Padua

A journey between the past and the present, with a thousand-year history and lots of traditions and art and a lively, dynamic modern city as well.

A city full of beauty, such as the Loggia dei Carraresi or the Palazzo della Ragione, real signs of the ancient glory of the Seigniory Age.
Don’t miss the Cappella degli Scrovegni, with its precious frescoes by Giotto from the early XVI century, considered one of the masterpieces of Western art; or the marvellous sculptures by Donatello at the Basilica del Santo; or the more modern lines of Memoria e Luce, a monument by Libeskind in the Porte Contarine area.

Padua can even lead you to the beauty of antique palaces and the spirituality you can feel in the churches and all the Basilicas of Saint Antonio, Saint Giustina and the Duomo with its Romanesque baptistery.

And a journey into contemporary life can be had in the daily city markets in Piazza delle Erbe or Piazza della Frutta, or at the magnificent Prato della Valle, or under the thousand-year-old arcades during summer evenings.

Padua also is a city of science, seen around the old walls enclosing the University’s Palazzo del Bo and along the streets of the first European botanical garden managed by a university.

The contemporary flavour of this creative and dynamic city can also be felt in its lively markets, restaurants, nightclubs and old taverns and at the tables of its historical cafeterias like the Caffè Pedrocchi or in the trendy bars where people go to enjoy the ritual of taking an aperitif.

During the day, Padua offers tourists its wonderful streets, crowded and full of zest for life; at night-time it transforms into a romantic and evocative place. Padua is an unforgettable journey.

Eating in Padua…
Padua has a combined culinary tradition that on the one hand dates from old Venice, keeping alive its tastes and traditions, and on the other hand is tied to the products of the countryside, which change from place to place. Typical dishes are certainly the Bigoi, a special kind of pasta, the bollito alla padovana (boiled meat) and the oca in onto (a goose dish). This area is full of products from the Veneto region like the PDO wines and the typical raw ham called Veneto Berico Euganeo.

Do not miss:

• The boat excursion along the city’s canals, between the ancient Renaissance walls (www.padovanavigazione.it).
• A visit to the restored Orto Botanico, a site recognized by UNESCO as the world’s first botanical garden.
• The evocative antiques market in Prato della Valle every third Sunday of the month.