If you want a long weekend full of culture and great food - Parma could be just what you're looking for and it doesn't have to cost a fortune!
Take the audio-walk that starts at the IAT office (Tourist Information) - where you will get a portable CD player and headphones. This will direct ... Read review
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...culture and great food - Parma could be just what you're looking for and it doesn't have to cost a fortune!
Take the audio-walk that starts at the IAT office (Tourist Information) - where you will get a portable CD player and headphones. This will direct you around the city, taking in different buildings and monuments - all the time listening to a soundtrack. At the end of the walk you will end up back where you started from and all you do ... ...a panini stuffed full of parma ham and a bottle of water from a local bakery was enough.
I managed to buy a local liquer called Nocino which is made from unripened walnuts and is a great aid for digestion - that's what one of the locals told me and I'm sticking to that version because it tastes delicious.
How to get there: we went by train from another town. But if you're going for a long weekend from the UK you can go with a low cost ... more
If you want a long weekend full of culture and great food - Parma could be just what you're looking for and it doesn't have to cost a fortune! Take the audio-walk that starts at the IAT office (Tourist Information) - where you will get a portable CD player and headphones. This will direct you around the city, taking in different buildings and monuments - all the time listening to a soundtrack. At the end of the walk you will end up back where you started from and all you do is return the CD player and headphones. All at no cost to you - other than about 50 minutes of your time. You can also buy a "Museum & Monuments Pass" as a cheaper option to see the city. There are three options that offer different themes: Music (EU5) , Imagination & Culture (EU5) and Music & Art (EU8). We went for the Imagination & Culture pass - which allowed us entrance to the Stuard Gallery, Ducal Palace, Puppet Museum and Palazzetto Eucherio Sanvitale - a bargain at 5 euros! My favourite was the Puppet Museum with it's collection of around 1500 puppets. As well as 400 scenes (theatre), 200 scripts and 400 books about the theatre and works of the 18th & 19th centuries. This collection has been collected by the Ferrari family since the 20's - in fact the museum is dedicated to Giordano Ferrari. As we were only visitors for the day we didn't eat in a local restaurant - a panini stuffed full of parma ham and a bottle of water from a local bakery was enough. I managed to buy a local liquer called Nocino which is made from unripened walnuts and is a great aid for digestion - that's what one of the locals told me and I'm sticking to that version because it tastes delicious. How to get there: we went by train from another town. But if you're going for a long weekend from the UK you can go with a low cost airline flying out of Stansted direct to the Giuseppe Verdi airport which is about 5km outside of Palma. From here there is either a bus service into Parma or you can get a cab. We have decided that we're going back to Parma for longer than one day and do it properly ie: stay at a hotel, eat at the local restaurants and see everything/anything we missed on our day trip. No budget next time!! Please note that I was not in Parma in the evening and though I have registered an "average" in Specific Criteria - this is just a guess.
You will fall in love with this city if your favourite colour is RED!
I visit this city during the summer.
As I was walking across the train station, both sides of the buildings are tall columns and antique style architecture. With mainly orange and red as the primary colors of the building decorative elements. Even the buses are red too! There are many leaning towers in Italy. You will also find the leaning twin towers here in Bologna too.
There is a good place to have lunch. it is in the market district. the price is reasonable and visitors that do not speak Italian can order the dish just by pointing. I enjoy the Parma Ham with cheese and sweet melon, I am in paradise! bottle of wine in italy is cheaper than bottle water. so i end up drinking wine for every meal. ...
heeheehaahaa 13.12.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Bologna (Italy)
Advantages: A real Italian city, without many tourists Disadvantages: Lots of students (but then that also adds to the charms of the city)
usually VERY cold in the winter, but by about April it begins to warm up. In July and August it can be unbearably hot and humid (which is why Italian cities tend to shut-down during the summer, and most locals leave the city to head to the coast during those months). And in October and November its vicinity to the Po River often means thick fog.
May, June, September and early October are usually ideal (but I can give no meteorological guarantees).
Perhaps most famous as the "gastronomic capital" of Italy (Bolognese sauce was invented here, as well as a number of pastas. In addition Parma ham, Parmesan Cheese, Balsamic Vinegar etc all hail from the nearby area), it is an ideal place for sampling some of the best food in Italy.
You don't have to spend a fortune - some of the best meals that I've had in Bologna have been in trattorie ...
annawalduck 16.02.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Bologna (Italy)
Advantages: Fantastic Scenery, wonderfully friendly locals, few tourists. Disadvantages: None
I am in two minds whether to write this review, having travelled all over Italy I have found a hidden gem and its always tempting to keep this kind of thing to yourself. However it deserves to be shared and discovered. Where am I talking about? The Appennines of Emilia Romagna. Most people only know the region of Emilia Romagna with regard to the main cities of the Po delta, namely, Modenna, Parma, Bologna and if you are a culture vulture maybe Ferrara and Ravenna. There is however so much more to this area of Italy than the cities and the food. So where shall I begin?
The Scenery
The Appennine region of Emilia Romagna, to the South of the Po Delta is an area of outstanding beauty and dramatic landscape. Unlike the Dolomites it does not have the dramatic main ridge, rather it has many ranges all at different angles over ...
innovation123 20.05.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of General: Italy
