Land by the Po river in Reggio, little capitals along the big river

Brescello was the location of the famous movies about “Don Camillo and Peppone”, typical characters based on Guareschi's famous books, that you can also find in the local museum.
Boretto is one of the best equipped river ports for pleasure craft.
Guastalla mostly maintains features of a capital town, reminding its Gonzaga domination.
There is also Gualtieri with its magnificent square and its Museum entitled to great naïf painter Antonio Ligabue, and Luzzara, with its Naïve Art National Museum dedicated to local artist Zavattini and the typical “Po” feeling, among white poplars, floodplain, shrubland and many small ponds.
In this part of its course, the slowness of the Great River characterizes people and places, channels, islands, accumulations of sand and cropland, irrigated since ancient times; and all of these find some fertile gift in its water.
Although man’s ability has modified the territory in valleys and floodplains, it has also restored precious habitats and created parks for safeguard of nature, places that can be enjoyed by nature lovers. This land always changes, and after every flood some part of it disappears: a path, ruins of a building, part of a wood; and at same time something reappears: an old craft, rests of a car, an ancient trunk.

The best way to relish this fascinating landscape and see the little capitals in the distance from the Great River, is to embark on Padus Motorboat in Boretto’s port, the best equipped and most characteristic of Emilia Romagna, from Piacenza to Ferrara. Departure is on San Marco jetty at Lido Po at 3.30 p.m. every Sunday from April to September.

For cycling lovers, it is possible to load up your bike on the craft, get off in Guastalla, and go back to Boretto along the 11 kilometres of bicycle path on the right riverside, enjoying wonderful landscapes and views on the Po river, among woods and groves. This cycle path starts in Brescello, goes through towns of Boretto, Gualtieri, Guastalla and winds in flatland among villages, with their own specific traditions, and incomparable gastronomy.

During sultry summer nights, lazier people can have fun on Stradivari Motorboat; it is docked in Boretto's port, and in its restaurant it is possible to choose among excellent typical dishes of Po Lands.

How to get there

Boretto

By car
From Reggio Emilia: 30 kilometres along the Provincial Road 358
From the A1 Milan to Bologna motorway: leave the motorway at the Reggio Emilia exit and follow signs to Castelnuovo Sotto for 30 kilometers.
From the A22 Modena to Brennero Motorway: leave the motorway at the Reggiolo exit and follow signs to Guastalla for 25 kilometers.

By train
From Reggio Emilia: “Tper” local train service from Reggio Emilia to Guastalla.
State railway service on the Parma Suzzara line.

By coach
From Reggio Emilia: SETA service from Reggio Emilia to Boretto with branch service to Viadana (Mantua).
From Viadana: take the coach service running between Mantua and Parma.

By river
From Mantua: at the “Laghi” dock.
From Cremona: from the “Porto Fluviale” (River port)