Lake Superiore in Mantua in the Mincio Park reserve among the lotus flowers

Sailing inside the Mincio Valleys among the lotus flowers.
The “ Valli del Mincio ” Reserve, one of the most important and extensive wetlands in Northern Italy, is a protected area of the Natural Park that includes the digressions of this river between Rivalta, Grazie di Curtatone, Mantua and the basin of Lake Superiore. The area is covered with vast reed beds, rich in hydrophilic vegetation in the open waters; exceptional presence of aquatic birds, both nesting and wintering. The area has been declared a wetland of international interest under the Ramsar Convention. In the height of summer, the spectacular flowering of the Lotus Flower (Nelumbo nucifera) is worth noting, a splendid exotic plant with large rounded emerald green leaves that rise over a metre above the water surface and magnificent flowers with an intense scent that show all the shades of pink, from cream to magenta.