Idroscalo Reservoir

Address: Idroscalo, Viale Forlanini, 20090 Segrate / Milan, Lombardy, Italy

Website: https://www.idroscalo.com/

Hours: Daily 6:00am-10:00pm (park hours); facilities may have separate hours

Admission: Free (park access); some activities like rowing or lessons have rental fees

Idroscalo is an artificial lake and surrounding recreational park east of Milan in Lombardy, Italy, originally created in the 1930s as a seaplane harbour. It functions today as a major local leisure and sports area serving Milan and its suburbs.

The site is well known locally for water-based activities and events. The main waterbody is about 2.7 km long and is used for rowing, canoeing, windsurfing and open-water swimming; the park has cycle paths and open lawns and hosts seasonal concerts and fairs.

Built in the 1930s for seaplanes, the site was later converted to public recreational use and developed with sporting clubs and event infrastructure through the mid and late 20th century. It is managed as a municipal recreational area rather than an aviation facility.

Idroscalo sits to the east of Milan near the municipality of Segrate and close to Linate Airport, roughly 7 km from Milan city centre by road. The area combines an elongated watercourse with surrounding parkland and built sporting facilities.

• Accessibility: Close to Milan Linate airport and reachable from the city by road, making it a common urban green space for day visits and organized sports events.
• Water sports: Hosts rowing clubs and regattas; the sheltered long watercourse is suitable for competitive rowing, canoeing and windsurfing.

What to See#

• Idroscalo lake: The artificial lake created for seaplanes in the 1930s that now hosts rowing and other water sports; the water body is roughly 2.7 km long and used year-round for organized regattas and recreational paddling.
• Parco Idroscalo: Parkland, trails and recreational facilities surrounding the lake, including cycle paths, open lawns and seasonal event spaces used for concerts and fairs.

From central Milan: take the M3 metro to Porta Romana or Lodi, then local bus (e.g., ATM bus lines toward Idroscalo/Forlanini) or a short taxi ride along Viale Forlanini. By car, follow Viale Forlanini east toward Segrate and follow signs for Idroscalo; parking is available near the lake.

• Enter via Parco degli Aironi (north side) to avoid the busiest southern promenades.
• Rent a rowing boat from the small boathouses to circle the artificial lake and see the old seaplane ramps.
• Go on weekday mornings for fewer joggers and clearer photos of the water mirror.