Parma

Friday, 6pm

Check in at the four-star Palace Maria Luigia (www. palacemarialuigia.com).

8pm

Dine at Borgo20 (www.borgo20.it) where the menu uses local pork, ham and cheese. From around €40 each.

Saturday, 10am

Saturday is market day along Strada Matteo Renato Imbriani, so browse the stalls for tasty treats. This is the place to buy your Parmesan.

12:30pm

Porky treats dominate the menu in most Parma eateries, so it’s easy to forget that the Adriatic is nearby. F.I.S.H. ( www.loveitalianfish.it) makes the most of it and offers cost effective eating at around €20 a head.

2pm

Visit the Palazzo della Pilotta, where a 17th century complex houses the collection of the Galleria Nazionale. (www.gallerianazionaleparma.it).

4pm

For a change of pace, discover the work of Parma-born impressionist Amedeo Bocchi at the Museo Bocchi (www.museobocchi.it).

7:30 pm

Pre-theatre dinner at Gallo d’oro (www.gallodororistorante.it). Three courses, featuring highlights like crêpes with porcini mushrooms or pesto di cavallo (horsemeat tartare) cost from around €25.

8:30pm

Take in opera by Verdi or Puccini, jazz, ballet or classical music at the Teatro Regio di Parma (www. teatroregioparma.org).

Sunday, 10am

Soak up architectural heritage on the Piazza Duomo, flanked by the 11th century Bishop’s Palace and the cathedral with its frescoes (www. piazzaduomoparma.com/en/ cattedrale).

Midday

Lunch on prosciutto and other cold cuts while sipping a prosecco-based cocktail at Tcafé, a café-bar that blends contemporary vibe with the elegance of an aristocratic townhouse (www.palazzodallarosaprati.it/tcafe).

3pm

Close your eyes and inhale to make the most of your visit to Agricola Giansanti (www.agricolagiansanti.it) where great wheels of Parmesan are lovingly aged to perfection. The tour and tasting lasts 90 minutes.

8pm

For your grand culinary finale, dine at Cocchi (www.ristorantecocchi.it). Expect to pay around €45 each. ■

Easyjet flies from Edinburgh to Milan, about 90 mins from Parma. Ryanair flies to Bologna. Kirker Holidays tel: 020 7593 2288, www.kirkerholidays.com, offers three nights B&B at the Palace Maria Luigia from £638 per

person, including flights and airport transfers. Parma tourist office, www. turismo.comune.parma.it