Around Fidenza: make a day of it

What is there to see in Fidenza town?

The Duomo, the Cathedral of San Donnino: a Romanesque church of the 12th and 13th centuries with a sculpted facade by Benedetto Antelami and his workshop, and a stop on the Via Francigena pilgrim route.

It has three portals: on the right the portal of life, its columns resting on rams; on the left the portal of death, flanked by telamons; and in the centre a portal guarded by stylised lions, with reliefs of the life of San Donnino above. The crypt holds the saint's relics. The town itself was called San Donnino until 1927, when it took back its Roman name, Fidentia. Entry is free; the cathedral opens Monday to Friday 7:30 to 12:00 and 15:00 to 18:00, and Saturday and Sunday 8:00 to 12:00 and 15:00 to 19:00.

What is Salsomaggiore Terme?

A spa town 9 km from Fidenza station, famous for its Liberty architecture and the Terme Berzieri of 1923, which the Village echoes in its Berzieri area.

From Fidenza, a shuttle train takes about 7 to 10 minutes, and TEP buses run on the Salsomaggiore, Fidenza and Parma route. By car it is about 12 km from the Fidenza exit of the A1, according to the town's tourism office. Beyond the baths, look for the former Grand Hotel des Thermes, now the Palazzo dei Congressi.

Can you visit the spa at Salsomaggiore?

Yes: the QC Terme spa in the Palazzo delle Terme Berzieri sells day admission, $77 on GetYourGuide, with a towel, bathrobe and flip-flops included.

The listing gives opening hours of 9:00 to 23:00 from Sunday to Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday, which makes it an easy evening after shopping. It is not open to under 15s or pregnant women, and food, massages and treatments cost extra; bring swimwear. It has one review so far, rated 5.0: the guest describes two buildings, the historic one with saunas and steam baths and a former power plant with indoor and outdoor pools.

Warm pools and saunas in the Liberty Terme Berzieri, open until late: a slow evening after a day of shopping.

★ 5.0 1 review · 4 hours · from $77

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Where was Verdi born?

At Roncole, now Roncole Verdi, a hamlet of Busseto, on 10 October 1813. His birthplace is a small museum, open Tuesday to Sunday.

The Casa Natale opens 9:30 to 13:00 and 14:30 to 18:00 (last entry 12:30 and 17:30) and costs EUR 6. Combined tickets with the Teatro Verdi and the Casa Barezzi museum in Busseto cost EUR 15 to 22. There is no lift: the first floor is up a staircase with a handrail. Verdi is everywhere at the Village too, whose areas take the names of his operas, from Aida to Falstaff.

What is the Labirinto della Masone?

The world's largest bamboo maze, 7 hectares of it, created by the publisher Franco Maria Ricci at Fontanellato, with his art collection of more than 400 works; the ticket lets you go in and out all day.

It is at Strada Masone 121, Fontanellato, and closes on Tuesdays, 25 December and 1 January. Summer hours are 10:30 to 19:00 (last entry 17:30); from 1 November it opens 9:30 to 18:00 (last entry 16:30). The ticket ($25, rated 4.3 from 63 reviews) includes a discount at the nearby Rocca Sanvitale. One guest reports it took a little over an hour to find the way out.

A calm morning in the world's largest bamboo maze and an art collection, before an afternoon at the Village.

★ 4.3 63 reviews · Full day · from $25

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Which Parma food tours fit a Fidenza trip?

Two: the Parmigiano and Parma ham tour ($154, 4 hours, pickup in Parma, rated 4.9 from 954 reviews) and the Parmigiano, culatello and Verdi day ($245, 6 to 9 hours from Parma station, one review so far).

The culatello day meets at 8:30 at Parma station and visits a Parmigiano dairy, with a plate of anolini in brodo, then the Culatello Museum and a tasting in old cellars, with a look at Verdi's birthplace. The full-day options add the Teatro Verdi, the palace at Colorno or a walk by the Po. It is not suitable for people with reduced mobility. The Parmigiano and Parma ham tour is the most booked food tour in Parma. Our sister site FoodTour.Parma.it compares Parma's food tours in detail.

A working Parmigiano dairy and a family Parma ham maker in one morning, with pickup in Parma.

★ 4.9 954 reviews · 4 hours · from $154

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What about Parma itself?

Parma is about 22 km from Fidenza by rail, 10 to 26 minutes by train, and worth at least a day for its palaces, cathedral and Correggio's painted domes.

If you are staying in Parma, the Village is an easy half day: the train to Fidenza, then the station shuttle. For the city's museums, including the Palazzo della Pilotta and the Teatro Farnese, see our sister site Pilotta.Parma.it.

How do you fit it all into one day?

Pick one extra: the Duomo is the quickest, Salsomaggiore and the Labirinto need a car or a local train or bus, and a food tour means a morning in Parma before an afternoon at the Village.

• Maze, then shopping: the Labirinto in the morning, the Village in the afternoon; it is usually open until 20:00.
• Shopping, then spa: the Village by day, the QC Terme spa in the evening, open until 23:00 or later.
• Food, then shopping: the 4-hour ham and cheese tour from Parma, then the train to Fidenza and the shuttle.
• On the Shopping Express: it goes only to the Village and back to Milan at 17:00, so there is no time for extras; see Milan to Fidenza Village and Fidenza Village by train.

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