Explore on foot squares, shops and historic buildings, board a shuttle bus to admire the “high lands” and the “low lands”, the hills and the plain, meet the producers and their secrets, test yourself in the kitchen learning to Making tortelli from a chef, passing from a sensory laboratory to a tasting: Parma flavors and aromas are at the center of a series of immersive experiences organized by “Parma City of Gastronomy”.
Food is a universal language: around the table, through taste, emotions are shared and ideas are expressed. And in Parma, the UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy, there are so many “conversations” possible, that is the chance to savor, in company, a world of delicate and unique sensations. At the center we find the initiatives related to the product club of the Municipality Parma City of Gastronomy: producers and tourism operators who have created a calendar of gastronomic adventures for tourists and enthusiasts. From April to October, every day of the week it is possible to take guided tours (booking also last minute) in bilingual, Italian and English versions. Routes in the city and in the province to be done on foot or by shuttle bus – always in a sustainable way – or cooking experiences, proposals that celebrate beauty in all its forms: landscape, culture, music, architecture, history and of course the food.
In town
A format as simple as capable of reaching the essence, the heart of the city. This solution allows you to join, on a guided tour on foot, the symbolic places of the city, with a tour that includes Piazza Garibaldi, Piazza della Steccata, Teatro Regio, Palazzo della Pilotta, Church of Santa Lucia, Via Cavour, Piazza del Duomo and Baptistery. The tour ends in front of the Palazzo Rosa Prati where tourists will enjoy an aperitif and can buy local products in the TGusto shop, which offers quality gastronomic specialties. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning from 17 to 19. Organized by Maestro Travel Experience.
Parma is a crossroads of roads, stories and secrets to travel, tell and enjoy. The best way to immerse yourself in this reality is to travel on foot, in the company of a local guide, following a special map that leads through small family-run shops, places frequented by the “parmigiani doc”, such as historical patisseries, bars, street food, historic grocery stores. Not forgetting to admire the most important monuments of the city, such as the Cathedral and its Baptistery, the Palazzo della Pilotta, the churches of San Giovanni and Steccata and much more. From April to October (with exceptions) Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 4pm to 7pm. The tour does not take place on April 25th, May 1st, June 2nd, August 15th. Organized by Food Valley Travel.
Sunday mornings is the best time to indulge in a greedy walk in the historic center. The rhythms slow down and you can enjoy the beauty of the city more calmly, walking among the artistic beauties and lingering in the shops where you can make your own gourmet purchases. The ideal time for a guided tour with 7 Star Travel and Tourism, among the gastronomy of the old town and the old shops. At the end of the visit, a tasty savory breakfast with typical local products. Every Sunday, from 10.00 to 12.30 approximately. Organized by 7 Stelle Viaggi e Turismo.
Dedicated to those who love to put their hands in dough: every day a local chef offers an authentic experience of Italian cuisine, including dough, pans and good mood. The best way to learn the secrets of the typical menu of Parma is to get to work, roll up your sleeves and have fun in company, kneading and mixing ingredients under the supervision of an expert. Among the recipes, do not miss the classical tortelli , the stuffed pasta with ricotta and herbs, the fresh tagliatelle, all delicacies to taste just made, paired with excellent local wines. A free apron and a diploma of participation. From Monday to Friday, from 16.00 to 18.00. Organized by Maestro Travel Experience.
Around Parma
The Parma plain is the cradle of an age-old agri-food tradition. The Lowlander tour explores the “low lands”: aboard a minivan, you leave for a Parmigiano Reggiano cheese factory, a family-run farm, the “medieval” maturation cells of the Culatello di Zibello, dated 1100, and of a local winery combined with a small winery that picks grapes by hand and does not use pesticides. Visitors will live an immersive experience, discovering the secrets of the producers and tasting wine, grappa, cheese and cold cuts. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9.00am to 2.00pm. Organized by Food Valley Travel.
The tour of the “high lands”, the Apennine hills with a cool and dry climate, which is influenced by the proximity of the sea, is an immersion in the production areas of the main specialties of Parma. Every Tuesday and Thursday a shuttle bus takes visitors through a real “treasure hunt”: you enter in a cheese factory of Parmigiano Reggiano, in an acetaia in the province of Reggio Emilia or Modena and in a cold cuts factory. A program full of surprises, including sensory laboratories and tastings, which allows you to get in touch with the artisans of taste, discovering how these masterpieces have been created for centuries, very different, for quality, from what is found in a common supermarket . Tuesday and Thursday from 8.30 to 13.30. Organized by Food Valley Travel.
Behind the products of Parma, famous all over the world, there is the commitment of generations of artisans. To know their story in person, you can board the Tastybus, a small bus that takes visitors every day to discover the places where these works of art are born. Two formulas: half day and full day. The “menu” includes a visit to the places of production and processing – with tastings – of Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma in the morning, followed by a light lunch based on local excellences. Those who choose the whole formula are reserved, in the afternoon, a visit to an ancient vinegar factory where the precious Traditional Balsamic Vinegar is produced. Every day from 9.30 to 13.30 approximately, or from 9.30 to 16.30 approximately. Organized by Maestro Travel Experience.
We are in Langhirano, in the hills of Parma, or along the ancient road of Parma Ham: the proposal “Food From Love” focuses on visits to food companies and one of the most beautiful treasures of the province, the Castle of Torrechiara, built 600 years ago. A manor that dominates an enchanted landscape, between hills and rows, where excellent products are born. a guide accompanies visitors on a journey in stages, from the dairy where Parmigiano Reggiano is produced to the ham factory where you can taste Parma Ham, and finally in the medieval village and in the castle. Worthy conclusion, a tasting of local wines of the Colli di Parma and typical products of the Apennines, such as savory patties of herbs and potatoes, fresh cheeses of local pastors, typical sweets of the hills and liqueurs. Every day from 9.00 to 13. Organized by Assapora Appennino.
