March 21 will be, like every year, the first day of spring: the weather gets nice, the temperatures rise and you start to think about going for a trip out of town, whether in a city of art or in the countryside for a hike in the green.

The perfect place for these trips is Mantua, defined by Baldassarre Castiglioni as "A city in the form of a Palace", which looks marvelous both in its city landscapes and in the province surrounded by rice fields.

An essential visit for a sunny day to spend in the company of the people you love is the one at Palazzo Te, commissioned by Federico Gonzaga, first duke of Mantua and son of the illustrious Marquis, Isabella d’Este, as a villa of pleasures and amusements. The frescoed rooms and the magnificent garden make this palace a romantic retreat as it had been for Federico and Isabella!

For those wishing to devote themselves instead to a naturalistic and even enogastronomic itinerary, they can set out on the Rice Road, or that part of the Mantuan area that goes from the left bank of the Mincio to the border with Veronese. Along this historic road, which crosses the rice fields and the producers of the typical Vialone Nano rice, you can find excellent trattorias where you can taste the “risotto alla pilota”, a Mantuan specialty. But watch out for the approach of Isola della Scala, where instead you can find the “risotto all’isolana”, apparently similar but different for the type of meat and cooking. Don't provoke cooks asking for differences!

Finally, to beautifully conclude an outdoor day, after having grazed in the sun, there is nothing better than being able to retire to a magnificent room furnished with all the comforts to be pampered and enjoy a well-deserved rest.

Our relais b & b Otto Ducati D'Oro is located a few kilometers from Mantua, immersed in the wonderful rice countryside, close to the city but withdrawn from the noise. It is the ideal place to recuperate, perhaps looking forward to do a new trip the next day.

Don't hesitate to write us to book your favorite room.