mastro Orso

A destra: •
Palazzo Te
a Mantova
On the right: •
Palazzo Te
in Mantova
Be seduced by the placid and
vague charming lakes and the
cool and rushing rivers. These two
routes are characterized by the
merging of two different kinds of
water that create breathtaking
landscapes in the eastern Lombardy
where the Lake Guarda and
Mantova embrace each other.
88 The light blue embrace • The Mincio River
The Mincio River from Garda
Lake to Mantova
Enjoy the Mediterranean landscapes
of the Benaco Lake and visit
the famous four-sided fort, which
was built by the Austrians in the
early nineteenth century. The
route that links Peschiera to
Mantova leads you across the
wildlife area of the Regional
Natural Park of Mincio, embellished
by well watered fields and
lawns, nineteenth century villas
and essential woods. Peschiera del
Garda, with its Venetian historic
centre, is walled in a pentagonal
shape, which dates back to the
nineteenth century. The park is
few kilometres far: the first stage
of the route combines history and
art with the walled village of
Monzambano, the remains of the
Castello Scaligero (thirteen-fourteenth
centuries) in Valeggio sul
Mincio and the impressive bridge
and dam built by the Visconti family
near Borghetto. Riding across
the morainial hills you will pass by
Pozzolo and Marengo and enter
the four-sided battlement walled
village of Soave. From here a rural
scenery opens up, embellished
by silent watering canals, ancient
courtyards and mansions. Then,
the scenery fades into the green
woods of Bosco della Fontana.
Here the river lingers among reedthickets
and thick vegetation, forming
three lakes that surround
Mantova , the artistic gem that is
the last stage of this route.
Between the Mincio
and Po rivers
You will ride through the territory of
southern Mantova , a splendid
landscape with homogeneous characters:
the canals, the strips of territory
between the shores and the
banks, the banks and the poplar
groves. They guard the network of
ancient roads that link rural villages
with architectural landmarks of the
Benedictine era. The area is still influenced
by the longest river of Italy
even if the Po is pretty far from here.
The refined gardens that embellish
Palazzo Te, the dome of Saint
Andrew designed by Leon Battista
Alberti, Piazza Ducale and the impressive
four-sided towers of the
Castello di San Giorgio are the fascinating
starting point of your journey.
So start to cycle among the
downtown alleys discovering surprising
views of the Mincio River
among the palaces. After having left
the Gonzaga monuments, you will
ride along the shores of the Mezzo
and Inferiore lakes, up to the first
relevant natural spot: the sanctuary
Vallazza, a wide territory of wet
lands that testifies the spontaneous
evolution of the river bends. You
will continue among this fragile ecosystem
brushing against the leafy
branches of willows and alders or
the swampy reeds that line up the
road. If you are lucky, you may
spot either a red or a grey heron.
Ride westward, along the dirt road
that coast the river up to San
Giacomo Po and then San Nicolò
Po, towards Borgoforte.
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