Huge penthouse in lively, beautiful Parma home swap

Our home is an enormous penthouse apartment (200sqm) located in a lush green area 200m from the medieval centre and next to a big park with playgrounds, jogging path, park cafe. The local bakery, gelateria, cafe, fruit vendor etc. are just a few steps away, as are parking spaces and the bus stop. The train station is 10 minutes by bus or 25 minutes by foot.

There is an open space living area, 3 bedrooms (2 double beds, 2 single beds) and 2 bathrooms. 8 double doors lead onto 2 balconies and a 50 meter terrace facing 3 directions with views over the historical town centre and the Cittadella park. Beyond, we see the Dolomites to the north, and the Apennines to the south. One of our favourite evening past times is to sit down for a prosecco on our terrace and watch the sunset over the Tuscan foothills.

We love cooking with the fresh local ingredients, and our kitchen is very well equipped. The flat is in classic Italian style with marble floors throughout and a separate laundry room.

About the location

Parma’s picturesque historical centre is right around the corner, and it bustles with street side cafes, restaurants, bars, gelaterias and markets. Parma is one of Italy’s culinary centres, with local produce including parmesan cheese and Parma ham. It is also a cultural hub: the home of the Teatro Regio opera house, several art museums and many classical palazzos. The hillsides around town are dotted with castles, many of which are open to the public such as Torrechiara.

Check out the map with our favourite neighbourhood places marked with details and photos: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z0_TBRqRn1vk.kHLmwe8hZ4bI

It’s easy to make day trips by public transport or car to pretty towns and larger cities, as well as to the mountains and the Mediterranean coast and beaches. Our favourite city day trips are Florence, Pisa and Lucca (all in neighbouring Tuscany), Venice, Verona and Bologna. Coastal destinations for beaches and hiking include Cinque Terre and Portofino on the Ligurian coast, which is positively breathtakingly beautiful.

Check out the map with our favourite daytrip places marked with photos: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z0_TBRqRn1vk.k7EKit0Ysbys

Restaurants in Parma keep a high standard, and mainly feature food from the Emilia-Romagna region. Apart from well-known local specialities like the Parma ham, the Parmesan cheese, lasagna and Tiramisu, there are a few more local things which are must-trys such as torta fritta, tortelli, melanzane alla parmigiana. There are dozens of gelaterias in Parma, and It’s a great sport trying a new one every day and working out favourites.

There is a small airport in Parma, with flights to London, Rome and Sardinia. The larger airports serving Parma are Milano Malpensa, Milano Linate, Bologna and Bergamo. Train travel in Italy is easy, and Parma is well connected to Rome (3h), Florence (1.5h), Venice (2.5h) etc.

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