Lago Superiore di Mantova
Mantua sits on three lakes, and Lago Superiore is the one that still holds a surprise: come late June, the water disappears beneath a floating canopy of lotus leaves — each pad up to a metre across, the pink-white flowers rising above them like something transplanted from a Mughal garden. It is not an ancient phenomenon. A naturalist from Parma, Maria Pellegreffi, planted the first rhizomes here in October 1921, and the colony has been spreading ever since.
The lake itself is older than the city in any meaningful sense. The Mincio River was pooling here in the Bronze Age, and today Lago Superiore sits about three metres higher than its neighbour, Lago di Mezzo — a difference engineered in 1190 and still quietly generating electricity today.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who come back tend to time it for the lotus bloom — late June through July — and book a guided electric-boat tour rather than staying on shore. From the water you also get the clean sightline to the Ducal Palace and the bell tower of Santa Barbara. Winter-morning walkers mention the fog burning off the surface at dawn from Ponte di San Giorgio as one of the quieter pleasures Mantua offers.
The story behind Lago Superiore di Mantova
The Mincio River was already forming a natural lake here around 1800 BC. The deliberate shaping of it came in 1190, when Alberto Pitentino of Bergamo engineered an artificial lake system by manipulating water levels across the Mincio's course around Mantua. By 1229 a bridge-dam at the eastern end was powering twelve grain mills through the elevation differential between Lago Superiore and the lake below.
The bridge was gradually covered from the fifteenth century onward, and the mills ran until aerial bombardment destroyed them in 1944. The rebuilt embankment now carries infrastructure rather than millstones, and a small hydroelectric plant — the Vasarina, opened in May 2015 — uses that same three-metre drop to power around 800 households. Giulio Romano's 1536 Pescherie fish market, with its rusticated double portico and boat-level storage, still stands on the Rio at the edge of the lake system.
Good to know
Verona airport is the closest at around 29 km. The lakeshore cycle path is free and walkable year-round; electric-boat tours require booking. Skip high summer midday heat — go at dusk, or plan your whole visit around the lotus season in late June and July. Spring and September are the most comfortable months on foot.
The lotus bloom peaks late June through July, which is also the hottest and muggiest stretch — afternoon thunderstorms are possible but rarely last. Spring (mid-April to mid-June) and September offer the most comfortable walking weather. Winter brings dense Po Valley fog that can turn the lake surface into a mirror for the city's cupolas, which has its own austere appeal, but cold and damp define those months.
Where is Lago Superiore di Mantova?
More tickets & tours for Lago Superiore di Mantova
Book directly at the provider
What travellers say about Lago Superiore di Mantova
Nice place for walking, Yoga , Drink live music, and Wide park
Nice looking
A very long pedestrian and cycle path with a well-marked fitness trail, starting from Pier C and ending at the beginning of the narrowing of the Mincio River. A motorboat excursion on the lake is also available.
Best place in Mantua to watch the sunset over the water. Especially pleasant in summer/autumn.
The sunset it offers is beautiful.
More of Mantua
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Mantua →More attractions in Mantua
All of Mantua →
Background adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · ratings & place photos via Google · other photos with per-image credit. Ticket links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.