12 day trips Updated September 29, 2026

Day trips from Parma

Castles, Verdi's town and Modena, with the train or the drive

Torrechiara, Fontanellato and the Labirinto, Busseto, Colorno, Soragna, Modena and Bologna, with the train fare or the drive and the ticket at the gate.

Square towers and outer walls of Torrechiara Castle against green hillsWorth it

Torrechiara Castle

The best castle within reach of Parma, and the only one you can do cheaply by bus. The Camera d'Oro, the hours that catch people out, and how to add the prosciutto museum in Langhirano.

€8, free under 18 Closed Mondays 20 km (12 miles) south of Parma
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Pairs well with

The Parma HillsProsciutto house visit in LanghiranoRocca Sanvitale, Fontanellato
Bamboo maze of the Labirinto della Masone with its brick pyramid behindIt depends

Labirinto della Masone

Franco Maria Ricci's bamboo maze near Fontanellato: €20 for the maze, an eccentric art collection and a temporary show. Worth it with a car and a dry afternoon; hard work without one.

€20, €16 under 26 Closed Tuesdays 21 km (13 miles), no bus to gate
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Is the Labirinto della Masone worth it?Rocca Sanvitale, FontanellatoParma in 3 days
Rocca Sanvitale in Fontanellato mirrored in its moat under a clear skyWorth it

Rocca Sanvitale, Fontanellato

A moated castle in the middle of a small town, with one of Parmigianino's finest rooms and a working camera obscura. An easy half day by bus, and the natural partner to the Labirinto.

€12 full route Closed Tuesdays (not Apr–May) 22 km (13 miles) north-west
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Labirinto della MasoneRocca Meli Lupi, SoragnaCorreggio and Parmigianino walk
Piazza Verdi in Busseto with the Rocca Pallavicino clock tower and arcaded housesIt depends

Busseto and Verdi's country

Verdi's home ground: the theater named after him, the merchant's house where he first played in public, and the inn where he was born. Villa Verdi at Sant'Agata stays shut. A good day for opera lovers, by train or car.

€15 for all three Verdi sites Closed Mondays 32 min direct at 9:27 a.m.
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Festival VerdiMusic walk: Verdi, Toscanini, PaganiniThe Bassa and the Po
Modena Cathedral, the Ghirlandina tower and Palazzo Comunale on Piazza GrandeWorth it

Modena

The easiest big day trip from Parma: a UNESCO cathedral and tower, the Ferrari museum near the station, balsamic vinegar, and the honest price of a meal at Osteria Francescana.

29 min, €6.30 regional Ghirlandina €6, book a slot Francescana menu €350
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Traditional balsamic vinegar tastingBolognaParma or Bologna as a base?
San Petronio basilica and the Palazzo dei Banchi arcades on Bologna's Piazza MaggioreIt depends

Bologna

Emilia's capital is an hour away by a cheap regional train. How to do it in half a day from Parma, which trains to take, what is free, and the leaning-tower closure that changes the classic plan.

58 min, €8.50 regional 21 min on foot to the center Half a day is enough
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Parma or Bologna as a base?ModenaParma as a day trip from Bologna or Milan
Yellow facade and twin towers of the Reggia di Colorno ducal palaceIt depends

Reggia di Colorno

The summer palace of the Farnese, the Bourbons and Marie Louise, north of Parma towards the Po. Rooms, a ducal chapel, a free French garden, and one of the easiest train trips from the city.

€10 audioguide, €12 guided 16 min, €2.70 from Parma The garden is free
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Al VèdelThe Bassa and the PoMarie Louise, the Duchess who made Parma
Brick facade and classical portal of the Rocca Meli Lupi in SoragnaIt depends

Rocca Meli Lupi, Soragna

A princely castle still owned and lived in by the Meli Lupi family, with gilded early Baroque rooms seen on a guided tour. Plus an update most guides miss: the Parmigiano Reggiano museum left Soragna in June 2026.

€15, or €20 with the park Guided tours only Closed non-holiday Mondays
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Rocca Sanvitale, FontanellatoBusseto and Verdi's countryThe Food Museums (Musei del Cibo)
Cremona's Torrazzo bell tower and marble Cathedral facade on Piazza del ComuneIt depends

Cremona

Stradivari's city across the Po in Lombardy: the violin museum and its live auditions, a 502-step bell tower, and a train connection that needs planning.

Violin museum €14 58 min direct at 9:27 a.m. Museums shut Mondays
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Pairs well with

Busseto and Verdi's countryModenaFestival Verdi
The broad Po river at Sissa Trecasali with fishing boats on the bankIt depends

The Bassa and the Po

Zibello, Polesine and the Po embankments: the foggy flatlands that make Culatello di Zibello. A museum in a riverside castle, a free village theater and the long lunch that is the real reason to go.

About 40 km (25 miles), by car Culatello museum €7 Come for lunch
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Culatello di ZibelloCulatello cellar tastingAntica Corte Pallavicina
Ornate Art Nouveau facade of the Terme Berzieri spa in Salsomaggiore TermeIt depends

Salsomaggiore Terme

The spa town in the hills west of Parma, whose 1923 Terme Berzieri reopened in December 2025 after a €44 million restoration. Now a day spa with rooftop pools, priced from €48 to €68.

Spa entry from €58 No under-14s in the spa €4.50, change at Fidenza
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Fidenza VillageTorrechiara CastleWine tasting in the Colli di Parma
Shop facades and a mock crenellated tower in the Fidenza Village outlet centreSkip it

Fidenza Village

The designer outlet off the A1 between Parma and Milan: what 'up to 70%' means, how to get there without a car (taxi), and the Romanesque cathedral in Fidenza town that most shoppers never see.

Daily 10 a.m.–8 p.m. 28 km (17 miles), free parking 11 min to Fidenza, then taxi
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Is Fidenza Village worth it?Salsomaggiore TermeLabirinto della Masone

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Everything else on the site, with what is in it.

Sights 15 Experiences 12 Events 7 Walks 6 Areas 6 Hotels 12 Restaurants 16 Local food 12 Bars 6 Plan 8 Itineraries 6 Worth it? 8 Guides 5 Articles 4