With all the Ferraris and Lamborghinis around, it's easy to overlook Motor Valley's two-wheeled contribution to world-class motorsports. Ducati sits right at the top of the motorcycle heap, and its Bologna museum chronologically showcases the brand from its vacuum tube and condenser beginnings, considering how social influences have driven the brand's street- and racing-bike aesthetics along the way. Some 43 bikes are on display, including the Ducati 60 (1949), the brand's first motorcycle; and the 750GT, its first superbike.
You can download a self-guided smartphone tour. Even more interesting is the in-depth factory tour (by reservation only), where you'll get up close and personal with Ducati's eight production lines (four for bikes, four for engines; no pictures!). Watching it all come to life alongside the whirrs and clangs and driverless carts of Italian motorsport craftsmanship is a dream come true for enthusiasts. From the city centre, bus 13 from Via Farini passes 500m from the factory.