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Valeggio Sul Mincio: Sigurtà Garden Park Entry Ticket
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From a farm in the 15th century to a masterpiece of landscape gardening that today attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world: this in a nutshell is the story of the Sigurtà Garden Park in Valeggio sul Mincio.
Situated just a few kilometres from the shores of Lake Garda in the Veneto region, it is a unique attraction that adds charm to a location that is marvellous in itself. In the more than 40 years it has been open, the park has collected a long list of awards and distinguished visitors, including artists, intellectuals, politicians and nobility.
It is undoubtedly a must-visit destination for all plant and flower lovers who like to visit gardens during their holidays. But it is not a boring botanical garden for academics and super enthusiasts: it is a green oasis of rare beauty that will make anyone who crosses the threshold live a romantic dream.
Do so: endless manicured grassy lawns, uniquely shaped hedge paths, thousands of roses, ancient trees, water lilies, temples, paths, lakes, fountains, scenic walks, a hedge maze and more await you.
Seen once, it cannot be crossed off the list of places to see in a lifetime. The Sigurtà Garden Park is an attraction that deserves to be seen a second time, and maybe even a third or fourth, because it changes its face every season of the year.
Depending on the flowering of the moment, the colours and scents of the park change: a spectacle that is continually renewed according to the rhythms of nature and skilful and respectful human intervention.
With the exception of winter when the Park is closed, there is no recommended time to visit the Sigurtà Park because each season has its own particular charm due to the flowering of different species. Its well-kept symmetries guarantee an explosion of colours and scents in every season of the year.
Visiting it in the period between March and April, you can witness the magic of Tulipanomania, the blossoming of millions of multicoloured bulbs.
May offers the opportunity for a romantic stroll along the Avenue of Roses in Bloom.
In summer, in addition to the dahlias and sunflowers in bloom, the big attraction are aquatic plants at their peak: a riot of water lilies, lotus flowers, papyruses and water ibises.
You can consult the flowering period for each plant or flower on the park’s official website.
The Sigurtà park is very extensive (about 60 hectares) and the points of interest within it are numerous. Here are the attractions not to be missed.
The park’s most popular attraction is undoubtedly the Avenue of Roses, a romantic 1 km long pedestrian walkway lined with thousands of roses. Many specimens but only two varieties, Queen Elizabeth and Hybrid Polyantha & Floribunda.
Thanks to a spectacular optical effect, the avenue seems to lead to the Scaliger Castle of Vialeggio sul Mincio, but actually leads to the much closer labyrinth of the park. This is almost certainly the spot from which you will take the most beautiful photos of your visit.
The Water Gardens are large pools surrounded by greenery that serve as habitats for numerous species of rustic and tropical water lilies; the Scaliger Castle tower is reflected in the water of the pools. The overall view is reminiscent of an impressionist painting.
Always one of the park’s most visited attractions, the water gardens have recently gained even greater popularity thanks to the addition of rotating floating beds that bloom with colourful tulips between March and April.
Perhaps less spectacular than the Aquatic Garden but definitely more fragrant, the Medicinal Plant Garden is a small, semi-hidden area where some 40 plants with therapeutic properties are cultivated. In the centre of the garden is a statue of a lion.
The Great Grass Carpet is the gigantic lawn of the Sigurtà Park, a green expanse consisting of different types of perfectly cut grass: at a glance it is almost dazzling. In the middle of the lawn are two small lakes.
The Labyrinth in the Sigurtà Park is reminiscent of the romantic hedge mazes of the 19th century, but is actually a recent addition (it was inaugurated in 2011).
Its labyrinth paths were created with 1,500 specimens of plants over two metres high, while the centre of the labyrinth is marked by a 2.5-metre high tower inspired by that of the famous Bois de Boulogne park in Paris.
Climb to the top of the tower not to miss the magnificent view of the geometries created by the hedge path… or to find your way out!
In the peace of the park there is an even quieter corner: it is the Dogs’ Cemetery, where the four-legged friends belonging to the Sigurtà family rest.
A pond of white water lilies and a statue of a dog facing the park have been dedicated to the faithful Belgian shepherd, German shepherd and poodles.
Among the many trees in the Sigurtà Park there is one that is most beloved: it is the Great Oak, a magnificent 400-year-old specimen a good 40 metres tall. The characteristic that makes it unique is the almost perfect harmony between the trunk, which measures 6 metres in circumference, and the foliage.
The Sigurtà Park boasts the world’s largest collection of box trees, a particular species of hedge with robust and precious wood, with about 40,000 specimens.
The choice made in the park was to prune only the foliage, with a minimally invasive intervention: the result is hedges with unusual and bizarre shapes.
There is a forest near the Labyrinth: go inside and look for the votive grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. Hidden in the greenery, it is a little gem made of natural stones and embedded fossils.
The dedication to the Madonna dates back to 1942; previously there was a grotto called Grotta di Gianna where the Sigurtà family would gather with friends to talk about art, philosophy and literature.
The Horizontal Sundial is an original sundial of modern conception that recalls the sundials of the past in its appearance. The figure that makes up the dial of the sundial symbolically represents the sun as the source of life.
One of the oldest buildings inside the Sigurtà park is the Hermitage of Laura, an elegant little temple surrounded by greenery. It dates back to the late 18th century and was built by Marquis Antonio Maffei.
Admiring the splendid façade adorned with a mullioned window, you will feel as if you are still living the romantic atmosphere of English Romanticism.
The beauty of the Sigurtà Park is not only what has been created inside it, but also the context in which it is set. The Panoramic Walk is a walk on the edge of the park designed to let visitors appreciate the gentle beauty of the area surrounding the park, from the Mincio Valley to the moraine hills.
In addition to the attractions already presented, inside the park there is the Valley of the Fallow Deer where animals live free, the Lovers’ Bench designed for highly romantic selfies, an educational farm to entertain and educate children, and the Stone of Youth on which a quote by the American poet Samuel Ullman is engraved.
The entrance ticket can be purchased online, which allows you to skip the queues at the ticket offices. The use of the little train, the shuttle, the golf-cart or the rented bikes has an additional cost to the entrance ticket.
A full visit takes half a day, but once inside the park there are no time limits: you can stay until closing time.
The park is open from March to November, every day (including holidays) from morning to late afternoon; opening times vary according to season.
The park can be visited in various ways: on foot, by bicycle (with one’s own bike or a rented bike inside the park), with a tourist train that makes a loop route inside the park, on board a shuttle with a private guide or by golf-cart.
It is possible to picnic on the grass, without setting up barbecues and tables with chairs, as well as to eat at picnic tables in the park; if you don’t want to take food and drinks with you, you can buy them at the five kiosks inside the park.
Dogs are not allowed inside the park; however, visitors to the park can take advantage of reduced rates at some nearby dog pens.
The Sigurtà Garden Park is located in Valeggio sul Mincio, a few kilometres south of Peschiera del Garda in the province of Verona.
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