5 guides Updated September 29, 2026

Parma guides

Shortlists that agree with every verdict on the site

Shortlists of restaurants, hotels and cheap eats, the castles worth the drive, and what customs let you take home, written to agree with every page they link to.

A trattoria table with anolini in broth, tortelli, bread and two glasses of red wine

Where we would eat in Parma

Fifteen restaurants we would book, from a €10 plate of tortelli to a starred culatello menu, sorted by budget and occasion, with closing days. Plus the one we would skip, and why.

15 recommended, 1 skip From €10 tortelli to €180 menus 4 Bib Gourmand, 2 starred
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Trattoria del TribunaleTrattoria Ai Due PlataniBrisla Trattoria
The corner of a neatly made bed with white linen, pillows and a folded towel

The best hotels in Parma

Twelve hotels checked on the same two dates, sorted by budget and by the trip you are taking: on foot, by train, by car, for the opera or for a culatello dinner. Rates, parking and ZTL rules included.

12 hotels, same two dates Doubles from €78 to €424 ZTL and parking for each
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Hotel StendhalHotel ButtonPalazzo Dalla Rosa Prati
A crusty roll filled with prosciutto, half wrapped in brown paper

Cheap eats in Parma

The cheapest good food in Parma is a trattoria lunch plate, not street food: tortelli for €10 to €12, torta fritta for €3 to €4.50, a glass for €2 to €3. Every price here comes from a menu or a dated review.

Tortelli from €10, glasses €2-€3 Lunch menus beat street food Prices from menus, dated
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Osteria dei MascalzoniPepènTorta fritta
Floor-to-ceiling shelves of Parmigiano Reggiano wheels ageing in a dairy store

Buying Parmigiano and prosciutto to take home

Parmigiano can go to the US if you declare it; prosciutto, culatello and salami cannot, vacuum-packed or not. Britain bans EU cheese and pork in luggage. Where to buy, what it costs per kg, and how to pack it.

US: Parmigiano yes, declare it US: prosciutto and salami no UK: no EU cheese or pork
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Parmigiano ReggianoProsciutto di ParmaCulatello di Zibello
Green moat of the Rocca Sanvitale with the castle's round tower and Fontanellato's arcades

The castles of the Duchy of Parma

The circuit lists 38 castles and dozens of other places. Two are worth a special trip from Parma, four more are worth it in the right pairing, and the rest are for weekends when you are already nearby.

Two castles worth a special trip Tickets €6 to €15 Most need a car
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Castles of the Duchy in a dayTorrechiara CastleRocca Sanvitale, Fontanellato

Build the rest of the trip

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

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