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Parma or Piacenza

Aussie Greg

10+ Posts
Hello,
Would appreciate your thoughts please.
Have 3 nights to slot in on my trip in June 2025, between driving from Portovenere to Malpensa MXP via inland route.
Not coastal as have been to many places previously along that coast
I want to make only one stop, IE one place for 3 nights
Any town/small village suggestions please.
 
Hi Greg
Logistically Parma looks great, but also worth considering Reggio-Emilia (SS63, rather than SS62 turning at Aulla), as whilst a small city, has a more relaxed and less touristy feel than Parma, Bologna, Modena, so might fit the bill. That's not to downplay any of them (and they're not blighted by tourism) - they're all good choices. Also well worth exploring local villages nearby, and if they're on a bus route, that can allow you to leave the car parked up to head into the city - ideal on the day after you arrive to get a break from driving.

If getting all the transfer done in one go, then we've enjoyed the area around Ghemme/Gattinara.

The latter more generally interesting and easy on the eye, with very good food (especially risotto) and great wine, and very much fits the town size remit, but with options to stay in a nearby village.

We love Ghemme, but it's an odd little place, with a criss-cross of roads, but no traffic, as the bypass took that away. Not much to 'see', other than the historic centre and its church, plus some nice walking / cycle tracks nearby. 3-4 restaurants, a gelateria, a few bars, etc. plus some others restaurants in very easy driving distance (5-15 mins) However it has a lovely sociable feel to it and the place we stayed (Il Cavenago) is a lovely country estate with wonderful food (typically at weekends, but also on some weekdays subject to demand), so if at the end of a trip you might enjoy a less energetic few days, it might be ideal. It's a ~40 mins drive from the airport, so a stress-free last transfer option with the car.

Finally a more westwards option, and one we've not been to, but have been very tempted by - Tortona, home of the wonderful wine grape Timorasso, that was only recently saved from extinction, but which is really thriving now. The area looks lovely as well - or did when we watched the Giro d'Italia cycle through it a few years ago.
 
Either city would work well. My family is from the Parma region and on the Po River. Parma is a beautiful small city, with its Duomo, Baptistry, piazza. It would be a good central location for 3 days, but also an easy trip from Piacenza. Lots of interesting places nearby like the 12th century castle at Fontenellato, which used to have a wonderful antique fair and market on some sundays. I love castles BTW, so about 45 minutes north of Parma is a beauty, the castle/village at Vigoleno. Also fun is Castell'Arquatto and along the Po River, the lovely town of Sabbioneta.

Closer to Piacenza is a small city I love, Cremona, the home of Stradivari. It, too, is lovely and has a really interesting art museum that includes a Violin Museum dedicated to Stradivarius violins. It's fascinating to see his tools, patterns and masterpieces. There are still many luthiers making instruments in Cremona. If you're into music, Giuseppe Verdi, famous for his operas, also was born near the Po in a small town called Bussetto. Mantua is not too far as well. You would probably need a car, but check into the public transit if not. A word of warning, this area has numerous speed traps, especially in town centers. They look like grey metal boxes the size of a blue mailbox in the US.

The food in this area is amazing, as is the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, culatello, prosciutto. Amari, bittersweet liquers are typical products here as well. In the Piacenza area, Barnoglino, made from plums, is considered by my cousin as "mother's milk". Good luck with your decision making. Either location is an hour to an hour and a half from MXP. Not bad unless you don't plan for rush hour traffic. We'd prefer to stay our last night here than stay someplace (which is usually awful) near MXP. Usually, we fly out of Linate when visiting this area, which eliminates a half hour or so.
 
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