Walk 2 : The Park and the River

This walk will take   along the river Lambro and its old irrigation distches.

The starting point is the Franciscan Santuario delle Grazie (1).  This , this is late gothic (1473) but with heavy re-adaptation.  Pass the bridge over the Lambro river and enter the Park at the gate in the Park walls just beyond..

Turn right along the track that boarders that banks of the river.  This is a shady path through numerous species of trees: planes, alders, Lombardy poplars, typical river bank vegetation, some hornbeams as well as  maples and ashes.

Take you time to enjoy the view of the Villa Reale when you reach the Ponte dell Catene and continue your walk along the river banks until you reach Viale Cavriga. Turn right across the river and then immediately left into a small track on the opposite bank of the river which leads into an artificial wood of conifers. Further along the path you will note the Mulino del Cantone (2) (ancient water-mill) on your left, on the opposite side of the river.

The track leads on to a tarmac road which leads to Cascina Mulini Asciutti (3) (ancient water-mill) This water-mill is composed of two buildings with connected out-houses.  The water ditch or canal flows between the buildings.  This canal powered up to six mills simulateneaously – only one mill is left.

Retrace your steps back to the tarmac road (Viale Mulini Asciutti) and cross the river at Ponte deI Bertoli (1853)

Turn left on to Viale San Giorgio and cross two small bridges of Canal Molinara (stagnating water) and a second smaller bridge across a ditch.  A few metres after the second bridge turn left on to a track that runs alongside the Golf course and Cascina Mulini di San Giorgio on your left (5)

Follow the path back to Ponte dei Bertoli.  Don’t cross the bridge but keep left on Viale del Cantone which will take you to Cascina del Cantone  and back to Viale Cavriga.  Cross Viale Cavriga  and follow the path to Cascina Cernuschi (6) – this farmhouse was designed by Canonica to act as stables and outhouse of Villa Mirabello.

Follow this path right through to the tarmac and the Royal Gardens.  Further on you will come across a small artifical lake and then follow the path downhill to the gate on Via Boccaccio.

Length of walk :  about 7,5 Km.

Type of walk: suited to all, young and old in all seasons.  It is also great as a bicycle ride