10 Best Things to Do and See in Parma
Exploring Parma on foot is one of the best ways to feel the city’s atmosphere, connect its landmark places and discover its neighbourhoods at a more natural pace.
In this guide, you will find the attractions not to miss when planning a walking route in Parma, with simple reference points.
To go further, you can also enjoy a private guided tour in Parma. It is a smoother way to connect places, understand details you might miss on your own and enjoy a more human, personal discovery adapted to your trip.
1. Parma Cathedral
Parma Cathedral combines a Romanesque exterior with a richly decorated interior. On Piazza Duomo, it offers frescoes, a painted dome, and a major artistic heritage.
2. Parco della Cittadella
Parco della Cittadella is a green space closely tied to the urban history of Parma. Its name recalls the site’s former defensive role, while today it is a park for walks and breaks in the city. With lawns, paths and open views, visitors can experience the meeting of fortification history and a modern public space.
3. Parco Ducale
Parco Ducale is one of Parma’s major green spaces, valued for its size and peaceful atmosphere right in the city. Visitors can explore a structured city park with wide avenues, shaded areas, and broad lawns that create an orderly landscape. Close to the center, it offers an interesting view of the balance between designed nature and Parma’s urban life. Its daily use also shows its role as a place to relax, pass through, and take a breath for locals and visitors alike.
4. Teatro Regio
Teatro Regio in Parma is a must-see for anyone interested in Italy’s musical heritage. Located in the historic centre, it immediately evokes the world of opera and the central role performing arts play in the city’s life. The theatre’s architecture, interior volumes and atmosphere reflect the prestigious purpose of this kind of building, designed for performance and listening. A visit also helps place Teatro Regio within Parma’s urban landscape, between culture, history and city life. It is an essential landmark for understanding the local artistic identity.
5. Governor’s Palace
Governor's Palace is one of those places that reveals Parma through its civic and historic spaces. Set on Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, it stands in the middle of an urban ensemble shaped for centuries by public buildings. Visitors discover a palace linked to the representation of power, framed by an old square setting. Its appeal lies in both its historical role and its presence in Parma’s city center, where administrative memory, heritage architecture and urban continuity meet.
6. Monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi
The monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi, set on Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi in Parma, stands out for its commemorative character in a lively central square. It highlights Garibaldi’s importance in Italian history while showing how Parma blends national memory with everyday life. The square itself adds to the appeal, with the monument embedded in an urban setting shaped by traffic, façades and public use in the historic center.
7. Basilica of Santa Maria della Steccata
The Basilica of Santa Maria della Steccata is one of Parma’s best-known religious sites. Inside, visitors discover a place of worship rich in history, where monumental architecture meets artistic and liturgical details. The basilica’s central location on Strada Giuseppe Garibaldi makes it an ideal stop for travelers exploring Parma’s historic center, with a strong link to the city’s heritage and sacred traditions.
8. National Gallery of Parma
The National Gallery of Parma offers a rich look at Italian art through a collection housed in the Pilotta complex. Visitors discover paintings, drawings, and works spanning several centuries, with a special focus on the artistic traditions linked to Parma and its region. The setting is just as impressive, giving the collections extra historical depth. The visit highlights both the evolution of artistic styles and Parma’s place in Italian visual culture.
9. Baptistery of Parma
The Baptistery of Parma is one of the most striking monuments on Piazza Duomo. Its pink marble exterior, octagonal shape and immediate proximity to the cathedral make it a major landmark in the historic center. Inside, the space reveals richly sculpted architecture, dominated by the dome and decoration that draws the eye upward. The site combines religious function and artistic value, offering a clear view of medieval art in Parma.
10. Parco di Piazzale Lubiana
Parco di Piazzale Lubiana is a neighborhood park in an urban area of Parma, near Piazza Lubiana. It offers a green break from the architecture and traffic of the area, bringing a calm note to the residential fabric. This place is best discovered as a quieter corner of the city, where the relationship between green spaces and daily neighborhood life becomes clear. Its simplicity is part of its appeal, reflecting a daily, practical presence in Parma’s cityscape.
Antony M
During my travels, I looked for guides who spoke my language. This search turned out to be long and tedious. That is why I created MYTOGU (My Tourist Guide): a matching site between tourists and professional tourist guides.
