What to see in Mantua with children

There is something special about visiting a city through the eyes of someone who grew up there. Francesca, a native Mantuan and a mother, opened the doors of her city to us and showed us how to experience it with children: not as hurried tourists, but as those who know every corner, every portico, every gelato shop in the heart.
And of arcades, in Mantua, there are many. Enough to stroll serenely even when the sky turns gray, without anyone complaining of rain. The historic center is entirely pedestrian friendly, the streets are stroller and curious child friendly, and the city-with its lakes, its Renaissance palaces, and its scents of ancient cuisine-knows how to win over young and old alike.

Just a few kilometers from Lake Garda and less than two hours from Milan, Mantua is perfect for a day trip or a long weekend to remember. Below you will find all there is to see, do and taste-with tips from those who really love Mantua.

• Discovering Mantua by playing: treasure hunt in the city
• Piazza Virgiliana: let's play before we discover Mantua
• Walking on Mantua's lakefront
• Motorboat trip on the Mincio and Po rivers
• The Ducal Palace of Mantua: a city within a city
• Playing outside the Ducal Palace: courtyards, lawns and gardens
• The Fire Department Museum
• Gourmet stop in Mantua
• Shopping in Mantua with children
• The Palazzo Te
• Picnic in the Virgilian Woods
• What to eat in Mantua with children
• Practical information for getting around Mantua with kids

Discovering Mantua through play: treasure hunt in the city

Suitable for ages 6 and up
An original way to start the adventure is to turn the visit into a treasure hunt through the streets of the historic center. Through puzzles and clues to be solved with a smartphone, children explore Piazza Sordello, the Castle of San Giorgio and the city's most striking corners with different eyes, stopping on details that would otherwise go unnoticed. It's a perfect way to keep the attention of even the most lively, turning each monument into a stop on an adventure of their own.

The route is conducted autonomously via smartphone and is perfect for making the visit more dynamic and fun even for children who usually get tired during cultural visits.Here to find out how the Mantova smart treasure hunt works

Piazza Virgiliana: let's play before we discover Mantua

Before we start the tour to discover Mantua, Francesca recommends that we go play in Piazza Virgiliana: here children can run, play and have a drink in the kiosks on the square.
Inside the square there is a large well-maintained park, young and old can have fun, challenging each other in some game, or just stroll in peace.
In the center of the square stands the monument dedicated to Virgil, the Latin poet who was born in Mantua - an opportunity to tell the story of Aeneas and the Aeneid to older children. From the square you can then choose whether to follow the path along the lakefront or go straight into the historic center.

Helpful to know: there are several parking lots around Piazza Virgiliana, and you can also park on the lakefront then enter the square through a small pedestrian passageway.

Piazza Vigiliana in Mantua

Strolling along the lakefront in Mantua

Many people do not know that Mantua has its own lakes.
In the Middle Ages the city was surrounded by the Mincio River, which over time was transformed into three artificial lakes by impressive hydraulic works. Today Mantua is known precisely as the city of the three lakes. , and the lakefront is one of the most beautiful places to walk with children.
In addition to throwing stones into the water and giving bread to ducks and swans-activities that never wane-children can explore the Science Park, adjacent to Piazza Virgiliana, with interactive installations on scientific themes that can be visited from dawn to dusk. The Mincio bike path, one of the most scenic routes in northern Italy, also departs from the lakefront to Lake Garda.

From the lakefront also starts the Mincio bicycle path, a flat and scenic route that connects Mantua to Peschiera on Lake Garda, following the course of the river,

Mantua's lakefront

Motorboat trip on the Mincio and Po rivers

Recommended for ages 3 and up
Seeing Mantua from the water is an experience children won't forget.
The motorship trips take you exploring the Mincio and Po rivers with itineraries of varying lengths, some with lunch on board and stories about the city's history.
The most adventurous stop is the"water elevator": a hydraulic system that allows boats to overcome the difference in height between the two rivers. For children, it's real magic.

You can book the Boat tour of the city of Mantua and the Mincio Park here

The Ducal Palace of Mantua: a city within a city

Recommended for ages 6 and up
Imagine entering a place so big it seems like a whole city: corridors that never end, secret rooms, hidden gardens, towers to explore.
That's what Mantua's Ducal Palace is-and children, almost always, are amazed.
For centuries it was the home of the Gonzaga, the family that ruled Mantua from 1300 until 1700. Each duke wanted to leave his mark by adding new wings, new rooms, new works of art-the result is a marvelous labyrinth of more than 500 rooms, 15 gardens, squares and courtyards, all connected by passages, staircases and galleries.
An integral part of the palace is the Castle of St. George. It is here that the must-see wonder is located: the Bridal Chamber, frescoed by Andrea Mantegna between 1465 and 1474. The walls and ceiling are covered with scenes of court life so realistic they look like open windows to the world-an effect that amazes even the most skeptical children.
Also not to be missed are the Mirror Gallery, with its illusionistic frescoes that make figures appear to move, and Isabella d'Este's Studiolo.

Book tickets online: the lines, especially in summer, can be long Here you can buy Ducal Palace tickets

Ducal palace and san Giorgio palace in Mantua

Playing outside the Ducal Palace: courtyards, lawns and gardens

One does not necessarily have to enter the Ducal Palace to enjoy it.
Strolling around the perimeter of the complex, between Piazza Sordello and the shore of the Lago Inferiore, opens up a large lawn where children can run freely while parents admire towers, walls and historic facades. It is the perfect stop between visits - and it costs nothing.

Those who enter with a ticket will also find the inner gardens, which have curious stories to tell children.
There's the Giardino dei Semplici, an Italian-style botanical garden created in 1603 where medicinal plants used at court were grown - a bit like the Gonzaga's pharmacy.
There is the Hanging Garden, which is surprising because it is 12 meters high, suspended above the other buildings. And there is the Courtyard of the Cavallerizza, a large open space that was once the stables where the Gonzagas showed their horses: today it is kept as a lawn and is perfect for a break in the open air.
Tip: If you have young children or a short day, even just walking around the palace along the lakefront is a beautiful experience and completely free.

The lawn of the Ducal Palace and San Giorgio castle

The Museum of the Fire Brigade

Recommended for ages 3 and up
What child doesn't dream of being a firefighter? Mantua is home to theonly museum in Italy dedicated to firefighters!
From the Ducal Palace, cross a section of the Marani Gardens on the lakefront to the Firefighters Museum. The museum is suitable for children and adults, but the latter will undoubtedly be fascinated by the firefighters' vehicles and work.

The museum is open on Saturdays from 2:30 to 6 p.m. and on Sundays and holidays from 10 a.m. to noon and 2:30 to 6 p.m. It is possible to book openings for tours, groups and guided tours.
Admission is free.

The Fire Brigade Museum

Gourmand stop in Mantua

A gluttonous stop in Mantua, after so much walking, is a must.
From the Firemen's Museum, with a nice walk that allows you to admire the beauty of the city, you can walk to Piazza delle Erbe. There is always a market here, lots of places to enjoy sweets, ice cream or a drink, and the Clock Tower, with the astronomical clock back in operation in 1989, which is sure to be an irresistible attraction for older children. Also by climbing into the Tower, which houses a museum of Time with gears of the period, one can enjoy an impressive view of the town and lakes.
But the attractions of the square don't stop there, in fact no child can resist the temptation to play on the steps of the Rotonda di San Lorenzo and to drink at the "bar nasello": a peculiar fountain, in fact the water comes directly from the nostrils of a statue.

Shopping in Mantua with children

Starting from Piazza delle Erbe and walking down Via Roma, one crosses an almost entirely pedestrian area full of stores.
The walk takes you to the Mercato Contadino delle Pescherie, overlooking the Rio, the waterway that flows between the buildings.
It's worth stopping for groceries-the products are of excellent quality.
In warm weather, children will also find a small carousel ride-arm yourself with patience for the turn.

Peach Farmers' Market

The Palazzo Te

Recommended for ages 4 and up
Palazzo Te , and the vast garden, is a must-see when visiting Mantua.
It's a beautiful structure, smaller than the Ducal Palace, there are also organized tours for children or special events, to find out what's on the program just take a tour on the site of Palazzo Te (watch out on the same portal there is also Palazzo San Sebastiano which is located just before Palazzo Te).
Palazzo Te was built at the behest of Federico II Gonzaga during the 16th century. A visit inside the palace, through its rooms, also pleases children because of the striking frescoes that decorate them.
But the real surprise is outside: in the vast park in front, children can climb on "crickets," special tricycles where you sit and advance your legs with a jumping motion. Guaranteed fun.

Palazzo Te and its gardens

Picnic in the Virgilian Woods

There are several areas to have apicnic in Mantua with children, we suggest Bosco Virgiliano.
This is a vast park that covers five hectares in the southern part of Mantua, very nice for a tour or picnic and very close to the Parcobaleno, where they organize events aimed at the recovery of the city's largest park, as well as environmental education events. It is accessed through the Virgiliano Woods. Parcobaleno was born during the 1990s, when WWF proposed the recovery of the forest, forming the Anticittà association, which has the management of the area and its facilities.
The old greenhouses have become homes for butterflies, while the park, now Parcobaleno, is home to various events and initiatives for young and old.

What to eat in Mantua with children

What can you eat in Mantua with children?
You can't plan a vacation without thinking about food, so here is some useful information on what to order at restaurants.

Mantuan cuisine appetizers

There are many tasty hors d'oeuvres of the Mantuan cuisine based on cured meats and cheeses: salamella (a typical specialty), salami, coppa, pancetta, and cotechini; Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano, both produced by Mantuan dairies; and the mostarda mantovana, made of apples and pears, thinly sliced, strongly mustardy, a very tasty dish that may not appeal to all children.

Mantuan main courses.

We then move on to the Mantuan first and second courses: agnolini in brodo (for mom and dad also in the "bevr'in vin" version, a taste of agnolini with Lambrusco mantovano), maltagliati e fagioli; tortelli con la zucca; bigoi con le sardèle (pasta pulled with a press and served with sardines) or with beans and bacon. Mantua, moreover, is the capital of risottos: its Riso Vialone Nano mantovano is used to make the classic risotto alla pilòta (sausage and meat), or with fish or pumpkin.
Kid-friendly main courses include stracceti di lesso (boiled meat) that can be enjoyed with mostrada (or other sauces), luccio in salsa and salamella (Mantuan sausage) with polenta.

The desserts of Mantua

And now to the highlight: the desserts of Mantua! We start with the renowned Torta Sbrisolona, with almonds and yellow flour flake, and proceed with the Anello di Monaco, made with panettone dough filled with an almond cream and glazed with sugar, and the Torta Helvetia a cake made of very thin layers of almond paste, zabaglione and whipped cream. Another highlight is the Greek Cake, puff pastry with a light cake baked inside with almonds, the Rose Cake and an extraordinary assortment of other desserts thanks to the imagination of artisan producers. Not to be forgotten is the Noodle Cake which has an ancient stoia because it was apparently prepared to honor the Queen of Sweden consisting of layers of sweet noodles and alternating butter, sugar and almonds.

Tagliatelle cake

Practical information for getting around Mantua with kids

Thanks to the moms of the Its4kids FB community, we have collected here all the practical information for getting around Mantua with babies in comfort.

Where to park in Mantua?

Parking in Mantova is easy, being a rather small town it is perfect for visiting on foot. Our advice is to leave your vehicle in one of the available parking lots.
We point out some of them that are also practical because of their proximity to the center: the parking lots at Campo Canoa, along the lakefront near the Virgiliana square crossing, behind Palazzo Ducale, in the Pescheria area (Mazzini parking lot) or near Palazzo Te.

How to get around Mantua.

Mantua is very easy to get around on foot. Buses also cover the outlying areas: children under one meter travel free, two children under one meter equals one ticket. Strollers ride free but must be kept closed.

Where to sleep in Mantua with children

To book where to sleep we suggest you search on Booking where to sleep in Mantua with children .

How much time to dedicate to Mantua? The weekend idea with a stop at Lake Garda

Mantua can be visited comfortably in a day, but if you want to experience it more leisurely--and maybe add some pure fun for the kids--it's worth planning a weekend getaway.
Many families choose to stay on Lake Garda, which is about forty kilometers away, and combine a day in Mantua with a day in one of the parks of Lake Garda: a mix of culture, nature and fun that will please young and old alike.

When to go to Mantua with children

Mantua can be visited all year round, but each season has its own characteristics.
Spring is perhaps the best time: temperatures are mild, the lakefront is in bloom and the city is not yet crowded. Perfect for walks and motorboat rides.
Summer is the most popular season, but it brings with it intense heat and greater tourist influx. If you come in July or August, plan early morning visits and reserve the afternoon for the lakefront or shady areas.
Autumn is the season of the heart for those who love Mantua. In September the city hosts the Festivaletteratura , one of the most important cultural events in Italy, which dedicates part of its program each year precisely to children: readings, workshops, performances and meetings with authors. All the more reason to choose September as the month to visit.
Winter gives a quieter and more collected Mantua, with Christmas markets and an almost magical atmosphere among the illuminated palaces. The cold is well tolerated thanks to the many arcades.