Culture and the city

Stay: Villino di Porporano
On the outskirts of the city, this romantic bed and breakfast is surrounded by pretty gardens, where roses ramble over pergolas around the serene pool. Owner Elena holds the keys to the city and dishes out tips, makes reservations and even offers Italian cooking classes in her kitchen. Villino di Porporano, 43123 Parma

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Cheese: Parma2064
Parmigiano Reggiano production happens early and this award-winning maker turns out over 30,000 cheeses each year, using milk from five nearby family farms. Don a hairnet and a white lab coat as you tour the process, which ends with a tasting of different ages and varieties. Parma2064, 43036 Fidenza

Head to: Fidenza Village
It’s only 20 kilometres from Parma to Fidenza Village, with complimentary parking and plenty of electric charging points if you whizz over by car. Or take the train to Fidenza station in just 10 minutes, where there’s a shuttle bus to the Village – Parma2064 is right next door. Fidenza Village, 43036 Fidenza

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Shop: The Bridge
Although born in Florence, The Bridge looks to retro English satchels, bowling bags and briefcases for inspiration. All made from full-grain leathers that are vegetable tanned and polished until they’re buttery soft. The Bridge, Fidenza Village

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Lunch: Parma Menù
At the heart of the food valley, a trip to Fidenza Village is as much about eating as shopping. This chic bottega and osteria stars the best of local produce: platters of Parma ham, Parmigiano Reggiano tasting boards, pumpkin tortelli and tagliatelle carbonara, dished up with plenty of cheese. Parma Menù, Fidenza Village

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Personal Shopping: The Apartment
Looking for a wardrobe overhaul? An outfit for a special occasion? Fidenza Village’s Personal Stylists are on hand, and, even better, there are made-to-measure consultations at no charge. Simply book an appointment at least seven days in advance. The Apartment, Fidenza Village

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Aperitivo: Panino Giusto
As the sun begins to cast longer shadows across the Village, it may be time for only one thing: aperitivo. This sacred Italian ritual calls for a Spritz (try the Veneziano) and a heaving plate of antipasti. Panino Giusto, Fidenza Village

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Dinner: Brisla
A sharply contemporary take on the traditional trattoria that’s a refined riposte on local flavours. Don’t miss the tender pigeon cooked in rice and stuffed quail with porcini mushrooms and black truffle. Brisla, 43121 Parma

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Opera: Teatro Regio Smaller and more intimate than Milan’s La Scala, Parma’s opera house is just as opulent and special with its frescoed ceiling and exceptional acoustics. The pinnacle of the season is the Festival Verdi, held each autumn. Teatro Regio, 43121 Parma

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Back to: Villino di Porporano There are just six bedrooms to choose from here, each different – maybe a crystal chandelier above the bed or vines growing across the wallpaper – but all with antique furniture and fine Italian linens.

Pastries: Coce Bakery
This micro-bakery has an outsized reputation, scooping the title of Bakery of the Year in the prestigious 2026 Pane e Panettieri d’Italian guide by Gambero Rosso for its soft cinnamon rolls and meticulously made croissants. Coce Bakery, 43121 Parma

Art: La Galleria Nazionale The star here is Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘La Scapigliata’, an unfinished oil on wood drawing of an ethereal woman, but don’t miss masterpieces by Parma’s own Renaissance man, Correggio. It’s all part of the culturally heavyweight Pilotta Palace complex. La Galleria Nazionale, 43121 Parma

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Library: Palatine Library
Next door to the gallery, this impressive library is a hushed place of towering oak bookcases, library ladders and the smell of leather-bound volumes. Today, it holds more than 700,000 printed works, including biblical manuscripts. Palatine Library, 43121 Parma

Marvel at: Farnese Theatre
Also part of the Pilotta, this wooden theatre is a painstaking reconstruction of the original, built in the seventeenth century for Duke Ranuccio Farnese, who staged naval battles with mock ships on wheels. Farnese Theatre, 43121 Parma

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Lunch: Meltemi
On a tiny square, with tables that spill out onto the terrace under white umbrellas, this popular restaurant serves fish every which way: carpaccios and tartares, soups and sashimis, in pastas and atop celeriac cream. Meltemi, 43121 Parma

Books: Libreria Fiaccadori
If the Palatine Library put you in the mood for an afternoon browsing books, here’s the place to induce your inner bibliophile. Think tables and shelves stacked with novels, art tomes, local history guides and more. Libreria Fiaccadori, 43121 Parma

Maps: Oliva Stampe Antiche
From bibliophiles to cartophiles, this time-capsule of a store – founded in 1897 – is filled with old prints, drawings, globes and photographs. Oliva Stampe Antiche, 43121 Parma

Antiques: Invento di Valentina Bontardelli
Owner Valentina has a magpie eye for collectables and antiques, which run from Murano lamps to ‘70s advertising signs, bamboo sofas to nineteenth-century ceramics. Invento di Valentina Bontardelli, 43121 Parma

Ham stop: Ruliano Perex Suctum This collaboration between the Ruliano ham producers and three-Michelin-star chef Heinz Beck is one of the smartest places to nibble on the region’s famous prosciutto. Ruliano Perex Suctum, 43121 Parma

Dinner: Ai Due Platani Book ahead to snag a table at this trattoria among the fields on the fringes of Parma. It’s famed for its tortelli, but leave room for when they wheel over the gelato cart, churned the old-fashioned way in a 1964 Carpigiani and served straight from the machine. Ai Due Platani, 43121 Coloreto

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