Think Parma and you'll most likely think of Italy's famous ham and cheese. Salty and cured to perfection, those cold cuts are ubiquitous in this northern town of Emilia Romagna. As is its world famous hard cheese, Parmesan, named in pure Roman tradition after the town it was founded in. Not a wonder that Parma enjoys global fame on the foodie atlas, well worth raising a glass of the region’s fin de siècle wines to!

And yet there’s more reasons to visit! Italian cypresses sway beneath fairy-tale keeps and turrets at the Palazzo della Pilotta, ochre-hued facades along Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi resound with bustling cafes, glowing churches shimmer with a pinkish hue courtesy of their trademark Veronese marble, and the opera houses vibrate with the plaintive tenor notes of long-lost lovers. Verdi is a popular son of the city too, so be sure to ask your Parma tour guide about listening to some of the master's works while in town.