Giada's Guide to Parma  

Nowhere is the city’s Little Paris nickname more apt than at this historic café with its graceful, old-world interior and dazzling crystal chandelier. Start your day here with a relaxed cappuccino or stop in for an afternoon spritz to enjoy a taste of classic Parma.

Photo Credit: Moca Cafe Store

For a pick-me-up while strolling Strada della Repubblica, one of the city’s biggest shopping streets, pop into this charming café hung with twinkling lights. They focus on newer specialty coffee drinks that can be hard to find in traditional Italian coffee bars (iced coffee lovers, they’ve got your back!).

When sightseeing near the Duomo calls for gelato, there’s one clear choice: this avant-garde shop where visionary Stefano Guizzetti works his magic. With pure, locally sourced ingredients and a focus on sustainability, this shop turns out incredible flavors from classic gianduja to “quasi cheesecake” with robiola cheese and raspberry jam.

In the historic heart of the city, this neighborhood wine bar serves delicious snacks and panini with, of course, a vast selection of local wine. Sit outside on the pedestrian plaza and people-watch with a plate of parmigiano reggiano and prosciutto and a glass of lambrusco for a perfectly Parma experience.

For nearly 100 years, this cozy restaurant tucked inside a residential building has been serving local specialties with charm. Try the tortelli di erbette, stuffed with ricotta and hearty greens like Swiss chard or spinach, and during the fall and winter months they’re known for the peasant classic bollito misto, a hearty boiled meat dish, which is sliced and served tableside with a flourish. It’s a convenient lunch stop on the way to the Parco Ducale.

Carnivores can’t miss this rustic osteria on a quiet piazza facing the Parma river. Step through the old-fashioned stone-and-wood-lined dining room to eat outside, where a cast-iron grill cooks carefully selected cuts of meat from across the region. Choose from local black pigs, lamb, and much more to get stamps on your “passport,” a fun souvenir of your meal.

This third-generation osteria about a half-hour outside the city on the road to Modena is a local favorite run by chef Cristina Cerbi. Handmade pastas are her specialty, and you can’t go wrong with any of them, from cappelletti in brodo to hearty caserecce ragù. After your meal, take a tour of the old stone cellar, where their own prosciutto, salami, and culatello hang to age among the wine bottles.

Dreamed up in the 16th century by Duke Ottavio Farnese to surround his lavish home, this gorgeous 50-acre garden is a welcome green space in the heart of the city. With tree-lined paths and a picturesque lake, it’s a great spot to enjoy an after-lunch stroll.

Commonly known simply as the Duomo di Parma, there’s no way to miss this grand cathedral at the heart of the historic city center. First constructed in the 11th century, its interior is a frenzy of Renaissance painting, from the jaw-dropping dome by Correggio to the storytelling cycle that lines the nave. Stunning artistry covers every corner of this building, which is free for visitors to enter.

Just across from the Duomo, this building where centuries of baptisms have been performed is just as stunningly decorated as the church, with intricate statuary and reliefs depicting, among other things, the 12 months of the year, saints, and mythological creatures like unicorns and gryphons. Quieter than the Duomo, it’s well worth the ticket cost to see the amazing craftsmanship up close.

A cloistered, still-active monastery, this church was an early supporter of a young Correggio, who painted multiple frescoes here before he was commissioned to decorate the nearby Duomo. His dome here is truly spectacular and a must-see for any art enthusiast. The monks’ former apothecary here has been restored and is now a fascinating museum in its own right.

This historic compound houses a number of important museums, including the Bodoni, dedicated to ancient printing and typography, the 18th-century Palatine Library, a museum of archeology, and a gallery stocked with Renaissance art. Also on the property is the grand wooden theater Teatro Farnese, built in 1619 and considered to be the first modern playhouse. Check the opening hours on the website before you go, as the compound closes somewhat early in the day.

Parma is famous for its prosciutto, but another cured meat truly captures the soul of the area: culatello. Made from the thigh of local black pigs, which are now being painstakingly revived after near-extinction, it’s meltingly tender and flavorful and can only be found here. Learn about its history and taste for yourself at this lovely museum on a 14th-century farm outside the city. Extend your stay overnight at the 13-room hotel on the property so you can indulge in an incredible dinner at their Michelin-starred restaurant, Antica Corte Pallavicina.