A beautiful landscape along the border with Veneto, from ROVERBELLA to GOVERNOLO, where Mincio river flows into Po; in the eastern part of Mantua province, where the dialect itself sounds more Veronese, the countryside is full of rice fields. The typical local rice is vialone nano, a cross created in 1925 in Vercelli.
As a visitor, you will learn soon three words: rice field, rice mill and risotto – which is one of the most famous Mantuan dishes and is served in any restaurant of this area. Anybody from Mantua, Verona or Brescia knows risotto alla pilota – with pork sausage -, risotto with fish or with melon.
Still, you may sail along Mincio river, then downstream Po as far as the Venetian Lagoon.
This is an area sprinkled with farms, small villages and rice mills, such as Pila del Galeotto, between Gazzo and Cadè, which opened up centuries ago and is still producing.
To get here from Mantua, just follow the Legnaghese route towards Nogara; the route starts a few kilometres east of San Giorgio bridge. Once you are in Gazzo or in Susano – which numbers several antique shops -, you may turn left and follow Strada del riso – id est Rice route - northwards, or turn right towards Basso Mantovano as far as Canale Fissero, a canal connected to Mincio river.

This area, where rice is so important, is also known as Sinistra Mincio – id est Mincio East bank. Visitors may appreciate its several outdoor festivals, where they can taste risotto, fish and saltarel – which is a typical kind of tiny crayfish -, or where they can go through Sunday street market stalls in Castelbelforte, Castel d'Ario, Villimpenta... Of course, if you are a gourmet, you can not miss sausages, salami, Grana Padano, cakes and the renowned chisolìna – a typical Mantuan crunchy and tasty flat bread.