Booking choice: The winery tasting, from $34 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Salsomaggiore sits where the Apennine hills meet the Po plain. Up the hill are family wineries; down in the plain are Fidenza with its cathedral and outlet village, the Labirinto della Masone at Fontanellato, Verdi's Busseto and, further east, Parma.
Below: a sample day, the winery, Tabiano, Fidenza, Fidenza Village, the Labirinto, Busseto and Parma, with the prices and hours we could verify. A car helps; the train reaches Fidenza and Busseto.
The quick answer
For a full day, taste wine in the hills at Cantina il Poggio ($34, about 2 hours), see Fidenza's cathedral or Fidenza Village, visit the Labirinto della Masone (closed on Tuesdays), and end with an evening spa ticket at QC Terme from 17:00. With a second day, go to Verdi's Busseto, or to Parma for the Parmigiano and Parma ham tour, rated 4.9 from 955 reviews.
What can you do around Salsomaggiore in one day?
Pair a hill winery with Fidenza or the Labirinto della Masone in the plain, and end at the spa: the evening ticket starts at 17:00.
A sample day with a car, on any day but Tuesday, when the Labirinto is closed. Check each place's times for your date.
| When | What | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 | Winery tasting at Cantina il Poggio | About 2 hours; check the listing's start times |
| 12:30 | Lunch in Fidenza, and the cathedral | The old centre is about 5 minutes on foot from the station |
| 14:30 | Labirinto della Masone, Fontanellato | About 45 minutes in the maze and 45 in the collection; last entry 17:30 until 31 October |
| 17:00 | Or Fidenza Village instead | Usually open 10:00 to 20:00 |
| 19:30 | Night spa at QC Terme | From EUR 44; open to 23:00, or midnight on Friday and Saturday |
| Day two | Verdi's Busseto, or Parma's food | Busseto is about 15 minutes by train from Fidenza |
Is the winery tasting near Salsomaggiore worth it?
Guests think so: the tasting at Cantina il Poggio is rated 4.9 from 10 reviews, for about $34 and 2 hours.
The visit starts in the vineyard, moves to the cellar and ends in the barrel room; then come 5 glasses with olives and bruschetta with the estate's olive oil, Parmigiano Reggiano aged over 30 months, cured meats depending on availability (Culatello di Zibello, Parma ham, culaccia, pancetta) and hazelnuts. One guest calls the view from the cantina fantastic, another had a private tour in English separate from the Italian group. The winery is at Località Cangelasio 199; a guest advises driving there via Salsomaggiore. Tell them about dietary needs in advance.
Five wines, five pairings and a view over the hills, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Check dates for the winery tastingWhat is Tabiano Terme?
Salsomaggiore's twin spa village, in the same comune, with strongly sulphurous water used for the airways and the skin at the Terme Respighi.
Tabiano's water has been known since the 1800s as the most sulphurous in Europe, and its spa calls itself the 'Terme del Respiro'. Besides the cures there is a wellness centre, T-Spatium. Cures, the SSN and 2026 hours are in our thermal cures guide.
What is there to see in Fidenza?
The Romanesque cathedral of San Donnino, with sculpture attributed to Benedetto Antelami, a stop on the Via Francigena; the town was called Borgo San Donnino until 1927.
The cathedral dates from the 12th and 13th centuries. The regional tourist board puts Piazza Garibaldi, the heart of the old town, about 5 minutes on foot from the station. Fidenza is also where you change trains for Salsomaggiore, so it is an easy stop on the way in or out.
Is Fidenza Village worth adding?
If you like shopping, yes: it has more than 120 boutiques and claims savings of up to 70%, though visitors report that many prices are not dramatically lower than in town.
The Village is at Via Federico Fellini 1 in Fidenza and usually opens 10:00 to 20:00 every day, with free parking. Tax free applies to non-EU residents from EUR 70.01 per boutique per day. From Milan, the Shopping Express costs about $11 on GetYourGuide and returns at 17:00. Brands and tips are on our sister site FidenzaVillage.Parma.it.
The Village's own coach from Milan with a VIP card for an extra 10% off, rated 4.6 from 60 reviews.
Explore the Shopping Express to Fidenza VillageHow do you visit the Labirinto della Masone from Salsomaggiore?
By car: it is at Fontanellato, under 10 minutes by car from Fidenza according to its official site. Adults pay EUR 20 at the desk; it is closed on Tuesdays.
Until 31 October 2026 it opens 10:30 to 19:00, with last entry at 17:30; from 1 November it opens 9:30 to 18:00, with last entry at 16:30. Plan about 45 minutes in the bamboo maze and about 45 in Franco Maria Ricci's collection. The GetYourGuide ticket costs about $25, with free cancellation and in and out all day. More on our sister site LabirintoDellaMasone.Parma.it.
The bamboo maze, the collection and the exhibition on one ticket, rated 4.3 from 63 reviews, with free cancellation.
Explore the Labirinto della Masone ticketWhat is there to see in Busseto?
Verdi's country: he was born at nearby Le Roncole on 10 October 1813, and Busseto has Casa Barezzi, home of his patron and father-in-law, and the Teatro Verdi inside the Rocca Pallavicino.
The regional tourist board notes that Verdi gave early public performances at Casa Barezzi, and that he never performed in the theatre named after him. Busseto is about 15 minutes by train from Fidenza. The private Verdi and culatello day ($289 per person, about 6 hours) visits the Rocca Pallavicino, Casa Barezzi and Verdi's birthplace, then a culatello maker, with a four-course lunch with wine; it meets on Piazza Matteotti in Busseto, is new with no reviews yet, and is non-refundable.
Verdi's birthplace, Casa Barezzi and a culatello maker with a private guide and lunch. Non-refundable: it cannot be cancelled or changed.
Explore the private Verdi and culatello dayWhat about Parma's food?
Base yourself in Parma for a morning at a Parmigiano dairy and a Parma ham maker: the tour is rated 4.9 from 955 reviews and costs about $154.
The Parmigiano and Parma ham tour lasts about 4 hours, with pickup in Parma, a guide, entry and tastings with a glass of wine. The listing does not allow sandals, open-toed shoes, strollers or large bags, and late arrivals count as no-shows. One guest advises bringing cash if you want to buy ham or cheese on site. Back in Salsomaggiore, end the day in warm water: see QC Terme prices and hours.
A working Parmigiano dairy and a family Parma ham maker in one morning, with pickup in Parma.
Explore the Parmigiano and Parma ham tourFrequently asked questions
What is there to do near Salsomaggiore Terme?
Wine tastings in the hills, Tabiano Terme, Fidenza's cathedral and outlet village, the Labirinto della Masone, Verdi's Busseto and Parma.
How far is the Labirinto della Masone from Salsomaggiore?
It is at Fontanellato, under 10 minutes by car from Fidenza, which is 8 minutes from Salsomaggiore by train.
Can you visit Busseto by train?
Yes. Busseto is about 15 minutes by train from Fidenza, where you change for Salsomaggiore.
Do you need a car around Salsomaggiore?
For the wineries and the Labirinto, yes. Fidenza, Busseto and Parma are on the railway.
Ready to book
Choose your day
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Winery Tour with 5 Wines and 5 Pairings
A hill winery minutes from the spa
Labirinto della Masone Full-Day Entry Ticket
The world's largest bamboo maze
Parmigiano and Parma Ham Production Tour
A dairy and a ham maker in one morning
