Slow trip

14 slow days: Castell'Arquato

Castell'Arquato sits on a ridge above the Arda River, its medieval walls and towers still intact after seven centuries, and from this base you can reach Parma's Renaissance frescoes, Bobbio's Benedictine abbey (founded in 614), and the wine villages scattered through the Modena hills, all within a day's travel. March brings fewer visitors to these places, which means you'll walk through the Rocca's courtyards and climb into parish churches without the crowds that arrive in summer. The region's art isn't confined to its cities—it lives in the frescoed oratories of small villages, in the libraries of monasteries, and in the way light hits a stone archway at a particular hour.

14 days · March · art & history-first · moderate walking

Castell'Arquato

Castell'Arquato, 14 days

Base yourself in Castell'Arquato and make these your day trips.

6 towns · qualifying pool of 6 from 28 candidates

Hill towns in the provinces of Piacenza, Parma, and Modena. Parmigiano-Reggiano DOP, Culatello di Zibello DOP, TCI Bandiera Arancione, and Borghi Più Belli d'Italia.

Getting around

Castell'Arquato, your base, has no station, so plan to arrive by car. 3 of the 6 towns here have a station; the rest need wheels. A rental car makes this corner simple, a rail-plus-taxi version takes patience.

Day 1 · Arrive in Castell'Arquato

Settle in. Castell'Arquato is your base for the next 14 days. Take the afternoon to walk the centro, find your bearings, eat something local.

Province: Piacenza

Castell'Arquato

A 224-meter hilltop borgo in the Val d'Arda, kept intact since the tenth century and crowned by Luchino Visconti's 1342 fortress.

Picked for:art and history · hill town

Day 2 · Day trip to Vernasca

First outing. Head to Vernasca for the day. Take the slow road, leave time to wander, be back in Castell'Arquato for dinner.

Province: Piacenza

Vernasca

A Val d'Arda commune in the Piacenza Apennines, holding the walled village of Vigoleno and one of the most compact castled borghi in Emilia.

Picked for:art and history · hill town

Day 3 · Day trip to Busseto

Out again, this time to Busseto. Same rhythm: leave after breakfast, return for evening in Castell'Arquato.

Province: Parma

Busseto

A 40-meter town where Giuseppe Verdi grew up, with a 300-seat opera house in the Rocca he refused to enter.

Picked for:food and wine · plain

Day 4 · Day trip to Parma

Out again, this time to Parma. Same rhythm: leave after breakfast, return for evening in Castell'Arquato.

Province: Parma

Parma

A 57-meter Po-plain capital on the Via Emilia, where Correggio painted the Duomo dome and Parmigiano ages in vaults across the province.

Picked for:art and history · plain

Day 5 · Day trip to Bobbio

Out again, this time to Bobbio. Same rhythm: leave after breakfast, return for evening in Castell'Arquato.

Province: Piacenza

Bobbio

A 272-meter Trebbia-valley town built around an abbey founded in 614, named Borgo dei Borghi by RAI in 2019.

Picked for:art and history · hill town

Day 6 · Day trip to Castelvetro di Modena

Last day trip in this corner, to Castelvetro di Modena. Make a day of it, then back to Castell'Arquato.

Province: Modena

Castelvetro di Modena

A 152-meter hill borgo south of Modena whose checkerboard piazza sits above the slopes that grow Lambrusco Grasparossa.

Picked for:art and history · plain

Day 7 · Day in Castell'Arquato