Our favorite thing to do is to walk around Modena Centro (downtown) and stop for a coffee/cocktail near the Accademia or Piazza Grande where Modena's white marble cathedral is situated. Fun fact, the construction for the cathedral's bell tower began in 1099 and is still to this day the city's most important landmark (definitely a place to see). In general, Modena centro has lots of shops and restaurants that well represent the culture of the city and region along with museums and various festivals depending on the time of the year (more info on this as we get closer to time)

- Another thing we love to do is to grab a cappuccino and croissant for breakfast in Formigine, a small town about 10min from where most of you will be staying. The town has a wonderful castle in the center and is a great representation of the italian suburban life (we highly recommend trying this). Although smaller, it is great for a morning walk and to peek inside some local shops.

- Last but not least, we really enjoy going to Castelvetro, a small town toward the hills that's home of Lambrusco wine. This is a great place for wine tastings and it has wonderful views on Modena's hills full of vineyards. There's a coffe shop close to the castle called Eglise where you can also get some snacks or drinks. Our favorite restaurant is also in the hills of Castelvetro and it's called Acetaia Sereni. The place has a fantastic view over their vineyards and they make all of their wine, oil, and vinegar in-house along with fantastic food (you can expect roughly $50 per person). Contact Alex if you'd like to make a reservation. For more info, another similar restaurant in Castelvetro is Opera2 (here's the link).

Modena is famous for a variety of things including food, supercars, and balsamic vinegar. Here's a list of things that we recommend trying while in Modena:

- Balsamic vinegar originated in Modena and to this day it cannot be produced anywhere else in the world (for those of you that like vinegar we suggest going on a balsamic tour - here's an example of one).

- Parmigiano Reggiano (parmesan cheese) can also only be produced between Modena and Parma and it is one of the region's proudest products. Many people come from all over the world for tastings and to see how it is produced. If interested, there is plenty of tours for this attraction and it is often combined with balsamic tastings. (Click on this link for a tour example)

- Modena is home for 3 renowned supercars: Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati. In particular, the famous Ferrari is Modena's biggest icon with its HQ and only manufacturing plant in Maranello, a suburb of Modena just 15min from our wedding venue. The Ferrari museum is a big attraction for car enthusiasts and a great place if you would like to test drive one (link for museum tickets and info).

- Modena is also home of what was rated the best restaurant in the world for two consecutive years called La Francescana. If you're interested in dining there we recommend trying to reserve a table many months in advance. (here's the link)

Emilia Romagna is a region in northern Italy where the main cities are Modena and Bologna. It is also known as the land of castles with over 200 within driving distance to Modena (Here's a link to the highest rated ones). Additionally, our region has cities like Ferrara and Ravenna where the famous Dante Alighieri lived the last years of his life. Most importantly our region is famous for its northern food including, an example is the city of Parma (45min from Modena) where prosciutto is originated.