Parma is located in the northern area of the Emilia-Romagna region, along the Via Emilia, between the Po Valley, the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, and the Ligurian coast behind them. It occupies a strategic position that allows for quick access to cultural and seaside tourist destinations.

The historic center of Parma is marked by three major hubs:

Piazza Garibaldi, partly built over the ancient Roman forum, is the heart of civic life. Here stands the Palazzo del Governatore, with its Baroque tower, which houses the bell from the towering civic clocktower that collapsed in 1606, the crowned Virgin in the bell tower's niche, and two sundials dating back to 1829.

Piazza Duomo is home to the city’s most important artistic and religious landmarks: the Cathedral, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin, is one of the most representative Romanesque-Padan buildings of its time, begun around 1059 and consecrated in 1106; the Baptistery, a symbolic structure marking the transition from late Romanesque to Gothic, clad in pink Verona marble, was begun in 1196 and completed in 1307; and the Bishop's Palace (Vescovado), dating back to the 11th–12th centuries. Modified several times, its current form dates to the early 20th century.

Finally, Piazza della Pilotta, now known as Piazzale della Pace, symbolizes ducal power with the Monumental Complex of the Pilotta, once the service palace of the Farnese family. Inside, it houses the Archaeological Museum, the beautiful Palatina Library, the National Gallery, and the Teatro Farnese, whose outdoor courtyard hosts performances and concerts every summer.