from 1936, of which only 27 were made and which dominated European races.

End your trip in the city of Bologna

Bologna makes a great starting and ending point in visiting the region of Emilia Romagna.

Make this your ending point for your trip as Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport has many great connections around Europe.

Spend a night in Bologna, one of my favorite cities to explore in Italy.

Stay at Hotel Porta San Mamolo located in the heart of Bologna and enjoy lunch at Scrambler Ducati Food Factory, who put on a proper pizza oven experience and marks a perfect ending to discovering the motor history of the Motor Valley of Emilia Romagna.

Thank you for reading my blog post about the Motor Valley of Emilia Romagna

Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati and Ducati, the Motor Valley region of Emilia Romagna has it all.

The region is open for all motorsports fans and also has incredible regional foods, exciting cities, local culture and landscapes to discover.

Thank you for passing by and reading my blog post about exploring the Motor Valley.

If you have any further questions about this trip that I did over a week, feel free to send me an email, and I will be more than happy to offer some assistance with your journey.

All the best and have fun exploring Emilia Romagna!