Help me decide...Parma or Modena from Bologna?
 

We will have time for one day trip and can't decide between the two. Which would you recommend and why?

They're all in a row and easy to reach by train. From Bologna we took a day trip to Parma. We thought about jumping off in Modena as well but decided not to. We loved Parma, and found a little chheese shop where the guy explained all about the different kinds of Parm. You can buy some and have them shrink wrap it so that you can take it home.

have only been to Parma and like sandi thoroughly enjoyed it - was much more interesting than i expected for the typical northern Italian towns.

PARMA but that is just my opinion. Agree with Sandi on the cheese. Get it shrink wrapped.

Another vote for Parma. The Consorzio di Parmigiano can arrange a tour of a cheese factory. I had a tour that began around 8 AM, and it ended with samples of various ages of Parmigiano cheese and wine at 10:30! Wine at 10:30 AM! Only in Italy!

Regardless of which city you choose though, make sure to read up on what day the city closes down. Modena absolutely shuts down on Thursdays (I think Bologna does too), but Parma IIRC was open.

Modena has more "stereotypical Italy" things to see/do like the Ferrari museum, Luciano Pavarotti, aceto balsamico di Modena (definitely NOT the $4.99 brown gunk you buy at Costco), but Parma is a much better place to sit back, relax, and watch the world go by.

or scarp the cities and head for the Certosa of Pavia - a three-star Michelin site and one of Italy's finest eccleisiastical extravaganzas. Tours led by cranky monks when we went - kind of like the traditional old Catholic school teachers - sssssh! Buses from Pavia or a train station about a mile away.

sandi_travelnut --

Do you remember the name/address of the cheese shop? It sounds like a slice (no pun intended) of heaven.

Thanks.

why yes I do! I just happen to have taken a business card. First, when you exit the train station, walk straight ahead a block or so, past a fountain that's covered with vegitation. Keep walking straight only a few blocks and the shop is on the corner. The young man that owns the store (Andrea Baroni) speaks many languages and answered all of our questions. He was very nice.

The name of the shop: Andrea Baroni - Seleziontore di Salumi E Formaggi

the address is: via Verdi n6C, 43100 Parma

Tel: 0521 1851188

Here's a couple of pics of the shop and of Parma

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...0&y=nb5ug9

I also LOVED Parma. It wasn't just because of the cheese and prosciutto (although that helped!!). It was just the perfect sized city to enjoy for one day (although we did stay overnight)

t

Hi T,

Do you prefer ham and cheese or Balsamic vinegar?

((I))

I've been to both and really enjoyed both. Modena is more subtle & life is also slower so you need more time to acclimate yourself to enjoy the town. The restaurants in Modena however are better in our experience. Parma is more colorful so I would also recommend Parma for a daytrip. The Piazza Garibaldi has plenty of touristy type restaurants, lots of colorful streets, full of commerce. The tree covered garden at the ducal palace offers a nice oasis. The Duomo piazza and surrounding is less commercial, however there is a wonderful cheeseshop just behind the Duomo and also a famous gelato shop just 2-3 blocks away,easy to spot as there tends to be a line.

Just a small note: The cheese does not have to be shrink-wrapped to bring into the US.