The Renaissance city of Parma is surprisingly undiscovered by tourists. This makes it a great perfect place to explore on a holiday.
Driving around Parma
Among the cobbled piazzas, trickling fountains and ancient honey-coloured stone landmarks of this compact city, you’ll find the traffic is usually light. It’s easy to get around thanks to a useful dual-carriageway ring road, ‘The Tangenziale’. And you can drive to the neighbouring cities quickly using the good network of local roads. In addition, Italy’s main north-south motorway, the A1, skirts the north of the city.
Eat your way around Parma
The city may not have been discovered by tourists, but it is world-famous among foodies. The local Parma ham and Parmesan cheese are among the classic Italian specialities. Try browsing the artistic displays in the delis on Via Garibaldi or acclaimed restaurants like Al Tremezzo. Explore the tiny cafes of Via Farini that are popular with locals, the sweet shops selling Parma Violets, the favourites of a 19th-century local duchess.
Parma’s ancient sights
Start with the 900-year-old Duomo cathedral and its neighbouring octagonal medieval baptistery. They stand in a central square lined with historic houses and shops. Inside, you’ll find frescoes on the walls and ceilings that rival the treasures of Florence. In the nearby Pilotta Palace there is a collection of paintings by Da Vinci, Holbein and Brueghel, as well as Parma’s own local Renaissance artists Parmigianino and Correggio.
Later dress up to visit Parma’s opulent gilded Teatro Regio opera house - the perfect place to watch an opera by Verdi, who was born nearby. The auditorium first opened in 1829 and Verdi directed his works here. If you’re here in October, there’s an annual Verdi festival to enjoy.
Take your own food tour
The surrounding countryside is full of acclaimed food producers. Most are open for tours and tastings. For example, there are 500 registered ham makers in the Langhirano Valley to the south of the city alone, while the plains to the north are full of cheese farms. Look out for simple rural trattorias in these areas – it can be the best place to try the best of the local specialities.
