There’s a different feel in Parma, that town in Emilia-Romagna noted for such culinary masterpieces as Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma. Traveling northern Italy’s 2,000-year-old Via Emilia, Parma sits as a distinguished jewel midway between Milan and Bologna. These days, the Via’s original Roman name has been traded for a more utilitarian one — the SS9 — which allows easy bypass around the ancient town. But “easy” doesn’t always equate to the best choice.  

Feet on the ground in Parma is always a good idea. An immediate elegance is apparent in her refined architecture, noticeably more neoclassical…even bourgeois. Dare we say, a French feel? Not an incorrect assumption for this important Italian city. French influence is abundant here, and hence – Parma’s nickname of “Italy’s Little Paris.”