Booking choice: The private food and castle day, from $240 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
The province of Parma is dense with castles. In the plain to the north stand moated brick fortresses such as Fontanellato and Soragna; in the hills to the south, stone castles such as Torrechiara watch the valleys. Several of them belonged to the Rossi family, whose count built Torrechiara.
Below: a comparison table, then Torrechiara against Rocca Sanvitale, Soragna, Montechiarugolo, San Secondo, Roccabianca and Felino, and Bardi. Prices and hours are from each castle's official site or the Parma tourist board, checked in September 2026; hours change with the seasons, so check before you go.
The quick answer
Torrechiara is the painted hill castle with the love story, and the cheapest to visit (EUR 8). In the plain, Rocca Sanvitale at Fontanellato has Parmigianino's frescoes (EUR 12), and the Rocca Meli Lupi at Soragna has gilded Baroque interiors on guided tours (EUR 15). Montechiarugolo shows a painted room by Baglione (EUR 10), the Rocca dei Rossi at San Secondo is the Rossi family seat (EUR 6), and Bardi sits on a crag of red jasper (EUR 10). You need a car for most of them.
Which castles near Parma are worth visiting?
Torrechiara for frescoes and views, Rocca Sanvitale for Parmigianino, Soragna for grand furnished rooms, and Montechiarugolo, San Secondo and Bardi if you have more time.
Adult prices and visiting rules as published by each castle or by the Parma tourist board in September 2026. Children's prices vary; see each section.
| Castle | Where | How you visit | Adults |
|---|---|---|---|
| Torrechiara | Hills, about 20 km south of Parma | On your own or with a guide; closed Mondays | EUR 8 |
| Rocca Sanvitale | Fontanellato, in the plain west of Parma | Ground floor and Parmigianino room freely; noble floor by guided tour | EUR 12 |
| Rocca Meli Lupi | Soragna, in the plain | Guided tours only; closed Mondays | EUR 15, or EUR 20 with the park |
| Montechiarugolo | On the Enza river, east of Parma | Guided tours, March to November, on set dates | EUR 10 |
| Rocca dei Rossi | San Secondo Parmense, in the plain | Friday to Sunday, 18 February to 8 December | EUR 6 |
| Bardi | Ceno valley, in the Apennines | Open daily, per the Parma tourist board | EUR 10 |
| Roccabianca | Near the Po | Events and a distilling museum; call first | Not published |
Torrechiara or Rocca Sanvitale: which should you choose?
Torrechiara for a hilltop castle with a love story and views; Rocca Sanvitale in Fontanellato for a moated castle in a town square and one small masterpiece, Parmigianino's room of Diana and Actaeon (1523 to 1524).
Rocca Sanvitale costs EUR 12 (EUR 5 for ages 6 to 16, free under 6), according to Parma Welcome. The ground floor and the Parmigianino room are open freely; the furnished noble floor is seen only on guided visits, on weekdays at 10:15, 11:45, 14:45 and 16:00, plus 17:15 from April to October. It is closed on Tuesdays, except in April and May. It also has a camera obscura that shows the square without being seen. Torrechiara wins on views, and on price; Fontanellato wins on furnished rooms.
Choose Torrechiara with a private guide in English, a dairy and a ham maker, ticket included.
Check dates for the private food and castle dayWhat is the Rocca Meli Lupi at Soragna?
A square fortress built in 1385 by the Lupi family, still owned by the family, with Baroque furniture largely gilded in Venice. It is visited only on guided tours.
Tickets cost EUR 15, or EUR 20 with the park; ages 6 to 16 pay EUR 13 or EUR 18, and under 6s go free. In summer 2026 (1 July to 31 August), tours ran Tuesday to Friday at 15:00 and 16:30, and at weekends and on holidays at 10:30, 12:00, 15:00 and 16:30; it is closed on Mondays. Call +39 0524 597964 for the rest of the year.
Is Montechiarugolo castle open to visitors?
Yes, on guided tours from March to November, and by booking in the other months. The tour costs EUR 10 (EUR 7 for children, free up to 5) and lasts about 75 minutes.
You see the state apartment with the Salone delle Feste and the rooms of the Sirens and the Cats, a 15th-century loggia over the Enza river, a painted room by Baglione, and the wall walk. Dates are published month by month on the castle's site; in October 2026 they are mostly at weekends. No booking is needed, and tickets are sold at the entrance. The painter's name will be familiar after Torrechiara, whose late 16th-century halls are by Cesare Baglione.
What is the Rocca dei Rossi at San Secondo?
The seat of the Rossi family, counts of San Secondo, turned from a medieval fortress into a Renaissance residence and painted with the family's deeds and with the tale of the Golden Ass.
It opens from 18 February to 8 December: Friday and Saturday 10:00 to 12:00 and 15:00 to 18:00, and Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, according to the Parma tourist board. Tickets cost EUR 6, EUR 3.50 for ages 11 to 18, EUR 2.50 for ages 6 to 10, and nothing under 5. The Sala delle Gesta Rossiane tells the family's story, the counterpart of the love story at Torrechiara.
Torrechiara with a private guide in English, a dairy and a Parma ham maker, the castle ticket included.
Explore the private food and castle dayWhich castles did Pier Maria Rossi build for Bianca Pellegrini?
Torrechiara and, according to its official site, Roccabianca, built in the mid-1400s near the Po. Felino castle, a short drive away, reached its greatest splendour under him too.
Roccabianca's 15th-century frescoes of the story of Griselda were removed and taken to Milan, and a 20th-century copy was painted in their place. Today the castle hosts events and a museum of distilling; call +39 0521 374065 before you go. Felino castle, built in the 12th century, overlooks the valley between the Parma and Baganza streams; its kitchen and cellars now hold the Museo del Salame, and it has a restaurant. The whole story starts in the Camera d'Oro.
Is Bardi castle worth the drive?
If you like dramatic settings, yes: it sits on a sheer outcrop of red jasper above the town of Bardi, in the Apennines, and is a fine example of medieval military architecture.
The fortress dates from the 13th and 14th centuries, with walls, battlements, guard towers and a keep; Manfredo Landi strengthened it for artillery in the 15th century. Inside are late Gothic coffered ceilings, 16th-century wall paintings and small museums of poaching and of valley life. Tickets cost EUR 10, and EUR 6 for ages 5 to 14. It is a long drive into the mountains, so make it a separate day.
Keep it simple: a guided visit of Torrechiara, in Italian, in 90 minutes.
Check dates for the guided castle visitHow many castles can you see in one day?
Two, comfortably, with a car: Torrechiara plus Montechiarugolo or Felino in the hills, or Fontanellato plus Soragna in the plain. Mind the short hours and the closing days.
Torrechiara closes on Mondays, and at 15:00 from Tuesday to Friday; Rocca Sanvitale closes on Tuesdays for most of the year; Soragna closes on Mondays and shows the castle only on guided tours; Montechiarugolo and San Secondo open mostly at weekends. A weekend day in the hills works best: Torrechiara from 11:00, lunch in the village, then Montechiarugolo on a tour date. Transport is covered in how to get to Torrechiara.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most beautiful castle near Parma?
It is a matter of taste: Torrechiara for its hilltop setting and frescoes, Rocca Sanvitale for Parmigianino, Soragna for gilded furnished rooms.
Which castles near Parma can you visit without a guide?
Torrechiara, and the ground floor and Parmigianino room of Rocca Sanvitale. Soragna and Montechiarugolo are visited on guided tours.
How much do the castles near Parma cost?
Torrechiara EUR 8, Rocca Sanvitale EUR 12, Soragna EUR 15, Montechiarugolo EUR 10, San Secondo EUR 6 and Bardi EUR 10 for adults.
Can you visit castles near Parma without a car?
Torrechiara, by TEP bus 2670 from Parma. For most of the others, a car or a tour is the practical choice.
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Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Parma Hills Food Tasting and Torrechiara Castle, Private
- Private guide for your group, in English or Italian
- Parmigiano Reggiano dairy and Prosciutto di Parma plant, with tastings of cheese aged 12 to 36 months
- Torrechiara Castle ticket and a glass of DOC Colli di Parma wine
Torrechiara Castle: History, Love Nest and Legends
- 90-minute visit with a licensed local guide, in Italian
- The village, the Rossi family story and the Camera d'Oro
- Meet in front of the Church of San Lorenzo in the upper village
