Autumn is the ideal season for (re)discovering Mantua. Perhaps on foot, walking without haste to the streets of the old town, discovering the most beautiful and less known corners of the city of Gonzaga.
Not by chance at the end of the month Walking Mantua, the initiative of Trekking Urban promoted by the Municipality that combines tourism and fitness, but that can also be a point for individual itineraries, when and with those who want, among the beauties of the city, with a pair of comfortable shoes at the feet and so much desire to be surprised by its historical-artistic treasures.
Urban trekking in Mantua
The first appointment is for 31 October, National Day of Urban Trekking, for a walk "To the discovery of paths and tastes. Food for the soul, food for the mind."
A long excursus linked to food from prehistory to our days through the Mantuan territory, dotted with marshes and marshes, waters rich in fish, woods where the game abounds, but also suitable for cultivation and breeding.
Starting from Archaeological Museum, to find out what the "Amanti di Valdaro" ate 5000 years ago and then, closer to us, our Etruscan and Roman progenitors. Then you cross the squares of the old town trying to imagine the appearance of the medieval markets, until you get to Palazzo Te to "take part" at the "Banchetto degli Dei".
On 1 November, however, the destination is the "New routes to the Forte di Pietole", which after crossing the Bosco Virgiliano previews the visit inside the Fort to admire its complexity and constructive perfection to more than 200 years from the settlement in the wet area of Vallazza.
Returning to the center, a very suggestive itinerary is what leads from the lake to Palazzo Ducale di Mantova. Cross the bridge of St. George and there will be an enchanting view, ranging from the towers to the castle and the dome of St. Andrew.
From here, you can easily reach the complex of Palazzo Ducale, the palace of the Gonzaga family, lords of Mantua for almost 400 years, which alone is worth the trip. On the return you can then dwell among the streets of the ancient Jewish ghetto and the district of S.Leonardo, which preserves the medieval structure, with the church of S.Leonardo and the intricate of narrow alleys.
To complete the tour, an inevitable stop at the Pescherie, designed by Giulio Romano and destined for the fish trade and Palazzo d’Arco, erected at the end of the eighteenth century by the neoclassical architect Antonio Colonna for a branch of the thirty-year house of the Counts D’Arco.
The museums of Mantua...to the map
If during your stay you are planning to visit exhibitions and museums, you should get the Mantua Card, a card of the cost of 16 Euro that allows you to enter in 8 of the main museums citizens, from Palazzo Ducale to Palazzo della Ragione, from Museum of Palazzo Te at the Temple of San Sebastiano, saving approximately 50% on the cost of individual tickets. And if a weekend is not enough, you have 60 days to visit them all!
The Hotel & La Residenza Broletto, refined 3 star comfort 
To fully experience your stay in Mantua, the ideal is a central accommodation, a step away from the main attractions, but that also allows you to immerse yourself in the city atmosphere. How The Hotel & La Residenza Broletto, 3 star hotel in Mantova centro, although it is actually two structures a few meters from each other, where you will be welcomed by the measured elegance of the rooms and a friendly service that will make you feel at home.
And in factHotel Broletto seems to be in one refined private house, where the rooms are intimate and welcoming, with furnishings with warm shades of ivory and brown, and the awakening is delighted by a rich sweet and savory buffet served in the bright breakfast room.
If you want to taste the flavors of the mantovana tradition, from pumpkin tortelli to rice with sausage, to the mustards, in the surroundings you have only the embarrassment of the choice between restaurants and typical trattorias, maybe taking advantage of the "enogastronomic package" which includes a dinner in a restaurant agreed in the center.
