Booking choice: The wine tasting near the castle, from $51 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Torrechiara is a hamlet of Langhirano, the heart of Prosciutto di Parma production. The same hills grow the grapes of the Colli di Parma DOC, and family wineries welcome visitors near the castle. With a car, it is easy to combine the castle with a ham museum, a producer visit and a glass of local wine.
Below: the Parma ham museum, visiting a ham maker, the wineries near Torrechiara, the local wines, the Badia di Santa Maria della Neve, and a day plan that fits the castle's short hours.
The quick answer
In Langhirano, the Museo del Prosciutto di Parma opens from 1 March to 8 December on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, 10:00 to 18:00, for EUR 5 (tasting EUR 3 extra). To see ham made, book a producer tour from Parma, such as the Parmigiano and Parma ham tour ($154, rated 4.9 from 954 reviews). For wine, a family winery near the castle offers five organic wines with a light lunch for $51.
Why is Langhirano famous for Parma ham?
Langhirano, the town just up the Parma valley from Torrechiara, is the heart of Prosciutto di Parma production.
On the producer tours, guests see where the fresh legs are salted, walk through the seasoning rooms and learn about the 'spillatura', the check that decides which hams are branded with the Crown of Parma, as the listing of the Parmigiano and Parma ham tour describes it.
What is the Museo del Prosciutto di Parma?
A museum of Parma ham in Langhirano, at Via Bocchialini 7, open from 1 March to 8 December on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, 10:00 to 18:00. Entry is EUR 5, and a tasting costs EUR 3 more.
It is closed from December to February. Because it opens only at weekends and on holidays, it pairs naturally with the castle's weekend hours, 11:00 to 17:00. Remember that the castle must be booked on Sundays and holidays.
| Place | Open | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Museo del Prosciutto, Langhirano | 1 March to 8 December: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, 10:00 to 18:00 | EUR 5; tasting EUR 3 extra |
| Torrechiara Castle | Tuesday to Friday 9:00 to 15:00; weekends and holidays 11:00 to 17:00 | EUR 8; free under 18 |
| Wine tasting with a light lunch | Check the listing for start times | $51 |
| Winery visit at Guardasone | Check the listing for start times | $63 |
See Parmigiano made in the morning and Parma ham cured, with pickup in Parma.
Check dates for the Parmigiano and Parma ham tourCan you visit a Parma ham maker near Torrechiara?
Yes, on a guided tour: producers do not usually take walk-in visitors. The tours start from Parma and combine a Parmigiano dairy with a ham maker.
The Parmigiano and Parma ham tour ($154, 4 hours, rated 4.9 from 954 reviews) includes pickup in Parma and a glass of wine. The private Parmigiano and prosciutto tour ($186 per person, rated 5.0 from 89 reviews) tastes cheese aged 12 to 36 months with culatta and fiocco, and ends in Langhirano. The private food and castle day adds Torrechiara Castle, ticket included.
| Tour | Castle | Private | Length | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parmigiano and Parma ham tour | No | No | 4 hours | $154 |
| Private Parmigiano and prosciutto tour | No | Yes | 5 hours 30 minutes | $186 per person |
| Private food and castle day | Yes, ticket included | Yes | 6 hours 30 minutes | $240 per person |
Which wineries can you visit near Torrechiara?
A family-run organic and biodynamic winery between the castle and the ham road, Oinoe at Guardasone, and the Lamoretti winery at Casatico, each bookable as a tasting.
At the family winery, the wine tasting with a light lunch ($51, 2 hours 30 minutes, rated 4.6 from 6 reviews) walks the vineyard with the winemakers, then pours five wines with Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano and a sparkling Moscato to finish. At Oinoe, the Parma hills winery visit ($63, rated 5.0 from 28 reviews) ends with four wines, cold cuts and Parmigiano on a terrace. The private castle and winery tour ends at Lamoretti with three wines; it is non-refundable.
A vineyard walk with the winemakers, five organic wines and a light lunch of Parma ham and Parmigiano, near the castle.
Explore the wine tasting near the castleWhat is Colli di Parma wine?
The DOC wine of the Parma hills; local styles include sparkling Malvasia di Candia Aromatica.
Oinoe's tasting, for example, opens with Sabitu, a sparkling wine made from 100% Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, before white and red wines. The family winery near Torrechiara makes its wines without clarification or filtration, using the traditional Emilian method. Wine is served only to guests aged 18 and over; Oinoe offers non-alcoholic options to younger guests.
A private day with a dairy, a ham maker, a glass of DOC wine and the castle, ticket included.
Check dates for the private food and castle dayWhat is the Badia di Santa Maria della Neve?
A Benedictine abbey at Torrechiara, founded around 1471 by Pier Maria Rossi, the builder of the castle. Today it is home to Benedictine nuns.
The abbey has a guesthouse and a shop that sells honey and products from its orchards. It is a quiet counterpoint to the castle, and a reminder that Pier Maria shaped this whole valley, not only its hilltop.
How do you plan a day of castle, ham and wine?
Choose a Saturday from March to early December: the ham museum opens at 10:00, the castle at 11:00, and the afternoon is free for a winery.
A sample Saturday. Check start times on each listing and the castle's booking rule on Sundays and holidays.
| When | What | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 | Museo del Prosciutto, Langhirano | EUR 5; tasting EUR 3 extra |
| 11:30 | Torrechiara Castle | About an hour; last entry 16:30 at weekends |
| 13:00 | Lunch in the village | Or keep your appetite for the winery lunch |
| Afternoon | A winery tasting near the castle | Five wines with a light lunch, or four wines at Oinoe |
| Weekday instead | Castle from 9:00, then a winery | The castle closes at 15:00 and the museum is shut |
A vineyard walk, then four Colli di Parma wines with cold cuts and Parmigiano on a terrace in the hills.
Explore the Parma hills winery visitDo you need a car?
It helps: the wineries are spread across the hills. Without one, take TEP bus 2670 from Parma, which stops at Torrechiara and ends in Langhirano, or book a tour with pickup.
Do not drive after a tasting: book a tour with a driver, or share the wheel. Bus times, parking and the walk up to the castle are in how to get to Torrechiara.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Parma ham museum in Langhirano open?
From 1 March to 8 December, on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, 10:00 to 18:00. It is closed from December to February.
How much is the Museo del Prosciutto?
EUR 5, with a tasting for EUR 3 more.
Can you taste wine near Torrechiara Castle?
Yes: a family winery near the castle and Oinoe at Guardasone both offer guided tastings with local food.
Can you visit a Parma ham factory?
Yes, on a guided tour from Parma that combines a Parmigiano dairy and a ham maker.
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Choose your visit
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Parma Hills Wine Tasting with a Light Lunch
Five organic wines and ham and Parmigiano
Parma Hills Winery Visit with a Food Platter
Four wines on a terrace in the hills
Parmigiano and Parma Ham Production Tour
A dairy and a ham maker in one morning
