What to see near Parma in one day
Lovers of history (and not only them) will be pleased to learn about how to spend a day outside of Parma and what to see in the surrounding area. There are many castles, mountains and parks in the province. The easiest thing is to rent a car to visit all these places. If you book a car online, you will be entitled to a discount of 30%. From Parma you can take a bus to one of these three places: the Torrechiara Castle, the Fontanellato Castle, and the town of Colorno, where the Palazzo Ducale is located.
To discover how to get around Parma on public transport, please consult the pages on our site. Getting around by car is much more practical. In a day you can visit two or three places (see the map).
What to visit near Parma in a day
When time is short, you can only visit the main tourist places near Parma. The places that the tourist must visit first are described in detail on this site. See the section “Castles and Fortresses”, and the pages “Pietra di Bismantova” (Stone of Bismantova), “Park of the Hundred Lakes” (Parco dei Cento Laghi), “Il Labirinto” (The Labyrinth).
See hereunder what to visit in one day near Parma, in different directions.
Ancient fortresses to the west of Parma (XIV-XVI century)
Going west from Parma you can visit three castles: the Castle of Fontanellato, the Castle of Castell’Arquato and the Castle of Vigoleno. Moreover, on the road to Fontanellato, you can visit the largest green labyrinth in the world, the Labirinto della Masone (closed on Tuesdays). This itinerary will open up new sensations for you with its legends and stories.
The most beautiful and famous castles of Parma
If you choose this itinerary, you will visit three castles: the largest and most famous castle of Parma, Bardi, and two other worthy of note for the history of the region: Compiano and Varano de' Melegari.
A mountain vacation to the south of Parma
If it is a hot summer day and you are passionate about mountains, don’t miss out on visiting the Park of the Hundred Lakes. Take a detour while you are visiting the park and go to the Castle of Torrechiara, which is located along the road on the way to the park.
Or you can visit the famous Monte Pietra di Bismantova. And on the way back you can visit the castle of Torrechiara. This option will take half a day.
A day near Parma by public transport
To the north, near Parma, you can find the Castle of Fontanellato and the Palace of Colorno. You can take public transport to reach them (for more information see the pages of the locations). Furthermore, there is a special bus in Parma that goes to the labyrinth of Masone. If you are interested in visiting the largest labyrinth of bamboo in the world, read on for more information.
