48 HOURS IN PARMA – The Petite Capitale & UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy (2 nights)

AVAILABLE: Monday to Sunday (except during Trade Fair periods)

 WHERE: Parma and its hillside (up to 40 km south-east) 

FROM: Tba

DURATION: 3 days – 2 nights 

TYPE OF TOUR: Private, country-chic, slow-pace, niche, gourmet, educational, top-notch 

TOUR TIME: Day 1: tba – Day 2: 08:30 am 

MEETING: Day 1: tba – Day 2: directly at dairy (if self-drive) / at your hotel (if car&driver) 

After so many web and paper articles on the most read travel magazines, this is now well-known throughout the world: Parma is the only town of Emilia Romagna listed among the UNESCO Sites for Creative Gastronomy. Besides, did you know that it was called The Petite Capitale during the 1700s thanks to its fame as an elegant, French-looking and pleasure-seeking town thus becoming one of the fundamental stops along the aristocratic Grand Tour of Europe?

Day 1             

Tba: Arrival in Parma and check-in at your hotel**** downtown.

  Tba: Meet our qualified guide and enjoy a 2-hour ½ slow-paced sightseeing walking tour of the town among the most iconic deli boutiques, pieces of general information, descriptions of the locals’ lifestyle, anecdotes about Parma’s legendary personalities and precious suggestions for shopping in the arts and crafts district. 

 And yes – you will also hear about the historical and artistic heritage of the petite Capitale: with its 1.000-year-old ensemble of Cathedral and Baptistery, its gracious Renaissance frescoes on the cupolas, the stunning wooden architecture of Teatro Farnese and the neoclassic Teatro Regio wrapped in the unmistakable yellow nuance called Giallo Parma, the town is a miniature summary of all the epochs and styles that have made Italy the fundamental stop of the European Grand Tour.

  Dinner: Welcome dinner at one of the typical restaurants downtown (3 courses, wine included).

Day 2

  08:30 am: Meet our guide and head on to visit an authentic producer of Parmigiano-Reggiano PDO: you’ll discover how the King of all cheeses has been literally made by hand in the same way since the Benedictine monks invented it 10 centuries ago! From the curdling into the typical copper heaters to the salting and the final ageing in the so-called wheel cathedrals, you will be a privileged witness of almost all the steps of production of this out-and-out food icon. Tasting at the end.

  To follow: Picture-stop at the medieval fortified village of Torrechiara dominated by its breathtaking castle: one of the most spectacular among the manors included in the Italian network called Castles of the Duchy, it dates back to the early Renaissance time and – with its gentle lines and the golden frescoes housed in the highest tower – it still represents the switch from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

  11:45 am: Guided visit with final tasting at one of the local family-run ham factories producing the mythical Prosciutto di Parma PDO: you will get to know why the best ham can only be made in the hills of Parma, where the marino wind blows from the Ligurian Sea through the river valley.

  12:30/45 pm: Full lunch based on the typical products of the area: Parmigiano, Prosciutto as well as other kind of local cold cuts, a typical stuffed pasta dish (tortelli di Parma), homemade cakes. All paired up with local wines like Lambrusco and Malvasia!

  02:15 pm: Transfer to the province of Reggio/Emilia.

  02:45 pm: Guided visit & tasting at a family-run production of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar PDO.

  03:45 pm: End of activities and back to hotel / head on to your next destination.

Day 3

Morning: breakfast and check-out.