Do you want to make a gallant surprise to your your sweetheart? I suggest you a nice idea!
Take your sweet half to visit Modena and its surroundings by choosing as a base a heart-pounding accommodation!
In this article I want to give you some interesting tips on the 5 most romantic places to sleep in Modena and its province.
What if I told you that Nocino can become a special ingredient for creating excellent cocktails ready to be poured and enjoyed in company?
If you think that our beloved Nocino is just “after dinner” stuff, this article will turn your ideas upside down.
Ready to change your way of seeing this traditional liqueur?
If I say “Toschi” what comes to your mind?
If you are from Modena like me it is very probable that the first image you associate with the name “Toschi” is a red and tasty cherry, isn’t t?
Right but not too much!
In the last period I had the opportunity to to know this reality thanks to a visit to their factories and I discovered that in addition to the excellent cherries there is more, much more.
I’ll tell you everything immediately 😊
Before starting, however, let me give you a little introduction.
I have always heard of the Toschi company but it was only when I started writing my guide about Modena that I deepened my research by documenting myself in detail.
And it was precisely then that I discovered that behind this brand with a long tradition there is literally a “world of taste”.
Yes, because cherries in alcohol were just the beginning of this long story!
Toschi Vignola: where the tradition of fruit preserved in alcohol and in syrup was born
We are in Vignola, in the heart of the land of cherries, about 25 km from Modena. Important historical characters were born here, such as Jacopo Barozzi, known as Vignola, and Ludovico Antonio Muratori, and the beautiful medieval fortress is always on display in this beautiful town.
If you come to these parts in spring it is impossible not to be enchanted by the spectacle of the cherry blossoms.
In these lands, infact, cherries, fruits of the Italian tradition, are born from the work of several hundred producers united in the Consortium of Typical Vignola Cherries.
Thus in 1945, the year the company was founded, the famous Ciliegia di Vignola became “Spiritosa” thanks to the idea of Giancarlo and Lanfranco Toschi to preserve and package this fruit to be enjoyed all year round.
In the presence of a particularly abundant year, the two brothers had a brilliant intuition: to start producing industrially what until then had always been a family tradition.
Thus Toschi was born with the first product of a long series known today everywhere with the name of fruit in alcohol.
A beautiful story isn’t it?
And the company is still pervaded by it!
This can be perceived by the fascinating vintage prints hanging on the walls, by the old machinery scattered throughout the factory and by the unique examples of gift boxes, miniature Ferraris of the past, jealously guarded in the offices of the founders.
But it was around the 1960s that some of today’s other leading products began to be produced, such as: syrups and black cherry fruit, Cherry brandy (morette liqueur) and Nocino.
I’m quite sure you can know these… right? 👇🏻
Black cherries are sweet fruits with a slightly sour aftertaste, which tickle the palate with their unmistakable and fresh flavour.
Among the most representative products of the Toschi company, today as in the past only the best cherries are carefully selected, pitted and candied to garnish desserts, cakes and frozen desserts or to enrich ice cream!
I guarantee you that watching part of this production process was exciting!
What a desire to eat them all…
The Nocino of Modena Toschi
Product of the Modenese tradition, Nocino of Modena Toschi is born from the infusion of Italian walnut hull rigorously harvested on June 24, as tradition dictates, when the fruit is not fully ripe and the husk is still green and tender.
The original recipe for Nocino of Modena is made up of just 5 simple ingredients: husk, alcohol, sugar, cinnamon and cloves.
After a 9-month infusion together with the spices, the husks are pressed to extract their essence. A portion of sugar and water is then added to this infusion to obtain the alcohol content and the characteristic roundness of taste.
Produced without dyes and aged for at least 2 years, Toschi Nocino di Modena follows and complies with the production regulations of the “Tradizione e Sapori di Modena” brand, which I had already told you about in the article I dedicated to Modena’s excellence.
During my visit to the plant they were actually bottling this product and seeing the production of such an excellence always has a certain charm!
Toschi produces 2 versions of Nocino: the Classico and the Riserva, aged over 5 years.
Finding yourself face to face with these wooden giants who guard this precious nectar must be immortalized because it is not an every day experience! 😉
Toschi Balsamic Vinegar
And if we talk about excellence and traditions, the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP and Traditional DOP certainly cannot be missing!
Gino Toschi IGP Balsamic Vinegars of Modena are the result of skilfull processing in compliance with the production regulations with the know-how of a historic vinegar factory made up of small secrets and ancient gestures.
A slight variation in the percentage of cooked must or in the length of aging creates more or less dense vinegars with different nuances of taste.
Every time I find myself strolling through the rooms of the Balsamic Vinegar aging barrels I am inebriated by the scents and fascinated by the batteries, especially those of the DOP, witnesses of a unique tradition in the world and of an incredible workmanship that tastes home.
Each reality that produces Balsamic Vinegar offers its own show because it preserves its own stories and memories, handed down from generation to generation.
Do you know that tradition has it that when a new born arrives in the family, a battery of barrels is started in his honor with his name?
And it is only after 12 years of unconditional love and dedication that Traditional Balsamic Vinegar is obtained, while you have to wait 25 to extract the Extra Vecchio.
So after this pleasant visit to Toschi, I was able to see first-hand how long and rich the road traveled by this company since 1945 has been.
The products offered today are varied: ranging from the classic ones, which include fruit in alcohol, fruit liqueurs and syrups, to those designed for ice cream, sour cherries and various garnishes, up to Nocino and Balsamic Vinegar .
A world of taste as I told you, rightly so, at the beginning of this story 😊
A world to discover and savor specialty after specialty.
There are special places where to go at least once in your life… they are places to see, to live, to taste.
Every city has ones. They are not simply traditional restaurants in Modena, but they are commercial activities and people that did the story of the city telling its identity through the foods that every day come out from their kitchens.
I’ve collected them in this post because I think they deserve a special mention and a particular place in my heart 😉
These are 6 traditional restaurants in Modena centre where to eat at least once in your life.
I love Italian aperitifs 🙂
We call “aperitivo” a pre-dinner drink that “open” the palate and make us socialize, talk and relax with friends in a lovely place. I think that aperitifs should be organized every evenings, because they have the power to make you feel better!
If it has happened or it will happen to you to go around Modena and you are a person that take care of details, you will not miss to see a sign located outside the windows of some shops, bars or restaurant, which over time has hit me. I’m talking about the signs where it was written: “Bottega Storica dell’Emilia Romagna” (The Historical Shop of Emilia Romagna), but what are they?
If you are planning your visit in Modena and you are going to stay for more than one day, the choice of the hotel is undoubtedly of primary importance. In this article you find my selection of 10 best Hotels in Modena city.
Imagine finding yourself in front of a colorful giant bench over two meters high and located in a unique panoramic point.
Imagine sitting and stopping for a while to admire what surrounds you listening only to the voice of the wind and to the buzz of insects.
Welcome to Monte Pedrazzo, at an altitude of 870 meters, in Prignano sulla Secchia where it is located the Big Bench in Modena.
But what are Big Benches and how could you reach the one situated in the Modena?
In this article I’ll tell you everything!
Among rivers, waterfalls, nature reserves, lakes and big benches, here you find 10 outdoor trips in the province of Modena that you have to put on your agenda during your stay!
Finally here we are… the summer is about to begin and the desire to go out and enjoying the nature is great, isn’t it? We really needed it, I know!
So let’s start this new season with some ideas for pleasant outdoor trips.
Ready to go?
Lately I’m obsessed by the burgers! 😉 Probably the reason is to be found in my decision to write this article on this matter or because burgers are always very appetizing. In recent months, I have collected different lunches and dinners in some different places of the city where it’s possible to eat this lovely dish. Here, you can find the result of my “hard” work (;)): my list of 10 places where to eat gourmet burgers in Modena.
Who knows how many times you have tried to think of the right place to bring your sweetheart for a romantic lunch or dinner! I guess many 🙂 Especially at this particular time of year… when Valentine’s Day is coming. Don’t worry, if you are in Modena and you don’t have ideas where to go, you can find in this article 7 (+ 1) proposals perfect to impress the person you love.
Well you know, the good weather leads us to spend time outdoors, especially in the summer, when we often look for places where to relax and to find coolness. From this point of view, Modena offers several opportunities! One of these (and not too far from the center) is the river park of Marano, a place that I have often frequented when I was a teenager and where I’ve recently come back. I’ll tell you something more.
Every time I visit a new city I always start from its centre. If you have limits of time, you have to choose from where to begin and I think that starting from the “heart” of the urban realities is always a good idea. It’s the best way to keep in touch with their spirit.
People who don’t know my city probably will ask themselves: “what to see in Modena in a day?”
Therefore, if you decide to come to Modena for a day, I suggest you to focus on the historical centre: savoring its atmosphere and enjoying the authenticity of the everyday life.
This article collects some good ideas to organize your perfect tour around the centre of Modena. In this post, then, you will find links to deepen the different subjects. My goal is to update regularly this mini-guide with all the possible suggestions that come to my mind in order to make your visit become special.
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Modena have many attractions: one of these is Modena Cathedral is one of those spectacular architectures that remains in your heart.
There is nothing to do: even if you’re a Modenese citizen passing in front of it a million of times in your life, every time is like the first and the “wow” effect is guaranteed.
Modena Cathedral is, in fact, not only an invaluable and unique example of Romanesque art in the world, but also a monument that still surprises for its beauty and its originality.
When, in 2015, I wrote this article, I felt I was very fond of it right away. Reasons are many. First of all, because these few lines are dedicated to my lovely grandmother Anna, who passed away in May 2018, but at the time of the writing was 96 year old. She was a special woman who, despite the passing of time, has made everything to respect the good habits of the traditional “rezdora” (a Modenese word to indicate a sort of “queen of the house”). Then, because I will tell you about Tortellini (those of my grandmother) a food that Modenese people have written in their DNA and that represents the tradition especially in this festive period 🙂
I often wonder if there are places where to spend some peaceful hours near Modena! Organizing an outdoor trip is a lovely pastime 🙂 When I fell that I would like to do that I immediately think to our beautiful Modena Apennines where it’s possible to find perfect places to live special moments of leisure. So, this summer I visited Bucamante Waterfalls near Serramazzoni, 30 minutes far from Modena. I tell you my experience.
I love to make experiments, especially when they are about food! When I travel, I like to know the places where I go also by tasting local specialties. Through food, in fact, you can get in touch with other cultures and learn so many things! Indeed, I like the idea of eating in the ethnic restaurants of my city and when I find one I’ve never tried before, I can’t resist, I go! You can travel remaining sitting at your table 🙂
Ready to leave? Here we go!
Some people prefer drink coffe only in the morning or after their lunch, others several times during the day. Then, there is who prefers drink its cup at home and who loves sitting in a café and have coffee reading the newspaper: in any way you love to drink it, coffee is a kind of ritual for Italian people! So, if you are in the centre of the city and you need a good cup of coffee, I write you about 5 café in Modena to go 🙂
Autumn is the best time to enjoy warm colors, don’t you think so?
If I think about autumn, I immediately imagine the various shades of red, orange, yellow and brown. Well, for me this is a season that kidnaps and gives you the opportunity to continue to go out, especially in sunny days, to admire the changing of nature… and the foliage is a wonderful sight!
Over time, I have identified my places to go in Modena and in its province, to dive myself into these wonderful visions and “fill up” with incredible autumn colors: here I tell you which are my 4 favorite places to admire this phenomenon!
