Enchanting Padova
Padova is sadly neglected by the millions and millions of tourists who visit the Veneto each year. Most of them rush off to Venice, Verona, or Lake Garda with hardly a thought for the wonderful towns and villages that they are missing out on. Places like Asolo, Marostica and Padova.
Well, it's a beautiful town with lots to see, and it is a very friendly place too, with a great deal of energy and real Italian life going on wherever you care to look.
Perhaps it is the 60,000 students who attend one of the world's oldest universities? Perhaps it is the energy and enthusiasm for life that the locals are renowned for?
Whatever it may be, it is infectious.
Soon you'll be part of the stream, rushing about on your bicycle like everyone else here. Maybe that's another reason it is such a great town; there's hardly a car anywhere in the old town—simply everyone goes by bike or walks the car-free cobbled lanes.
Answer: Yes, it is. Padova is the Italian name and Padua is the English name.
Enough talking let's head off to explore Padova...
Getting About
Bicycles and the great public transport system consisting of buses and trams are the best ways to explore the town. Walking too is a pleasure here, but watch out for those bicycles; they tend to silently sneak up on you as you cross the roads.
Tram
Bicycles in Padova
The Scrovegni Chapel - Padova's Number 1 Attraction
Watch the video below to get an idea of the awesome beauty of this chapel painted by Giotto. It will give you an idea, but nothing can prepare you for actually being there—the beauty is overwhelming. It brought me to tears. Visit for yourself, and you will instantly understand why this is considered one of the most beautiful works of art on earth.
At the Market
Padova has an absolutely wonderful food market, one of the loveliest in all of Italy. Join us on a walk through it...
Botanical Gardens
The Botanical Gardens of Padova are among the oldest in the world, dating back to the 16th century. There's an incredibly modern greenhouse, with fascinating sections on plants from every continent, but I tend to like the old greenhouse more; it's pretty much abandoned now, but it really is characteristic.
Botanical Gardens
The Old Greenhouse
Prato delle Valle
Prato della Valle is one of the most pleasant parts of the city to pass a few hours. It's a bit like a huge piazza, it's a bit like a park, and it's a little like an art gallery—with seventy plus sculptures of famous people that date back hundreds of years. Locals flock here on those long summer evenings; the park is filled with picnics, couples enjoying a passeggiata, and elderly folk catching up on the news and gossip.
Prato della Valle
Abbazia di Santa Giustina from Prato della Valle
St. Anthony
I love the Basilica of St. Anthony; actually, it is one of my favorites in all of Italy. It looks like something from Rome mixed with something from Constantinople. One of the most moving and magnificent basilicas you will ever see. Definitely one of the most beautiful churches in Italy.
Road to St. Anthony's Basilica
St. Anthony's Basilica
Canals
Padova also has its fair share of canals. Okay, it isn't Venice, but there are a lot of them, and they are lovely to wander along on a summer's day.
Palazzo della Ragione
Palazzo della Ragione, and the area around here, is the heart of the city. In the morning there is a market, and there's no better way to pass a morning than browsing the fascinating stalls and then enjoying a cappuccino or an aperitivo while watching the world go by at one of the many cafes here.
This area is popular at night too, with many restaurants nearby. Not too far away is one of the ones I really like: the Trattoria San Pietro in Via S. Pietro, 95, and the Osteria Ai Scarponi in Via Cesare Battisti 138.
Social Network - Padova
"Trucks" at the Market
A Summer Evening in Padua
Map of Padova
For our more detailed guide to Padua click here.
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