Experience in Modena, Italy by José Ángel

What is it like to live in Modena? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Modena is a calm city in the heart of northern Italy. It's a small city, but it's very lovely, like the majority of Italian cities. I would recommend going to Modena, because the university, in general, is well prepared and central. There's a pretty square with a beautiful cathedral (Duomo in Italian) that has a tower called the Ghiarlandina, which is protected by UNESCO, every time I see it, I fall in love all over again. I would also say that Bologna is half an hour away by train and I went every week, since it's a much bigger city, it's beautiful and there's a lot of partying.

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What is the student lifestyle in Modena?

There's not very much student lifestyle there. However, I can't complain, the people are very nice and there's somewhere to go every day of the week, I never stopped going out and meeting people the whole year.

How much does it cost to live in Modena?

Life in Modena is a bit expensive, but it's definitely on the cheaper end of the spectrum for Italian cities.

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Was it difficult to find accommodation in Modena? Do you have any advice?

For the first two weeks, I stayed in a very affordable hostel, called San Filippo Neri, and I spent that time calling numbers that I found on adverts around the university and on the noticeboard in the main square. So finding accommodation isn't difficult.

What is the food like there? What are some of your favourite dishes?

Everyone loves pizza and pasta, so you won't have any food issues, you'll also get to try loads of different types of pizza and they're all delicious. You should also try traditional foods in Modena: fried gnocchi and tigelle. And their desserts are delicious, especially if you're a fan of ice cream and nutella.

Where would you recommend to visit in Modena?

Modena doesn't have a lot to visit, but, as I mentioned before, there's the Duomo, the Piazza Grande and the Ghirlandina. They have a lot of beautiful parks and the Ferrari museums.

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And to eat in Modena? What are some of your favourite places to go?

In the centre of Modena, there are a lot of restaurants and pizzerias.

Where would you recommend for a night out in Modena?

My favourite is Tube, we went there every Saturday and they have costume parties every week. There's Snoopy which is more chic and Baluardo and Frozen aren't too bad either. Vox is huge and they play rock music there and they open the terraces in summer so you can be in the fresh air.

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Do you have any advice for students coming to Modena in the future?

Learn a lot of Italian, meet a lot of people and travel a lot. You're going to love it.