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What are the best things to do in Parma in 1 day? Here some suggestions to enjoy the lovely Italian city as a local 🙂
DIANA BANCALE
Founder and author, travel blogger since 2014.
Is Parma, Italy, worth visiting?
Of course! Parma is a lovely historical city in the North of Italy, located at only 1 hour drive from Bologna and 1,5 hours from Milan. Thanks to its reduced surface, there are a lot of things you can do in Parma in one day! Get prepared for your day trip to Parma and discover all the best things you can do in the city.
Explore Parma by bycicle
Let’s imagine that you wake up to the sound of church bell. Once you’ve dressed, hop on your rented bicycle (you can find them at Infomobility kiosk in Viale Mentana) and begin at Piazza Garibaldi on a sight-seeing (and eating) ride. You will be amazed how even little kids daily use their own bicycles to go around.
Bycicle is indeed the best way to explore the city by yourself. If you prefer have more information about the city and its history, you can join a guided tour instead.
This city center slowly wakes up to the the bakeries’ perfume of fresh marmelade, cream and chocolate pastries.
Breakfast at Cocconi
You can start with a greedy breakfast with “cappuccino” and “cannoncino alla crema” at Cocconi, one of the most popular bars in Parma, surrounded by elegant ladies as well as street workers and students.
Here you can read my list of the TOP 11 restaurants in Parma to try local cuisine 🙂
Explore the center of Parma
After a nice breakfast, you are ready to discover the very center of Parma, which starts in Piazza Garibaldi, the city main square.
Parma cathedral and Battistero
Walking through Strada Cavour, a street full of shops, you will briefly reach Piazza del Duomo, with two of the most famous historic buildings of the city: Parma Cathedral (Duomo di Parma), in romanesque and gotic style, and the Battistero.
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In the parallel road of Via Cavour you fill find on of the main attractions of the city: Teatro Regio. Just a few steps away there is Palazzo della Pilotta, a complex of buildings, established in 1760. Inside there are many interesting things to see: Biblioteca Palatina, Teatro Farnese, Galleria nazionale di Parma (national gallery) and national archeological museum.
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Parco Ducale
On of my favorite places in Parma (where I lived for 20 years) is Parco Ducale.
In this park you can take a nice relaxing walk admiring the beautiful marble statues, the Tempietto d’Arcadia, the central lake with the Trianon fountain, and the Ducal Palace (palazzo ducale)
Relax in Cittadella Park
Take the bicycle path that follows the central street of Via Repubblica and passes in front of the soccer “Stadio Tardini” to reach the green park of Cittadella. Here, kids play in the playground, young adults play basket and some people relax with a drink at some of the cafès.
Sport addicted run around the star-shaped trail. Mothers are with their babies in the strollers and dogs run freely inside the closed fences. Lie on a green bench, let the sunshine cuddle you and forget the world around you. Fill yours ears with the twitter of the magpies and crows.
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What food is Parma famous for?
If you nap, you may wake up wanting to ride more – and then, logically, eat! No matter whether you are a street food lover or like sitting at table eating you will find satisfaction in Parma.
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Try a tasty focaccia in “Frank Focaccia”
You can enjoy a juicy “focaccia” with a pile of cold cuts, cheeses and sauce at “Frank Focaccia” (price per focaccia about 4 euros).
The bread is perfectly soft and just right salty. The owner “Frank” won’t ever reveal the actual recipe used to cook this soft-salty-small focaccia bread but his mix is so special you will not be able to order one of them without asking for a second one.
Restaurants in Parma (Where to eat in Parma)
If you don’t want to walk so far from the center and you’d want like more of the cuisine that makes Parma famous all over the world, visit Trattoria dei Tribunali in Via Farini, in the heart of Parma.
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Typical food in Parma
In this cozy 2 floor restaurant you will be in the center of Emilia Romagna Food Valley and taste the amazing local cuisine.
You might start with an appetizer of cold cuts and to try the sweet, gentle taste of Culatello, Prosciutto di Parma (Parma ham) and the famous parmesan cheese.
They are produced in this part of Italy – and only when Pianura Padana valley is covered with fog and cold.
Torta fritta
Eat them with “torta fritta”, a kind of rich fried bread. A few chunks of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is also a great way to start a lunch. This cheese has been in Parma since the Middle Ages – it is one of our claims to fame.
Tortelli
Then there are tortelli – fresh filled pasta, usually served three different versions on a plate, maybe pumpkin, ricotta and spinach, potoatoes. The flavor of the pumpkin tortelli is remarkable, somehow like eating a sweet with the contrast of the salty cheese and butter sauce.
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Get a 15% discount for my readers here (VALID 22/11 TO 01/12/25)Shopping in Via Farini
You can walk off to lunch on the Via Farini, enchanted by the fancy dress stores and the sense of fashion that people from Parma, called “Parmigiani” (yes, just like the cheese) have – as though they are always ready to join a gala party.
Happy hour with Italian “aperitivo”
When evening comes, you’ll find that from 7pm to 9pm all the bars in that street start preparing for “aperitivo”. You will have free access to a rich buffet full of “panini”, “pizza”, “pasta” and many other appetizers that will make it hard to imagine eating dinner.
Piazzale della Pace and Pilotta
If you are looking for a low budget night, go for a walk at “Piazzale della Pace”, one of the most famous square of the city of Parma.
You’ll find the “Pilotta”, with its open garden, a great place, where everybody can have a seat and enjoy the moonlight, drinking a beer and hanging out with friends during spring and summertime (the best time to visit Parma).
Where to stay in Parma
If you’re looking for the best places to stay in Parma, here are some hotels and B&Bs you might like:
Novotel Parma Centro: In the heart of Parma, the hotel offers well-equipped rooms, an on-site bar and restaurant, and private parking.
NH Parma: 10 minutes walk from the center, the hotel offers elegant and welcoming rooms, a great breakfast, and an international restaurant with an Italian wine tasting. 3 stars –
Hotel Button: In the city center, the hotel is located in a 19th-century building. The rooms have a refined style and are equipped with all the comforts, a generous breakfast. Possibility to use the private parking. The hotel also welcomes pets.
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