Overview
Padua is located east in the Po Valley, about 10 km north of the Euganean Hills and about 20 km west of the Venice Lagoon and is crossed by the Brenta and Bacchiglione rivers. It is known as the city of Saint Anthony. Whether you visit it from the water, stroll through the historic centre or take the time to discover its green surroundings by bicycle, Padua will definitely never let you down.
Points of Interest
Waterways: to fully appreciate Padua, a view of the city from the water, a source of richness and variety of landscape since ancient times, is a must. A classic excursion is by burchiello (a typical boat whose use dates back to the 18th century) on the Riviera del Brenta, starting with an exploration of the city’s waterways and ending with a visit to some of the Venetian villas, famous summer residences of 18th-century Venetian nobles, rich in frescoes.
University City: the University of Padua, with its more than 800 years of history, is a hub of excellent academic activities. With its 70,000 enrolled students, 2,200 lecturers and more than 13,000 graduates each year, it has long been at the top of the main national and international rankings for the quality of its teaching, research and services. The important cultural offer and the liveliness of the University’s entertainment proposals reflect positively on the energy of the entire city.
Historical centre: the completely pedestrian historic centre of Padua is a true jewel and a symbol of the city, featuring art galleries, museums, the Botanical Garden, the Scrovegni Chapel and the frescoes of the 14th century UNESCO World Heritage Site, but also historic shops and monumental palaces, churches and its gardens: getting lost in beauty is really easy in this city and, perhaps, it is the best way of visiting it.
The Botanical Garden of the University of Padua: created in 1545, it has been a World Heritage site since 1997 not only because it is the oldest in the western world but also because it is the only one that still retains its original form and location.
The 14th-century Fresco Cycles of Padua: inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List in 2021, it consists of 8 locations that, starting from the Scrovegni Chapel, Giotto’s masterpiece, narrate a century of fresco art that led European art towards modernity.
The Basilica of Saint Anthony: it is one of the most famous and visited sanctuaries in the world, with an average of 6.5 million visitors per year. In addition to housing the precious relics of one of the most beloved figures of Christianity, it is also a place that preserves art treasures from every era, beginning with its construction in the first half of the 13th Century.
