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the Ponte Visconteo lit up at night, the crenellated tower and the foaming weir on the Mincio
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Italy · Veneto · Historic villages

Borghetto sul Mincio

the village of mills on the Mincio, below the Visconti fortified bridge

2 stopswhere to park
6 sightsto see
1 eventseasonal
January 2026checked
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Borghetto is a hamlet of Valeggio sul Mincio, a handful of stone houses squeezed between the river and the Ponte Visconteo, and it belongs to the club of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy. The mill wheels still turn with the current, wooden bridges cross from one bank to the other, and above everything stands the Visconti fortified dam, 650 metres of wall on the water. You walk the village in an hour, but it makes a good base for the lower Garda, for Verona and for the Mincio cycle path.

Sleeping

Stops and overnight stays

Two equipped areas a few hundred metres apart: the Visconteo is shadier and more enclosed, the Virgilio has wider pitches.

Area Sosta Camper Parking Visconteo

Strada Provinciale 55, 37067 Valeggio sul Mincio (VR)

shade and cool air even in high summer, and Parco Sigurtà within reach for a day visit. The pitches are narrow and opening an awning is difficult; the area sits between two provincial roads and can be noisy at night. Besides the motorhome services there are a barbecue area, outdoor tables, a playground and vending machines; the toilets are squat toilets. Five minutes on foot from the village.

ElectricityWaterGrey waterToiletsShowerLaundryWi-Fi
45.355479, 10.720015
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Area Sosta Camper Parcheggio Virgilio

Via Michelangelo Buonarroti, 37067 Borghetto (VR)

fenced and lit, with a 220V hookup on every pitch, sinks with hot water, a barbecue area, tables and a playground. The pitches are not marked out and in high season the vehicles end up parked at random, but there is room for the awning and for the children. Five minutes on foot from the village.

ElectricityWaterGrey waterChemical toiletToiletsShower
45.354401, 10.721281
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Getting around

Getting around

  • The village is entirely pedestrian: the motorhome stays in the parking area and you walk in
  • From the parking areas to the village is five minutes on flat ground, tarmac or well packed gravel, passable with a pushchair too
  • The round of the village takes an hour; to stop for a drink by the river or step inside a mill, two or three
  • The Castello Scaligero is reached on foot from the village: 1 km uphill, a quarter of an hour
  • The parking areas are on the Mantua to Peschiera del Garda cycle path, 45 flat km: Peschiera is 15 km of pedalling, about an hour, Mantua 30 km
  • Parco Sigurtà is 2.5 km away, ten minutes by bicycle, with an entrance for cyclists and a charging point for e-bikes
  • Valeggio sul Mincio is 2 km away and can be reached by motorhome too: there is a large free public car park near the castle

Seeing

Sights

Six stops: the first four inside the village, a few minutes on foot from each other, the last two outside, towards Valeggio and the countryside around. Tap a marker on the map to open its entry below.

1

Ponte Visconteo

Monument · free entry · 45.35475, 10.72542

built between 1393 and 1395 at the wish of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan, it is 650 metres long and 25 wide. It is not only a bridge but a fortified dam, with a large central fortress, today partly in ruins, that housed the garrison on watch. It was meant to divert the waters of the Mincio and strip rival Mantua of its defences, but the project was never finished. You cross it on foot and by car, and it looks down on the village and the valley: at sunset the light catches the mills.

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2

The water mills

Monument · 45.35366, 10.72496

some go back to the fifteenth century and still work. The great wheels turn with the current and make the background sound of the whole visit. They once ground wheat, cereals and rice; today many are restaurants or inns, but the mechanics have stayed. Some can be seen inside, on guided tours, and you watch close up the gears that carry the force of the water to the stone millstone.

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3

Ponte di San Marco

Monument · free entry · 45.35361, 10.72424

the wooden footbridge that joins the two banks of the village. From here you see the mills, the Ponte Visconteo and the river in one glance, and it is the most photographed view in Borghetto. At the entrance stands the statue of Saint John Nepomuk, patron of rivers and bridges, who by tradition protects those who fall into the water.

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4

Chiesa di San Marco Evangelista

Church · free entry · 45.35339, 10.72498

built in the eighteenth century on the ruins of an eleventh century Romanesque parish church dedicated to Santa Maria. A sober neoclassical facade, a single nave inside with four chapels. On the churchyard a few plaques recall the battles fought on the banks of the Mincio.

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5

Parco Giardino Sigurtà

Park · paid entry · 45.35792, 10.73392

a botanical garden of 600,000 square metres, 2.5 km from the village. Inside are the Viale delle Rose, a kilometre with 30,000 roses, the Labyrinth of 1,500 yew trees, the Laghetti Fioriti, the Water Gardens that reflect the Castello Scaligero, the Valle dei Daini and the Farm. From mid March to early May comes Tulipanomania, over a million tulips in flower. The walking route is about ten kilometres; you can also go round by bicycle, your own or hired on site, on the panoramic train or in an electric golf cart. Parking is free. Dogs are not allowed in, but there are arrangements with kennels nearby.

To be checked on the official website

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6

Castello Scaligero di Valeggio sul Mincio

Castle · paid entry · 45.35297, 10.73026

built by the Scaligeri in the fourteenth century on top of the hill, it dominates the whole Mincio valley. It was joined to the Ponte Visconteo by two high crenellated curtain walls, the Serraglio defensive system, about 16 km long. Of the oldest part only the Torre Tonda remains, a horseshoe shaped structure of the tenth century. From the towers you see Borghetto, the Ponte Visconteo, the valley and, when the air is clear, Lake Garda.

Opening hours Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from late March to late October, 10:00-13:00 and 15:00-18:00; the panoramic courtyard every day 10:00-19:00 · to be checked on the official website

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When

Events

Festa del Nodo d'Amore

third Tuesday of June

the Ponte Visconteo becomes a table more than a kilometre long, with around 3,000 diners and 1.3 tonnes of handmade Valeggio tortellini. Live music, a historical reenactment in costume and fireworks at the end. The festival takes its name from the legend of Captain Malco and the nymph Silvia. Places are limited and go quickly: you book at festanododamore.it. The 2024 edition was cancelled, in 2023 and 2025 it was held as usual.

Remember

Useful tips

  • The best times are April to May and September to October. In summer the village is very crowded at weekends and the parking areas fill up
  • The tulips flower at Parco Sigurtà from mid March to early May: 18 euros for adults and 10 for children, bought online to avoid the queue
  • Entry to Borghetto is free, and so is the walk on the Ponte Visconteo. The Castello Scaligero charges: current prices and hours from the Pro Loco, telephone +39 045 7951880
  • For the Festa del Nodo d'Amore, the third Tuesday of June, both the dinner and the pitch in the parking area are booked well ahead
  • At Valeggio sul Mincio, 2 km away, there are supermarkets, bakeries, butchers and the artisan pasta shops where you buy fresh tortellini: the best known are Pastificio Remelli and Re del Tortellino. Fuel stations near the parking areas
  • Borghetto has plenty of restaurants, many of them over the river, at the medium to high prices of a tourist village: at weekends and on public holidays it is worth booking. Besides the tortellini, try the Amarone risotto, the bigoli with sardines and the bollito with pearà
  • The lower Garda is all within reach: Peschiera del Garda 10 km, Sirmione 12 km, Lazise 15 km. The Riserva Naturale del Mincio has paths and birdwatching hides

Borghetto sul Mincio · part two

and then?

What to taste, and where to go tomorrow.

Taste

The most typical dish, to cook again at home.

Tortellini di Valeggio · ingredients for 8 people
  • 600 g of plain flour for the pasta
  • 5 whole eggs
  • water, about half a glass
  • 150 g of stewing beef
  • 100 g of pork
  • 100 g of veal
  • 200 g of chicken breast, or 100 g of chicken livers
  • 100 g of prosciutto crudo
  • 100 g of grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 50 g of breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • nutmeg
  • butter
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • half a glass of red wine, optional, traditionally Bardolino
  • capon broth, or capon and beef mixed, for the version in broth
  • butter and sage leaves for the dry version
Method
  1. make the filling the day before, or at least three hours ahead: chop the onion, carrot and celery finely
  2. heat oil and butter in a wide pan and soften the chopped vegetables
  3. add the meats cut into small pieces, beef, pork, veal and chicken, and brown them well over a medium heat
  4. if you use chicken livers, cook them apart in butter and add them at the end
  5. pour in the red wine, if you use it, and let it evaporate
  6. add the rosemary, salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg
  7. cover and cook over a low heat for fifteen or twenty minutes, stirring often, adding water or broth if it dries out
  8. take out the rosemary and let the meat cool completely
  9. blend the meat with the prosciutto crudo, the egg yolk, the grated cheese and the breadcrumbs until the mixture is firm and even
  10. taste, adjust the salt, pepper and nutmeg, wrap the filling in cling film and keep it in the fridge
  11. for the pasta, heap the flour on the board and break the eggs into the middle
  12. work the eggs in with a fork, then knead by hand, adding the water a little at a time
  13. knead for at least ten minutes, until the dough is smooth, firm and elastic, wrap it in cling film and let it rest half an hour at room temperature
  14. roll the sheet out with a rolling pin or a machine to 2 or 3 mm, almost transparent
  15. cut squares of about 3 cm a side, with a fluted wheel for the wavy edge
  16. put a scant teaspoon of filling in the middle of each square
  17. fold in half into a triangle and press the edges well to seal
  18. bring the two opposite corners towards the middle and overlap them slightly, forming the knot
  19. lay the tortellini spaced out on a floured cloth and let them dry at least half an hour, no more than two
  20. for the traditional version bring the capon broth to the boil, drop in the tortellini and cook them two or three minutes, until they rise
  21. serve at once in a soup plate with plenty of hot broth and a dusting of Grana Padano
  22. for the dry version cook the tortellini in salted water two or three minutes and toss them half a minute in golden butter with the sage, then serve with Grana Padano
60 more local recipes, region by region

Nearby

The next stop, ordered by driving time.

the arched gate in the battlemented walls, with the keep of the Scaliger castle behind

Lazise

Veneto · Lakes · overnight stay · 24 km
27minutes
the Mantua skyline from the far shore of the Lago di Mezzo in the haze, the dome of Sant'Andrea and the Palazzo Ducale

Mantua

Lombardia · Cities of art · overnight stay · 30 km
33minutes
the old centre and the bend of the Adige at sunset, with the towers and bell towers above the roofs

Verona

Veneto · Cities of art · overnight stay · 31 km
37minutes

Distances and times by road, measured with OSRM on OpenStreetMap data.

Looking

Borghetto sul Mincio in photographs

11 shots from our visit. Tap one to see it large.

the Ponte Visconteo lit up at night, the crenellated tower and the foaming weir on the Mincio
the Mincio at night with the moon among the clouds, the tower of the Ponte Visconteo on the left and the falling water
the tower of the Ponte Visconteo reflected in the still water, behind the red ivy on the bank
the arch of branches and poinsettias framing the tower of the Ponte Visconteo, and the wall of padlocks on the right
the village lane decorated for Christmas, the lit little trees and the red candles
the yellow houses on the canal and the red carpet of the decorations, from the little bridge in the village
the keep of the Ponte Visconteo reflected in the Mincio, among the dry reeds
two swans on the Mincio, beyond the violas of a planter
our daughter leaning on the flower boxes of the bridge, with the stone house and the Scaliger castle in the fog
here we are walking down the cobbled slope from the Scaliger castle, with the tower behind us
our daughter walking the cat on its lead over the gravel of the motorhome area, among the cypresses in the fog