The Italians call the Po “Il grande flume,” the great river.
The longest river in Italy, the headwaters of the Po rise from a spring seeping from a stony hillside in the Alps. From there, it flows eastward across northern Italy, traveling approximately 400 miles before forming the Po Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, at Ferrara, just south of the Venice Lagoon.
Surrounded by the Alps, the Adriatic Sea, and the Apennines, the Po plain is one of the most populated areas in Italy. The river flows through many important Italian cities, including Turin, Piacenza, and Ferrara, as well as connecting with Milan through a net of channels called navigli, which Leonardo da Vinci helped design. Cruising through one of the world’s richest treasure troves of art and architecture — not to mention the food and wine! — you’ll enjoy a non-stop feast for the senses.
Only a handful of European river cruise companies offer Po river cruises, with most of their cruise time spent in the Venetian Lagoon. The best includes a stay in Venice, with perks like after-hours viewings of main attractions and scenic cruising around the Venetian Lagoon, for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to one of the most romantic places on Earth. With hotels very expensive a river cruise could be your best way to see Venice!
