Parma
 

Has anyone been to Parma? Was it worth it? My friend wants to do a day trip from Venice or Lake Garda, don't know which would be best. Also, any insight on train vs. car? Thanks...

I was there last summer. It has a nice Duomo square where we stay in renovated suites above an old private palace facing the square (Pallazo della Rosa Prati). There is a livelier square, I believe it's called Piaza Garibaldi (or Republica, not sure), comfortable ducal palace garden, a few museums that we didn't have time to enter. We had a great time, more in terms of comfort, food and strolling rather than seeing monuments. The wives had a great time shopping.

Parma is a wonderful town for art lovers: three splendid churches, the baptistry of the duomo one of the most important examples of the Romanesque style in northern Italy, the baroque ducal theatre. Atmospherically, though, I experienced it as a rather dead place, with surprisingly few restaurants, bars and so on (part of it may have been due to the fact that I've been there in August).
However, it's certainly not a place for a day trip from Venice (by far too distant); from Lake Garda, it may be doable, but certainly inconvenient, too.

Parma is definately worth a trip. We were pleasantly suprised. There are some beautiful delis there.

People who rave about how good the food is in Italy should go to Parma -- then they'd really swoon. Great food is KING there. It's a delightful town as well, and way more residential than tourists.