Spring (April to June) is the best all-round time: mild weather, green Po valley countryside, and the run-up to the summer festivals. September and October are equally attractive, with the Verdi Festival (October) pulling opera audiences from across Europe.
Summer (July, August) is humid and often very hot; many restaurants close for two weeks in August. Winter is cold and grey with frequent fog rising off the Po, but it brings the cured-meat and cheese season into its prime — a January meal of new prosciutto and a glass of frizzante Lambrusco is one of the small pleasures of the year.