Parco Adda Sud

The final stop in our tour of Lodi's natural oases and parks is South Adda Regional Park, a river and agricultural park situated in the territory of Lodi and Cremona along the lower course of the Adda river, for a total area of 230 square kilometres.

This fairy-tale place can be explored through various marked cycle paths following paved roads, dirt tracks and stretches of pre-existing path, linked up by bridges crossing over the river. In addition to discovering historical, natural and religious sites, these routes give visitors the chance to admire works of human ingenuity such as the hydraulic structure of the Muzza and Vacchelli irrigation canals.     

Among South Adda Park's points of interest, don't miss the so-called Trail of the Dragonflies, a route designed for schoolchildren that is sure to delight visitors of all ages with its many butterfly species. Equally deserving of mention is the Villa Pompeiana Park Centre (village of Villa Pompeiana - Zelo Buon Persico): the deconsecrated country church was renovated and repurposed as a park centre with a green area. Inside, visitors will find a series of explanatory panels for environmental education.

Be sure not to leave the Park without dropping into the Castiglione d'Adda Visitor Centre. Not far from the oriented natural reserve of Adda Morta - Lanca della Rotta stands a rural building outside which a large aviary was built for the White Stork Reintroduction Project, now inhabited by this beautiful species. Set in the reserve's wetlands and accessible by a short walk is the Turtle Reintroduction Centre.