Booking choice: The culatello country half day, from $262 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
The seven culatello towns lie roughly 40 km from Parma, about 45 minutes by car. They are small, spread out and not linked by practical public transport, so you come with a car or with a tour.
Here is what is in each town, the Museo del Culatello, Busseto and Verdi, the November Porc dates for 2026, how to get there, the fog, and a plan for the day.
The quick answer
Culatello country is the Bassa Parmense, seven towns along the Po about 45 minutes north-west of Parma. The must-see is the Museo del Culatello at Polesine Parmense (Tuesday to Sunday 10 AM to 6 PM, closed January, €7), with Busseto and Verdi's birthplace close by. November Porc fills four villages on November weekends in 2026. Without a car, the private lowlands half day or the Parmigiano, culatello and Verdi day take you there.
Where is culatello country?
In the Bassa Parmense, the low farmland between the Via Emilia and the Po, roughly 40 km north-west of Parma.
Culatello di Zibello can only be made in seven municipalities here. Several were merged in recent years, which is why you will see double names: Polesine Parmense and Zibello are now Polesine Zibello, and Sissa and Trecasali are Sissa Trecasali. The river is the reason for everything: the fog and humidity it brings are what the culatello cellars depend on.
What is there to see in the seven towns?
The Museo del Culatello at Polesine, Verdi's Busseto, the castles of Soragna and Roccabianca, and the palace at Colorno.
What each town is known for, and which tours pass through:
| Town | Known for | On a tour |
|---|---|---|
| Polesine Zibello | Museo del Culatello at Antica Corte Pallavicina; Zibello village | Lowlands half day, country day |
| Busseto | Verdi: the Teatro Verdi, Casa Barezzi, his birthplace at Roncole | Country day, option A |
| Soragna | The Rocca Meli Lupi castle; a Parmigiano cooperative dairy | Country day (the dairy) |
| Roccabianca | Its castle; the last November Porc weekend | Lowlands half day (outside) |
| San Secondo Parmense | A small town on the road north | Lowlands half day (passing) |
| Colorno | The Reggia di Colorno, billed as the Versailles of Parma | Country day, option B |
| Sissa Trecasali | The first November Porc weekend | - |
See the towns and a culatello producer without driving: a private half day with pickup.
Check dates for the culatello country half dayWhat are the Museo del Culatello opening hours and prices?
Tuesday to Sunday 10 AM to 6 PM (last entry 5:30 PM), closed Mondays except holidays and all of January; €7 with an audio guide, and a culatello tasting for €8 per person.
The museum is at Antica Corte Pallavicina, Strada Palazzo Due Torri 3, Polesine Parmense, on a farm estate by the river where the Spigaroli family, once sharecroppers of Giuseppe Verdi, make culatello, with aging cellars facing the Po and a restaurant on site. Reduced tickets are €5, a family ticket €10, and under-6s go free. The audio guide is in Italian, English or French. Book the tasting ahead.
What is there to see in Busseto for Verdi fans?
Verdi's birthplace at Le Roncole, the small Teatro Verdi in the Rocca Pallavicino, and Casa Barezzi, where he gave his first public performance in 1830.
Giuseppe Verdi was born at Le Roncole, a hamlet of Busseto, on 10 October 1813. His birthplace is now a multimedia museum, open Tuesday to Sunday 9:30 AM to 1 PM and 2:30 to 6 PM, €6. A combined ticket for the birthplace, the Teatro Verdi and Casa Barezzi costs €15. The theatre seats about 300, inside the town's castle; Casa Barezzi was the home of his patron and future father-in-law. The Parmigiano, culatello and Verdi day includes the Teatro Verdi as its option A.
A dairy, a culatello producer, the museum and Verdi's theatre in one day, with transfer from Parma.
Explore the Parmigiano, culatello and Verdi dayWhen is November Porc 2026?
On four November weekends: Sissa 6 to 8, Polesine Parmense 13 to 15, Zibello 20 to 22 and Roccabianca 27 to 29 November 2026.
November Porc is the Bassa's festival of pork and culatello, held in a different village each weekend through the month. It falls in the culatello-making season, so it is also the foggiest time to drive: allow extra time on the road. Check the programme for each village before you go.
How do you get to culatello country?
By car, about 45 minutes from Parma, or on a tour with transport; public transport is not practical.
The lowlands half day collects you within 15 km of Piazza Garibaldi, or you follow the guide in your own car from a meeting point in Parma. The country day meets at Parma station, handy if you arrive by train from Bologna (about 57 minutes on average) or Milan (about 1 hour 34). Driving yourself, you pass Fontanellato on the way, where the Labirinto della Masone, a huge bamboo maze with an art collection, makes a good stop.
Driving to the Bassa? Stop at Fontanellato's bamboo maze; the ticket lets you come and go all day.
Explore the Labirinto della Masone ticketWhat is fog season, and does it matter?
From autumn to late winter the Bassa is often foggy; it is culatello-making season, but it can hide the views and slow the driving.
Culatello is traditionally made from October to February, in the cold fog, and the damp is part of what makes it. For visitors, fog means slower roads, especially early and late in the day, and castles that may vanish into the mist: one guest on a January countryside tour found the castle stop disappointing for exactly that reason. Remember too that the Museo del Culatello closes for all of January.
How do you plan a day in culatello country?
Start with a dairy or the maze in the morning, have lunch and the culatello tasting at Polesine, and spend the afternoon in Busseto.
- Morning: the Labirinto della Masone at Fontanellato, or a Parmigiano dairy near Soragna.
- Midday: the Museo del Culatello at Polesine, with its tasting booked ahead, and lunch nearby.
- Afternoon: Busseto for Verdi, with the birthplace at Le Roncole on the way back.
- Not on a Monday, when the museum and Verdi's birthplace close, and not in January for the museum.
Rather not drive in the fog? A private guide takes you to a culatello producer and back.
Check dates for the culatello country half dayFrequently asked questions
How far is Zibello from Parma?
Roughly 40 km, about 45 minutes by car across flat farmland. There is no practical public transport to the culatello towns.
Is the Museo del Culatello open in winter?
Yes, except in January, when it closes for the whole month. From February to December it opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10 AM to 6 PM.
What is November Porc?
A festival of pork and cured meats in the Bassa Parmense, held on November weekends in a different village each time. In 2026: Sissa 6 to 8, Polesine Parmense 13 to 15, Zibello 20 to 22 and Roccabianca 27 to 29 November.
Can I visit culatello country without a car?
Yes, on a tour: the private lowlands half day collects you in Parma, and the Parmigiano, culatello and Verdi day starts at Parma station.
Ready to book
Choose your tasting
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Culatello Country: Po Lowlands Half Day
- Private local guide and admission
- Hotel pickup within 15 km of Parma (or follow the guide in your own car)
- Tasting of PDO Culatello di Zibello, coppa, pancetta and salami
Parmigiano, Culatello, Art & Music Day
A culatello producer, the museum and Verdi country
