10 Things To See And Do In Parma

This post actually lists eleven things to see and do in Parma. Italy is home to several hugely popular tourist destinations—Venice, Rome, and Florence, to name just a few. But there are also several Italian cities and towns that tourists tend to overlook, and Parma is one of them.

Let’s explore Parma, Italy, and review things to see and do in Parma. Parma is one of our favorite places. Before we get to our favorite things in Parma, let me tell you that there aren’t dozens of museums like you would find in Milan, Florence, or Rome. There aren’t as many churches as you would find in these same cities. But don’t let that stop you.

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But what Parma has over these three cities is charm. I don’t know if I could use another word to describe it. We loved Parma and its people. We also loved its location along the train route, making it a great destination to travel to Verona, Venice, and then down south to Bologna and Rimini. Here’s a great site for more information.

Let’s Begin: 10 Things to See and Do in Parma

1.  Palazzo della Pilotta

This structure was heavily bombed in WWII and has been rebuilt. Now it’s home to three museums: the National Gallery, Museum Bodoni, and the Archaeological Museum. Also within these walls are the Palatine Library and the Teatro (Theater) Farnese. It doesn’t look like much outside, but I plan to spend an entire day here as there is so much to see. This is just an amazing site built mainly out of wood.

 

2.  Cathedral di Parma

This Cathedral is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and is considered one of the finest examples of a Romanesque Cathedral in Italy. Construction began in 1059. Around 50 years later, it was completed, but an earthquake damaged it, and much of it had to be restored.

Sit in the pretty piazza and take it all in. We usually sit directly across from the front of the Duomo on the stone benches. Take a stroll around the perimeter of the building to fully appreciate its size, taking a good look at the façade, which dates back to 1178. When you’ve had your fill of the external view, head inside to appreciate the marvelous interior.

Make sure you don’t miss the spectacular fresco on the cupola (the dome’s interior) up at the front. Antonio da Correggio painted it in the 1500s and shows the Virgin Mary surrounded by angels and cherubs. It’s quite amazing.

The Cathedral is centrally located in the heart of the old town. It is a wonderful place to sit and enjoy a gelato while watching the people pass by. The piazza in front of the Cathedral is filled with river stones and makes walking through it difficult for women wearing stilettos. It also makes it sort of fun to watch. (I know, I’m bad for saying that!)

 

3.  Baptistery

This structure sits next to the cathedral and in the same piazza. The exterior has artwork, arches, and marble statues that are beautiful. The interior has separate frescoes that cover each part of the octagon. These frescoes were painted during the 13th and 14th centuries. This important structure blends the Romanesque style with early Gothic elements; it’s a highly unusual building. There is a fee to enter the Baptistery, but it is nominal and well worth it.

It has an octagonal structure covered with rounded and squared arches, four tiers of loggias, and incredibly ornate engravings and statuary dotted around the exterior doors. The first thing you’ll notice about this building will be its color. The baptistery is completely covered in a pale pink marble, which comes from nearby Verona.

Construction of the baptistery took over 100-years to complete, but it was worth the effort. Head inside to see an imposing marble baptismal basin, a painstakingly frescoed cupola, and a truly exceptional gallery.

4.  Parco Ducale

This large park in Parma is about 7.7 square miles (200 square meters) and is one of the main recreational places in Parma. Parma residents call this park “The Garden.” There are many statues throughout the park, along with a small snack shop, which makes a great place to sit, have a coffee, and meet up with friends.

Parco Ducale is situated within the Oltretorrente neighborhood (Oltretorrente literally means “over the river”—it’s the area across the River Parma from the city center). There are several paths that go through the park which makes it a great park to ride your bicycle. In the center of the park, surrounded by a pond is a beautiful statue. This statue in the center of the island is called the “Fontana del Trianon”. There are many turtles that call this pond “home.”

 

5.  Parco Cittadella

This amazing structure was built by the Duke of Parma for defensive purposes. It was later used as a barracks and as a prison for political crimes. The fortress, which is in its original pentagonal shape, has now been renovated and used as a public park. There are areas for children to play in and several sports fields. The main entrance of the structure is a facade made of Carrara marble. There are bicycle and walking paths that are a tier above the main area. This path circles the entire perimeter of the park. A great place to sit and relax and enjoy the day!

Things to See and Do in Parma Continues…

 6.  Puppet Museum

This small museum is all about puppets. It is named after puppeteer Giordano Ferrari who, in the 1930s, collected testimonies of the lives and works of generations of puppeteers. This is the Ferrari family collection. There are all forms of puppets, scripts, and marionettes to see. Some of this collection was obtained by gifts, and others were purchased. There are about 500 beautiful pieces in glass cabinets all made from different materials. Some of the puppets are carved from wood and others are made of paper mache. All have embroidered costumes with real gems. You can read more from one of our previous posts – Puppets

7.  Opera House

This opera house is one of the most renowned in Italy. It has been associated with many great composers, such as Giuseppe Verdi and Gioachino Rossini. This opera house holds four operas every season and a yearly Verdi Festival in October. We saw Il Trovatore at the 2016 Verdi Festival and it was fantastic! It was the first opera that I had ever seen. I thought at first that I would not understand the opera as it was in Italian. But to my surprise, they actually had “subtitles” in English! Yup… it was projected above the stage area onto the red curtain. I couldn’t believe it!

8.  Castello di Torrechiara

9.  Museo Glauco Lombardi

This museum’s location was once the home of the Empress Marie-Louise and the museum tells the story of Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife, Marie-Louise of Hamburg, through pictures and letters. The museum shows the life of the Emperor in a very different light than what we have all read in our school textbooks.

The Last Two Things to See and Do in Parma…

10. The Food Tours

After all, you are in the home of some of the best ingredients in Italian cuisine! We took a private day tour and saw how Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano–Reggiano cheese are made. It was a fantastic day with samples and lunch. I would ask for a recommendation from where you are staying as a good tour guide. A good tour guide is essential and we highly recommend, if you can afford it, to stay away from those “chartered bus” tours for this one. We have taken several bus tours in the past but we really were given some special privileges by just being the only guests on this particular private tour.

Alright… I’m Throwing in Another Thing to See and Do in Parma

Number 11 might be odd, but did you know that Parma is home to the largest maze in the world and it’s open to tourists? It’s a bit outside the historic center, but it’s easy enough to reach by an hour’s bus ride or about 20-minutes by car.

I bet you’re wondering just how large this maze is. Let me put it in some perspective: It’s over eight hectares, or the equivalent of sixteen American football fields.

 

In Conclusion…

There are so many restaurants to choose from and places just to have a “Spritz” and apertivo in the late afternoon. Enjoy Aperitivo in Piazza Garibaldi which is an open square in the city’s center, with the town hall and a governor’s palace as the main focal points.

Aperitivo is an Italian tradition. Anywhere from three to six o’clock, people all over the country will have left work and be finding a space at a bar for a drink and a snack. The specifics vary from region to region and even town to town. In Parma your choice of drink just might be a glass of local Lambrusco (a sparkling red wine) instead of a Spritz.

We truly enjoyed our 90-day stay with the wonderful people in Parma. There was truly so much to see and do in Parma. It is a trip we will never forget and we hope we were able to give you some ideas of places to visit on your trip to Parma, Italy.