The Po River

Cruise the Po River and the Venice Lagoon on a river cruise

UNESCO World Heritage Sites along the Po River

Along the Moselle River and nearby you can find these amazing UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Visits to some may be included in your river cruise itinerary, but some may require some creative travel planning by your River Cruise Artist in order to visit. Learn more below about these UNESCO Sites and the history you can experience when you visit them. Let River Cruise Your Way take you away to the history around the Moselle River.

Venice and its Lagoon

Originally founded in the 5th century and occupying more than 110 small islands in the Venetian Lagoon off the northern point of the Adriatic, the city of Venice was once a strong maritime power. Venice is an extraordinary architectural masterpiece with even the smallest building containing works by some of the world’s greatest artists such as Giorgione, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese and others. Venice is the obvious favorite port for a Po River cruise that extends out in the Venetian Lagoon. Here you will experience a history all its own with a rich cultural heritage exhibited around every corner and canal.

Botanical Garden (Orto Botanico), Padua

Padua, Italy, a short drive north of the Po River and west of Venice, is the home of the world’s first botanical garden. Developed in 1545, the botanical gardens today still preserve its original layout – a circular central area meant to symbolize the Earth, surrounded by a canal ring of water. Some current garden elements were enhanced later including some architectural ornamental entrances and balustrades and some pumping installations and greenhouses. The botanical gardens of Padua continue to be a center of scientific research to this day. Padua is a wonderful excursion opportunity for Po River cruisers as they explore the cultural history in the region.

City of Vicenza And the Palladian Villas of The Veneto

A short drive west of Padua, Italy, founded in the 2nd century BC, lies Vicenza. This historic city prospered under Venetian rule from the early 15th to the 18th century. The architectural work of Andrea Palladio of the 16th century, based on a detailed study of classical Roman examples, gives Vicenza its unique skyline. Palladio’s city center buildings, as well as his nearby villas, scattered throughout the Veneto region, had particular influence on the development of Italian architecture. His work inspired a unique architectural style today known as Palladian, which expanded to England and other European countries, and eventually to North America. Enjoy a taste of history on your Po River cruise excursion to Vicenza.

City of Verona

The historic and famous city of Verona, Italy, was founded in the 1st century BC. Located just west of Vicenza and north of the Po River, Verona flourished under the rule of the Scaliger family in the 13th and 14th centuries and under Venetian rule from the 15th to 18th centuries. Verona has preserved a remarkable number of monuments from its rich cultural historic past including the medieval and Renaissance periods. Verona like the Roman Amphitheater, Castle Scaligeri, Castelvecchio, and the Piazza delle Erbe. Also popular in Verona is of course ‘Juliet’s House’ from the famous Shakespeare ‘Romeo & Juliet’.

Mantua and Sabbioneta

Mantua and Sabbioneta, two historic towns in the Po River valley of northern Italy, represent two unique styles of Renaissance urban planning. Mantua shows the renewal and extension of an existing city, while a few miles away, Sabbioneta represents the implementation of the period’s theories about planning the ideal city from original state. Mantua’s layout is irregular showing different stages of growth since the Roman period with many medieval relics from the 11th century like the rotunda and Baroque theater. Sabbioneta, created in the second half of the 16th century, is often described as a single-period town and has a modern grid layout. Both cities offer exceptional testimonies to the urban, architectural and artistic realizations of the Renaissance.

Ferrara, City of The Renaissance, and Its Po Delta

Just south of the Po River near where it empties into the Venetian Lagoon, Ferrara became an intellectual and artistic center that in the 15th and 16th centuries attracted the most creative and innovative minds of the Italian Renaissance. Piero della Francesca, Jacopo Bellini and Andrea Mantegna all participated in the decoration of the palaces of the House of Este. The humanist concept of the ‘ideal city’ came to life here in the neighborhoods built from 1492 onward by Biagio Rossetti. The completion of this project marked the birth of modern town planning and influenced its continued development.

Cathedral, Torre Civica and Piazza Grande, Modena

A short excursion south from the Po River the historic town of Modena is a magnificent testament to 12th century architecture with its famous cathedral. The Duomo di Modena is the work of two great architects and artists – Lanfranco and Wiligelmus – and is a clear example of early Romanesque art. With its piazza and soaring tower, it testifies to the power of the Canossa dynasty who commissioned it. Modena is a splendid example of a northern Italian town that is steeped in history and wonderful to explore.

Your Po River Cruise Awaits!

Are you ready to start planning your Po River Cruise Vacation Your Way? A River Cruise Artist at River Cruise Your Way is ready to be your vacation concierge. Contact us today at 1-800-259-7612 or use the form below and let us know when it is most convenient to call you, we will confirm via e-mail, and then reach out at the agreed upon time and date.