When to visit Parma

Visiting Parma in winter (December - February)

The Christmas illuminations, with garlands of many colors, begin on December 8 as the people of Parma prepare for this important day, the most important feast day in Italy. You can breathe the spirit of Christmas in every street! The Christmas markets also start at this time and last until the end of the year. You can try the traditional dishes of various countries at these markets.

In January and February, the numbers of tourists to Parma are much lower, which is not surprising since it is not the place where you can admire winter landscapes, and snow is a rare event. And even if it does snow, it all melts in a couple of days.

Visiting Parma in spring (March to May)

The tourist season in Parma begins at the end of March. This is perhaps the best time to visit the city. In fact, spring in Parma is sunny and warm, ideal weather conditions for visiting the city and its surroundings!

The best month to visit Parma is May, when it still isn’t too hot. You can also walk quietly around the city because there are less tourists than in summer.

Visiting Parma in summer (June - August)

This is peak tourist season. The summer in Parma is very hot and humid, so we advise you to make a trip out of town on the hottest days. You could go to the park of the Hundred Lakes, for example, where the sun isn’t as strong, and the landscape is very lovely! Read about what to see in the surroundings of Parma in the section “Near Parma”.

Keep in mind that most of the residents go on vacation in August. Thus, many restaurants and bars of Parma will be closed and the city itself will be half empty, especially in August, even if this has its advantages: less people around makes it easier to visit places of interest.

Visiting Parma in autumn (September - November)

The Festival of Ham (Festival del prosciutto) is held in Parma during the first half of September. On weekends, for three weeks, you can visit places where ham is produced free of charge, and you will be shown how the world-famous Prosciutto di Parma is made. And there will also be free sampling! More information is available on the official website of the festival: www.festivaldelprosciuttodiparma.com

From mid-October there is a lot of rain and fog in Parma and you might well consider that the tourist season is over. Thus, we advise you not to visit Parma in November.

Temperature and weather in Parma month by month

Below is a table which shows the average air temperatures and the amount of rainfall over the last ten years. Of course, data changes from year to year, so no one really knows how it will be next year.