Parma gave the world two of its most exported names in food — Parmigiano-Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma — yet the city itself stays comparatively under the radar next to Bologna or Florence. It’s an elegant, unhurried place, with a pink-and-white marble Baptistery, a strong operatic tradition tied to composer Giuseppe Verdi, and countryside just outside town where both signature products are still made by hand. The city also gave its name to Parmesan cheese in English, though locals will tell you the real thing bears little resemblance to the pre-grated version sold under that name abroad.

What to See and Do

Tour a Parmigiano-Reggiano Dairy

Working caseifici in the hills around Parma open their doors early in the morning to show the cheesemaking process from curdling to the massive aging warehouses stacked with wheels. Watching a wheel get turned and tested by a master affineur explains why the real thing tastes nothing like pre-grated substitutes.

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Visit a Prosciutto Curing House

In the nearby town of Langhirano, cool cellars hung with thousands of hams demonstrate the slow curing process that gives Prosciutto di Parma its delicate, sweet flavor. Tours typically end with a tasting plate alongside the region’s other cured meats.

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Admire the Baptistery and Duomo

Parma’s octagonal Baptistery, carved from pink Verona marble, is a masterwork of Romanesque and early Gothic sculpture, while the adjoining cathedral holds Correggio’s illusionistic Assumption fresco swirling across the dome. Together they anchor one of Italy’s most harmonious piazzas.

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Follow the Verdi Trail

Giuseppe Verdi was born in a village just outside Parma, and the Teatro Regio, the city’s grand opera house, still stages his works in a season that draws serious opera enthusiasts. Even outside performance dates, guided tours reveal the gilded auditorium and backstage areas.

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Wander the Pilotta Complex

This sprawling Renaissance palace complex houses the National Gallery, an archaeological museum, and the remarkable wooden Farnese Theatre, built almost entirely without nails. It’s one of the more underrated museum complexes in northern Italy.

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Best Time to Visit

Spring and autumn bring pleasant weather for walking the center and touring food producers, many of which operate on limited schedules that suit cooler months better than peak summer heat. Opera fans should time a visit to the Teatro Regio’s autumn-to-spring season.

How to Get There

Parma is on the main Milan–Bologna rail corridor, about an hour from either city, and the town center is small enough to explore entirely on foot once you arrive. Reaching the dairies and curing houses in the surrounding hills generally requires a car or an organized tour.

Good to Know

Food tours to dairies and prosciuttifici almost always require booking ahead, since these are working facilities with limited visiting hours, often mornings only. Plan at least a full day for Parma itself and a half-day extra if you want to properly visit the countryside producers, and consider renting a car if you plan to visit more than one dairy or curing house, since public transport between them is limited.

Parma is a city that rewards a slower pace and a genuine interest in food history — come hungry, leave time for the countryside, not just the piazza, and don’t be surprised if the vinegar and cheese you bring home taste nothing like what you’ve had before.