Parma – Food Factory Tour

We took the train from Bologna to Parma and had no problem finding the Hotel Astoria and Laura.  Our first stop was the Parmesan cheese factory.  It was fun watching them make the cheese and we enjoyed the tasting. The next stop was the prosciutto di Parma factory. Here we pretty much just walked through thousands of hams.  It was a little overwhelming but we got to wear cool butcher outfits.  Next was a delicious lunch in the country.  The last stop was for balsamic vinegar in Reggio and this was the highlight of the day. This was at Acetaia Picci and we met Mr. Picci whom is the entire staff of the company. He gave a great interesting talk and tour which was followed by a delicious tasting.  We discovered the best way to eat a slice of Parmesan cheese is with a few drops of balsamic vinegar. Cheryl and I thought Laura was quite nice, and she knows a lot about the food products.  However, she acts more like a driver/translator than a guide.  I think she should talk more and give a little more background to the stops.  All in all it was a fun day that we would recommend to others. Jim & Cheryl P., IL

We took a "food factory tour" in the Parma area. We visited a cheees farm/factory, a parma ham curing factory, a winery, and a balsamic factory. All were absolutely what we were looking for. We learned a lot and had a lot of fun doing it. Our guide, Laura, did a spectacular job. We had a really wonderful day. Our tour guide, Laura, was wonderful. Extremely nice and knowledgeable. The sites she had set up to visit were exactly what we were looking for. We were very impressed and had a wonderful time. Randall & Maria W., FL