A break in Mantova
The city of culture vultures
A holiday at Lake Garda also takes you to Mantova, which brings together elegance, historic art treasures and history with authenticity and comfort, like barely any other place. Home to just 50,000 inhabitants it is an idyllic gem, yet at the same time it is one of the most important and loveliest towns in Italy – for those who have an interest in art too.
Historic buildings such as the impressive Renaissance villa Palazzo Te and the ducal palace Palazzo Ducale which covers some 34,000 m² define the ambience. The town, founded hundreds of years beforehand by the Etruscans, is also the birthplace of the major poet Virgil and also Romeo’s place of exile in William Shakespeare’s epoch-making drama.
A trip to the unique Piazza Sordello next to the ducal palace is inspiring, where you can gaze in wonder at the famous cathedral and the impressive Palazzo Bonacolsi. On the Piazza delle Erbe is the Palazzo della Ragione, the clock tower, Casa del Mercante and San Lorenzo church, the oldest church in the entire city.
An insider tip for your holiday - Mantova
Inside and outside of the historic city walls alike, Mantova inveigles with a panache which is beyond compare. Situated on a peninsula and surrounded by three lakes, all of which are fed by the River Mincio, the city inspires thanks to its fantastic natural landscapes and parks.
Discover the Bibiena Theatre, where the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was once said to have made an appearance, the Tazio Nuvolari Museum, Palazzo D’Arco, Casa del Mantegna and its galleries as well as the Palazzo S. Sebastiano and the St. Andrea Basilica.
Despite the fact that it is steeped in history, versatility and its incomparable charisma, the city at Mincio, just an hour’s drive from our hotel at Lake Garda (15. Orione), has retained its sense of contemplation, which is why it is all the more worthwhile discovering this gem during your holiday in Mantova.