Nature, history, tradition, culture and art wave together composing thus a unique surrounding, one of the most precious Veneto pearls. We are talking about the Delta of the Po, an area that is testimony to the secular work of man who patiently tamed the strength of the river by shaping and adapting it to his rhythms of life.
In this magnificent area we can distinguish different environments, one different from the other, whose extraordinariness we had the privilege of admiring during a magic cruise which led us to discover this place.While the placid river waters rocked us gently, all the natural beauties of the Delta swept past our eyes: the countryside with paleochannels, fossil dunes, banks, flood planes, fishing valleys, lagoons …
Thanks to this mini-cruise, we learned about the flora and the fauna of the delta and accompanied by our attentive guide Alessandro we went on the discovery of spectacular landscapes that surround the two souls of the Po. Yes, because the mouth of the river has two souls!
The Po Delta: 2 souls of one river
The Delta, in fact, divides into two parts: a younger called Active Delta and an older called Delta Fossil. Our visit started from the Active Delta which, as its name suggests, is the most recent vital territory situated in the heart of the Po Delta Interregional Park.
The Active Delta, by the way, has been running since 1604, when the Venetians practiced the Porto Viro Cut, the hydraulic work that diverted the Po course to the South. The work was realized where Taglio di Po stands now, the village that carries this name in memory of that intervention.
The Po Delta: Po Grande or Venetian
From Po Grande or Venetian, one of the branches of the Active Delta, we arrived at Po di Maistra (that is of Levanter), where we remained amazed by spectacular forest, island, canal landscapes of this branch of the river.
In its final part, the Venetian Po is called Po di Pila which in turn is divided into Busa di Tramontana to the north and in Busa di Scirocco to the south. The Po has infinite branches and remember them all is really complicated! Here we could admire the lighthouse of Punta Maestra and the great mouth of Busa Dritta, the most extreme point in which river water skims the Adriatic sea.
Finally, it was the turn of the Delta Fossil, so called because its origins date back to medieval times.
We have therefore discovered the beauty of the Po Delta landscapes in an itinerary which led us through the places of rare beauty and uniqueness.
The most amazing thing is that what we see in the Po Delta is the result of the struggle between the sea, river, land and man: it’s one of the most dynamic places in Italy! It was a relaxing but also passionate trip which I highly recommend if you want to get back to the authentic origins of the most characteristic and least known venues of Veneto.
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