Parma
Correggio's frescoes in the town that gave the world its ham and cheese
- When to go
- October 16° · 8 rainy days
- Per day
- €€€price 3 of 5
- How many days
- 1days
- For you
- 6 questions →
- Nearest airport
- 4 km Parma · 70 km Montichiari
- Right now
Parma needs one day for the centre, and a second one goes to the food: the ham and the Parmesan are made in the countryside around it, while the town itself holds Correggio's frescoes, the cathedral and the Pilotta. Everything is on foot, and there is an airport of its own.
The walk starts on Piazza Duomo. The cathedral, begun in 1090, carries Correggio's dome of the Assumption of the Virgin, painted from 1526 to 1530. Beside it stands the Baptistery, an octagon of pink Verona marble that Benedetto Antelami began in 1196. Behind the cathedral is the church of San Giovanni Evangelista with another Correggio dome, and next to it the monastery pharmacy, the Antica Spezieria.
From there you cross to the other side of the centre. The Camera di San Paolo, a small room in a former convent, is covered in Correggio's frescoes of 1519–20. A few streets on is the Pilotta, a Farnese palace begun in 1583 that now holds a gallery, a wooden Baroque theatre and a library. The walk ends in the Parco Ducale, across the river. On Mondays and Tuesdays part of this loop is shut, so the days are chosen ahead; the details are under "In brief" and on the one-day page.
The second day goes to food. Torta fritta and tortelli are eaten in town, while the ham and the Parmesan belong to the countryside, in the valley of Langhirano and the dairies that organised tours visit. Modena is a direct train away on the same line towards Bologna, and is added as a separate trip.
Guides for Parma
Shorter, practical pages for one concrete question each — how many days, how much money, where to sleep, where to escape the city.
Parma in 1 day
→One day in Parma, hour by hour: two Correggio domes before noon, the palace and the park after.
Day trips from Parma
→Modena by train, ham at Langhirano, a castle at Torrechiara and a tour of Parmesan cellars.
What Parma costs
→Parma is cheap to look at: the cathedral and the park are free, and the biggest item stays the bed.
What to eat in Parma
→In Parma the menu runs from ham and Parmesan to torta fritta, and each item has its own price.
The best time to visit Parma
→Parma sits in the Po Valley: humid and hot in summer, with fog over the town in winter.
What to see in Parma
The Cathedral and Baptistry
The cathedral and the baptistry stand side by side. The cathedral is free, and the combined ticket for the Baptistry and Diocesan Museum is €12 (combined ticket, Baptistry and Diocesan Museum; the Cathedral itself is free). Hours: Cathedral 7.45–19.20; Baptistry and museum daily 10–18.
€12 (combined ticket, Baptistry and Diocesan Museum; the Cathedral itself is free)
Camera di San Paolo
A room with Correggio's frescoes of 1519–20, in a former Benedictine convent. Entry is €5, and it is shut on Tuesdays. Hours: Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri 9.30–18.00; Sat, Sun and holidays 9.30–18.30.
€5 · closed Tuesday
The Pilotta Complex
The Farnese palace of 1583 with the National Gallery, the Teatro Farnese and the Palatine Library. One ticket, €18, covers the museums of the complex. Hours: Tuesday–Sunday 9–19 (last entry 18.00); shut on Mondays.
€18 · closed Monday
The Parco Ducale
The Ducal Park on the far bank of the river, entry free. Hours: April–October 6.00–24.00; November–March 7.00–20.00.
free
Teatro Regio
The opera house, built from 1821 to 1829. The visit lasts 30 min and costs €7; shut on Mondays.
€7 · 30 min · closed Monday · booking: recommended for groups
The Glauco Lombardi Museum
A museum devoted to Duchess Marie Louise, who ruled Parma until 1847. Entry is €7. Hours: Tuesday–Saturday 9.30–16.00; Sunday 9.30–19.00.
€7 · closed Monday and 15 August
Ready for Parma?
Within reach from here
Places sorted by straight-line distance from Parma — day trips or weekends.
Italy
→The cities on the high-speed line are an hour or two apart; the coast, Matera and the Tuscan hills lie off it
France
→From Paris the TGV reaches Lyon, Bordeaux and Strasbourg in about two hours — France is chosen by direction, not by city
Spain
→A country where dinner is at ten and the city wakes up as everywhere else turns the lights off
All 277 places we write about sit on one page — narrow them down by continent, country, price or what you are travelling for.
Within reach from here: Bologna, Verona and Cinque Terre
See how much of that actually suits you — or pin Parma if you have been.
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