Parma in 1 day
One day in Parma, hour by hour: two Correggio domes before noon, the palace and the park after.
- Cathedral
- Open Cathedral 7.45–19.20
- Pilotta
- €18
- Camera di San Paolo
- €5, shut: Tuesday
A day in Parma fits into one walk with no car: cathedral, baptistery and San Giovanni before noon, then the Camera di San Paolo, the Pilotta and the park in the afternoon. The only obstacle is the calendar, since on Mondays the Pilotta, the Teatro Regio and the Glauco Lombardi Museum are shut, and on Tuesdays the Camera di San Paolo is.
Cathedral before noon, Correggio and the Pilotta after
The Duomo. The cathedral is open Cathedral 7.45–19.20; Baptistry and museum daily 10–18, so go in first. Beside it is the baptistery, and its ticket includes the Diocesan Museum: €12 (combined ticket, Baptistry and Diocesan Museum; the Cathedral itself is free).
San Giovanni Evangelista, behind the cathedral, no ticket, open 8.30–12.00 and 15.00–20.00. Its dome, with Correggio's fresco, is older than the cathedral's.
The Antica Spezieria, the monastery pharmacy beside the church, is open Tuesday–Sunday 9.00–13.00 and 15.00–19.00 (last entry half an hour before closing); shut: Monday. It only fits before the midday break, so it comes before lunch.
Lunch; the dishes are on the food page.
The Camera di San Paolo, a single room of Correggio's frescoes. Entry €5, open Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri 9.30–18.00; Sat, Sun and holidays 9.30–18.30; shut: Tuesday.
The Pilotta, a few streets on: the National Gallery, the Teatro Farnese and the Palatine Library on one ticket, €18. Open Tuesday–Sunday 9–19 (last entry 18.00); shut on Mondays. The Teatro Farnese is a wooden Baroque hall of 1618, destroyed on 13 May 1944 and rebuilt from 1956 to 1960.
The Parco Ducale, on the far bank of the river, free, open April–October 6.00–24.00; November–March 7.00–20.00. The walk ends in the park because the museums have shut by then.
If there is time for two more
The Teatro Regio visit lasts 30 min, costs €7 and is open Tuesday–Saturday 9.30–12.30 and 14.30–17.30; Sunday 10.00–16.00. The Glauco Lombardi Museum, devoted to Duchess Marie Louise, is open Tuesday–Saturday 9.30–16.00; Sunday 9.30–19.00. Both are near the Pilotta, but not both fit if the Pilotta is seen to the end, so one is dropped.
What changes the plan
- Monday. The Pilotta, the Teatro Regio, the Glauco Lombardi Museum and the Antica Spezieria are shut; the cathedral, baptistery, San Giovanni, the Camera di San Paolo and the park remain.
- Tuesday. The Camera di San Paolo is shut and everything else is open; Correggio's dome in San Giovanni makes up for it.
- If you run late. Skip the Glauco Lombardi Museum and the Teatro Regio; the Pilotta and the Camera di San Paolo are the reason to come.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Is one day enough for Parma?
One day covers the centre; a second goes to food and a trip, 1; 2 with a day trip.
What is shut on Mondays?
The Pilotta, the Teatro Regio, the Glauco Lombardi Museum and the Antica Spezieria. On Tuesdays the Camera di San Paolo is shut.
Ready for Parma?
Where to next
Day trips from Parma
→Modena by train, ham at Langhirano, a castle at Torrechiara and a tour of Parmesan cellars.
Bologna · 87 km
→Sixty-two kilometres of covered pavement, and students since 1088
How well does Parma suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Front row for the next trip
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