Parma
Introduction
Parma is a city in Emilia-Romagna, in northern Italy, known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto, cheese and surrounding countryside. It sits in the region's heart, with Bologna as the regional capital.
Before you go
Before you go, it helps to know how Parma is laid out. The city is split in two by the stream of the same name, and the district on the west bank is known as Oltretorrente — literally "the other side of the stream" — so orienting yourself around the water will make navigating straightforward. Parma is also a university city, home to one of the oldest universities in the world, which shapes its rhythm and atmosphere. For practical orientation and local information, two offices serve visitors. The IAT di Parma, the city tourist office, sits on Piazza Garibaldi and can be reached by phone or email. Parma Point, run by the Province of Parma, is on Strada Garibaldi; besides information, it sells souvenirs, postcards and other Parma-related memorabilia, along with a collection of books of local interest. Both are open daily.Getting there
Parma has its own small airport, Aeroporto "Giuseppe Verdi" (PMF), about 3 km northwest of the city centre, serving a limited number of destinations. A common alternative is to fly into Bologna and take the shuttle service from Bologna airport to Bologna Centrale train station, connecting onward by rail.
- By train: The railway station sits at Piazzale Carlo Alberto dalla Chiesa, an easy walk from the historic centre. Bologna is roughly an hour away by train, and Milan is about 45 minutes on Freccia Bianca intercity services.
- By bus: The bus station is right next to the railway station.
- By car: Milan is less than two hours north of Parma along the A1 autostrada.
Getting around
Parma is compact and flat, and virtually everything in the historic centre sits within easy, leisurely walking distance, so most of your sightseeing is best done on foot. The city is divided by the stream of the same name, with the Oltretorrente district on the west bank; sights across the river take a little more walking, but still not much. Because the terrain is level, cycling is very popular with locals, and you can rent a bike just outside the train station at ground level, leaving an ID card, driving licence or passport as a deposit. Bike and scooter sharing is also available through docked stations around the centre and through dockless bikes and scooters.
Taxis wait at the train station and across the street from the Governor's Palace (Palazzo del Governatore) in the centre of town. Urban and provincial buses cover practically the whole city and the surrounding province, with stops generally displaying route and schedule maps and buses running at regular intervals of roughly ten to fifteen minutes; daytime services run from early morning until around 8pm, with a separate night service on selected lines. Tickets are sold at tobacco shops, authorised sale points, automatic machines at the train station bus stop, and through the Teseo or Muver apps, and on urban buses you can pay by tapping a contactless card at the validator when boarding. Validate your ticket, or tap your card or device, on each boarding and again when switching routes. Mi Muovo is the region's integrated public transport pass, and short-stay visitors may find the 12-trip "Mi Muovo Multibus" ticket useful. If you arrive by car, note that an access control system limits entry to the city centre to local tagged vehicles only, generally switched off after midnight; parking downtown can be a challenge, though there are several garages outside the centre, the largest behind Teatro Due, and rental cars at the small airport just outside town.
Where to stay
For budget stays, you'll find Hotel Button in the Borgo della Salina area, near the corner of San Vitale. Mid-range options lie both in and around the city. Hotel Ponte in Colorno offers private parking and is run by the Ghezzi family, who can fill you in on major events in the area. If you have your own transport, Villa Franci is a decorated bed and breakfast set in the countryside about twenty minutes from downtown Parma, bordering a national park, with the ancient Via Francigena running right outside; the owner knows the region well. At the top end, several places put you close to the centre. The Astoria Executive Hotel sits centrally, a few metres from the train station and centre, with soundproofed rooms, its own San Barnaba restaurant and internet points in the reception. Dimore d'epoca occupies a villa that belonged to a noble Parma family, set in a large park a short walk from the centre, and includes a quality restaurant and convention halls. Hotel Torino, in the centre, continues a hospitality tradition in a building that began as a monastery. For a historic setting, Palazzo Dalla Rosa Prati offers elegant suites on the quiet Piazza del Duomo, within a pedestrian zone, and the hosts will arrange parking for you; in the evenings you may hear an accordion player outside on the piazza.Food & drink
Your trip to Parma is not complete without a hunk of its eponymous cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano, made and aged from 18 months to over 30 from the milk of cows that graze only on grass and hay in the fields around the city. Try the local cured ham, Prosciutto di Parma, cured and aged in temperature- and humidity-controlled rooms for at least ten months and sliced razor thin — delicious on its own or over a plate of summer melon. As far as salumi goes, Culatello is king, though government regulation has driven it nearly to extinction; rogue producers still cure the meat in cellars, and it differs from prosciutto in being made from the fillet cut of the ham rather than the whole ham. Parma is also known for its delicate stuffed pastas and outdoor markets, so take advantage of the fresh seasonal vegetables. For a typical dinner, try torta fritta with prosciutto di Parma and the region's other salami and coppa specialities as a starter, followed by tortelli — a Tris di Tortelli lets you enjoy the pasta filled with zucca (pumpkin), radicchio, and ricotta e spinaci (spinach and cheese). Anolini in brodo is another local speciality worth seeking out. For a sweet finish, an ice cream shop behind the cathedral on the right serves gelato shaped into a flower in seconds. Don't miss an aperitivo in Via Farini, where several bars draw crowds standing outside with a Martini or a Sprizz con Aperol, enjoying the free buffet offered when you buy a drink. Try a bottle of Lambrusco, the local sparkling red wine — great on its own and perfect with much of the local cuisine, sold in virtually any bar or corner shop.What to see and do
Start in Parma Vecchia, the historical centre, where Piazza Duomo holds the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta and the adjacent Battistero di San Giovanni. The cathedral and baptistery date to the late 12th century; inside the cathedral, the frescoes and the relief sculptures on the stone are striking, and the dome painting — Correggio's Assumption of the Virgin — is a highlight of the Renaissance. The baptistery, designed by Benedetto Antelami in pink marble known as rosso di Verona, changes colour as the sun moves across it. Nearby on the same square stands the Palazzo Episcopale, Romanesque in appearance and begun in the 11th century. Elsewhere in the centre, the Palazzo della Pilotta is a 16th-century complex built as a court for the Farnese family, now housing the Archaeological Museum, Farnese Theatre, National Gallery, Palatine Library and Bodoni Museum. You can also visit the Camera di San Paolo, part of a former abbess's apartment decorated with Renaissance frescoes, and the Museo Glauco Lombardi, which documents the life of Maria Luigia, Duchess of Parma, through her belongings. Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, the site of the Roman forum and a hub on the ancient Via Aemilia, is now filled with shops and restaurants, and is flanked by the Palazzo del Governatore, with its 1760 façade and astronomical clock, and the 13th-century Palazzo del Municipio. Also worth seeking out are the Monastero di San Giovanni Evangelista, with a Baroque church facade and Renaissance convent and cloisters, the Antica Spezieria di San Giovanni, the monastery's old pharmacy, the Renaissance Basilica di Santa Maria della Steccata, and the Orto Botanico.
Across the Parma stream lies Oltretorrente, the historical western district. Its Parco Ducale was founded in the 16th century and later converted into a French-style park; at its western end you'll find the Peschiera fish pond with the Baroque Fontana del Trianon, and nearby the Tempietto d'Arcadia and Baptiste Boudard's sculpture Sileno ed Egle. The Palazzo del Giardino, built in the 16th century for Ottavio Farnese and expanded in the 18th, is closed to visitors, while the Palazzetto Eucherio San Vitale is an example of Renaissance architecture with a fresco attributed to Parmigianino. The Ospedale vecchio is a rare piece of hospital architecture that now houses cultural institutions including the Municipal Archives, State Archives and public libraries, with the Oratorio di Sant'Ilario nearby. Also in the district are the Romanesque Chiesa di Santa Croce, with 17th-century frescoes, and the unusually formed Baroque Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata. Further afield, the massive 15th-century Castello di Torrechiara lies south of the city. For entertainment, opera is staged at the Teatro Regio, known for its passionate and critical local aficionados — buy tickets early, as performances sell out — and the Festival Verdi celebrates Giuseppe Verdi each October. Parma Calcio 1913 play soccer at the Stadio Ennio Tardini, and the Zebre rugby team play at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.
When to go
Parma has a four-season humid subtropical climate with continental influences, so what you pack depends heavily on when you visit. Winters are cold and heavily continental in character, with occasional snowfall reaching the city centre; expect chilly conditions and bring proper winter layers. Summers, by contrast, are hot, and the urban heat island effect can make the centre feel even warmer than the surrounding countryside, so plan around the heat if you travel in the warmer months.
- Winter: Cold and continental, with snowfall possible in the city centre.
- Summer: Hot, with the urban heat island making the centre feel warmer still.
- Spring: A transition from cold winter to hot summer, with variable, mid-latitude weather.
- Autumn: Cooling from summer toward winter, again with variable conditions.
Spring and autumn sit between the extremes, with the variable weather typical of a mid-latitude climate, so pack for changeable conditions if you travel in those seasons.
Three days in Parma
Day one: Start in Parma itself, using Piazza Garibaldi as your orientation point and the IAT Parma Point for local information. From there, walk Strada Garibaldi, where the city's everyday life and its food culture meet. In the afternoon, cross into the Oltretorrente, the neighbourhood on the far side of the river, whose character is distinct from the centre. Both areas reward slow wandering rather than rushing between sights.
Day two: Turn to the wider province and the Emilia and Romagna context around you. The Palazzo del Governatore and the Chiesa sites in the centre are worth your time, and the Governor's Palace gives a sense of the city's older civic ambitions. If you are relying on public transport, validate your tickets and consider the Mi Muovo and Mi Muovo Multibus options for getting around; Muver and Teseo are the local systems you will encounter. Bike and taxi options exist if you prefer not to walk.
Day three: Use the city as a base for a wider Emilia or Italy loop. Bologna is reachable via Bologna Centrale, and Milan via the Freccia Bianca, so a day trip is feasible. Aeroporto Giuseppe Verdi, also known as PMF, handles flights if you are arriving or leaving by air. Piazzale Carlo Alberto is a useful reference point in the city. Because the region is warm and humid in summer and bitterly cold in winter, plan your walking accordingly.