Where should I travel to if I want to see paddy fields?

Where should I travel to if I want to see paddy fields? - High Angle Photography of House Surrounded by Trees

I would really like to see real-life paddy fields. What's the closest destination to Central Europe where people really cultivate rice?



Best Answer

Right next to Piedmont is Lombardy, where you'll also find many paddy fields. Indeed the province of Pavia and the geographical area known as Lomellina contain the most productive rice farmlands in Italy, according to this site (in Italian). Seeing the paddy fields is easy: all you have to do is drive along the A7 from Milan to Serravalle (no point going further since that's where the mountains start) during the right season. Looking around you'll find plenty. If you want to take a closer look you can exit the highway and drive your car all the way to the closest paddy field. Some farming companies also allow visits of their land and facilities. For example the linked article mentions La Sforzesca, in the province of Vigevano, for it's historical value, saying that its irrigation system was designed by Leonardo Da Vinci for Ludovico Il Moro who gave it to Beatrice d'Este as a wedding gift:

Chi voglia riscoprire atmosfere dei tempi andati può visitare la Sforzesca, un’ampia tenuta a pochi chilometri da Vigevano, splendida meta non solo per gli amanti del plein air, ma anche per chi si interessa di storia, architettura o più semplicemente per chi desidera vivere qualche ora nel contesto affascinante della tenuta che fu dono d’amore di Ludovico il Moro per la giovane sposa Beatrice d’Este. L’azienda agricola fu progettata da Leonardo da Vinci, che si occupò soprattutto della rete di rogge e canali funzionali alla regimazione delle acque tra il Ticino, il Po e il Sesia, in un’epoca in cui la risicoltura del territorio pavese ebbe un forte impulso.




Pictures about "Where should I travel to if I want to see paddy fields?"

Where should I travel to if I want to see paddy fields? - Aerial Photography of House Near Mountain
Where should I travel to if I want to see paddy fields? - Two People Walking Towards A Nipa Hut In The Rice Fields Surrounded By Thick Vegetation
Where should I travel to if I want to see paddy fields? - Rice Terraces





How Rice is Made : Step by Step Growing Rice Paddy Farming, South India




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Images: Tom Fisk, Tom Fisk, Tom Fisk, Tom Fisk