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Parma or Modena? Pescara or Ancona? 1 night or 2?

Posted by (Seattle, WA) on

I am starting to plan next year’s September trip to Italy. We want to fly into Zurich and make our way south to Caserta over a period of a week. We will overnight in Bern and Locarno, then divide the rest of the distance into 3 travel days, with overnights at two of the above-named cities. That is, we will stop at either Parma or Modena, then Pescara or Ancona. This makes each leg of the journey roughly 4 hours, plus or minus. We will spend one night at one of the choices and two at the other.

So which would be your recommendation? Modena and Pescara break up the distance most evenly, but would Parma or Ancona be a better choice? We are looking for history, scenery, nice walking, maybe a museum.

And which town best deserves the two nights? I am thinking one of the seaside towns (Pescara or Ancona) but maybe I am mistaken about the charm of these beaches. Ancona seems to have a large industrial area around the port, but the Grotte di Passetto and Grotta Azzurra pathway look intriguing:

https://viaggiomagazine.com/alternative-italy-exploring-anconas-grotte-del-passetto/

Thanks for your help.

Posted by
555 posts

We are looking for history, scenery, nice walking, maybe a museum.

About Modena or Parma you find what you are looking for (except scenery, being both located in a boring flatland) in each one. Is a very personal decision. Both have an incredible cathedral and other important churches, both have a very important museum (and other lesser museums), both were capitals of a little country for some centuries, both are connected by train and important for food, both are university cities, with vibrant life, both are wealthy and rich of events.

Posted by
17560 posts

Thank you, Ricky. I researched further after posting my question, and decided on Modena and Ancona, and can make it 2 nights each.

I chose Modena because I see at least 2 museums we are very interested in seeing: the Luciano Pavarotti casa e Museo, and the Ferrari museum.

https://www.casamuseolucianopavarotti.it/en/

And Ancona because it looks far more interesting, with its hilly terrain and rocky coastline, than flat Pescara which appears to be mainly a seaside resort town, mostly rebuilt as modern after WW2.

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