Parma & the Paganini Guitar Festival: a guitarist's travel guide
Paganini Guitar Festival International Competition · Parma, Italy
Niccolò Paganini was as devoted to the guitar as to the violin, and the festival that carries his name keeps that side of him alive. Held in Parma, the elegant food capital of Emilia-Romagna, the Paganini Guitar Festival wraps an international competition in a week of concerts, masterclasses and luthiers' stands, and Parma itself is one of the most pleasurable small cities in Italy to visit.
Getting there
Parma sits on the main line across northern Italy, about an hour from Milan and easily reached from Bologna, whose airport (BLQ) is the closest gateway, with Milan Malpensa (MXP) a larger alternative. The station is a short walk from the historic centre.
Compare trains, buses & flights to Parma on Omio →
Where to stay
Stay in the walkable old town, around the Piazza Duomo and the Teatro Regio, and you can reach the festival venues and the best food on foot. Parma is compact and civilised, a genuine pleasure to stroll in the evening.
An interactive map of hotels, apartments and B&Bs across Booking, Expedia, Airbnb and more, centred on Parma.
See stays in Parma →What you'll hear
The competition spans several categories, including a section for the romantic period guitar, so you can hear the instrument as Paganini's contemporaries knew it as well as the modern one. Public finals are held in the city's concert halls, framed by a festival of recitals and masterclasses. It is a specialist, friendly gathering rather than a stadium event, and all the better for it.
If you play as well as listen, explore Paganini's own guitar music on Sheet Music Plus →
Where to eat
Few places eat better than Parma. This is the home of Parmigiano-Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma, so build meals around them, with filled pastas like anolini in broth and the sparkling local Lambrusco to cut the richness. A visit to a cheese or ham producer is a fine morning out.
While you're there
The opera country around Busseto, in Verdi's home territory, lies nearby, and the food cities of Modena and Bologna are a short train ride for a day of markets and museums. Parma's own art gallery and baptistery repay slow visits. A rental car makes the day trips simple, and GetYourGuide lists guided tours and tickets across the region.
Enter the pieces you play, and GuitarComp shows how your programme maps to this competition's rounds and which other events you qualify for.
See full competition details →Competition dates, deadlines and the current compulsory work change each edition, so always confirm at the official site: paganinifestival.com.