Padua



Padua (Italian: Padova, Venetian: Pàdova) is a city in north eastern Italy, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located centrally in the Veneto region, between Venice on one side and Vicenza and Verona on the other. The city itself has 210,821 inhabitants (2001), with about 350,000 inhabitants in the wider metropolitan area.

By train
Padua is a central railway node in the Veneto area. Many lines converge into the city central station, notably from:


 * Venezia (Venice, Trieste, and points East) - Venice is only a 30-minute ride away
 * Bologna (Bologna, Ferrara, Rovigo, Rome, Florence) one hour and half ride
 * Milano (Milan, Brescia, Verona, Vicenza) two hours and half minute ride
 * Castelfranco (Belluno, Calalzo, Feltre) 45 minute ride

All kinds of trains pass through Padua: Eurostar, InterCity, EuroCity, InterRegionale, Regionale, InterCityNight, EuroNight, Espresso. More info is available on the Trenitalia website.



By plane


However, there are three international airports nearby:


 * Venezia Marco Polo, 50 km, lot of destinations throughout Europe.
 * by bus: direct and frequent connections to Padua, 1h
 * by train: bus to Venezia Mestre station, then train.
 * Treviso, 42 km, low-cost airport with Ryanair and other carriers. Destinations: Dublin, London, Frankfurt, Brussels, Barcelona, Paris
 * by bus: direct and frequent connections to Padua, 1h10 - see SITA website - choose Linee Regionale, then Veneto, then Orari Linee Veneto; last bus leaves airport around 20.00 or 20.25 depending on day of week.
 * Verona Valerio Catullo, 88 km, many domestic flights and some international destinations (also low-cost)
 * by train + bus

Other options further afield include:
 * Brescia Gabriele D'Annunzio, 130 km
 * Bergamo Orio al Serio, 190 km, many low-cost flights
 * Bologna Guglielmo Marconi, 120 km

By car
Padova is connected through the national highway network


 * Autostrada A4 Italia.svg A4 - Turin-Milan-Venice-Trieste
 * Autostrada A13 Italia.svg A13 - Bologna-Padua

Many national/regional roads originate in or pass through the city:


 * SS11 Padana Superiore
 * SS16 Adriatica
 * SS47 Valsugana
 * SR516 Piovese
 * SR307 del Santo

On foot
Discovering the city on foot is very easy. The historic center is not very big, so you can go around in the narrow streets.

By bicycle
Padua, luckily, is quite a flat city. Apart from the few roman bridges and some -not very steep- streets, you will not find any hills to hike! Especially in the city center, most of the streets are narrow and quiet and the terrain is sometimes made of pavé or cobblestones. In some areas, the cobbling is such that it would be unsuitable for standard road bicycles. Outside the narrow streets, a bike lane is sometimes available. In the near Riviera del Brenta you can hire bikes at local shops, with free delivery services at your hotel, for make excursions in Padova region.

By tram
APS Mobilità (ex-ACAP, call center: +39 049 20111) runs the only tramway line of the city, based on the rubber-tired TransLohr vehicle.

The line SIR1, entered service with passengers on March, 24th 2007. The route is Stazione F.S. (Piazzale Stazione) - Trieste - Eremitani - Ponti Romani - Tito Livio - Santo - Prato della Valle - Cavalletto DX - Diaz - Santa Croce - Cavallotti - Bassanello - Sacchetti/Assunta - Cuoco - Guizza - Capolinea Sud.

This line is very useful for tourists because it stops near various monuments, museums and local landmarks like Santo Basilica, Eremitani Civic Museums, Cappella degli Scrovegni, Prato della Valle, Santa Giustina Basilica, Botanic Garden, central squares. (The stops for each of these are in bold above.)

The line is northbound-southbound, travel time 22 minutes from terminus to terminus. The tram runs every 8 minutes during weekdays daytime, 10 at early evening, 30 at late evening, every 20–15 minutes on Sundays from 7.07 till 0.20.

By bus
APS Mobilità (ex-ACAP, call center: +39 049 20111) runs a network of local transport that covers the main areas of the city as well as some suburbs.


 * lines with numbers are urban and sub-urban, as well as Minibus (Diretto Piazze-Diretto Duomo-Circolare Antenore) and LIS
 * lines with letters A-M-T-AM-AT are connecting Padova to the Abano Terme and Montegrotto Terme Spa area.

Many lines run on the two main axes in the centre: North-South and east–west. Many of them terminate at the train station, which is also the main node of the bus network. Apart from the tramway, the most frequent are lines 10 and 3.

By car
Getting around by car in the city center can be very difficult. During peak hours traffic jams are frequent. And if you want to see the city center, apart from the narrow streets and pedestrian zones, a traffic limited zone has been established from 8AM till 8PM and cameras on several entrance points control the access: those who are not authorized will get a fine. It is useful to park your car in one of several parking lots or on the park areas on the streets, then take a bus or walk from there. More info can be found (in Italian) on APSParcheggi website.

See
The Padua Card allows you to visit most churches and all museums as well as to use the public transport for €16.

Landmarks



 * Notice: Reserve your ticket/timeslot in advance or go very early. In the off-season, the wait from purchase to first available timeslot is about 4 hours unless you arrive before the hordes; in summer it's probably even longer. When you are admitted, you will be held for 15 minutes in a antechamber to lower body humidity which would otherwise damage the frescoes. During this time, you'll see a documentary presenting the chapel and its history. Then you will be allowed 15 minutes to see the frescoes before being shepherded out.
 * Notice: Reserve your ticket/timeslot in advance or go very early. In the off-season, the wait from purchase to first available timeslot is about 4 hours unless you arrive before the hordes; in summer it's probably even longer. When you are admitted, you will be held for 15 minutes in a antechamber to lower body humidity which would otherwise damage the frescoes. During this time, you'll see a documentary presenting the chapel and its history. Then you will be allowed 15 minutes to see the frescoes before being shepherded out.
 * Notice: Reserve your ticket/timeslot in advance or go very early. In the off-season, the wait from purchase to first available timeslot is about 4 hours unless you arrive before the hordes; in summer it's probably even longer. When you are admitted, you will be held for 15 minutes in a antechamber to lower body humidity which would otherwise damage the frescoes. During this time, you'll see a documentary presenting the chapel and its history. Then you will be allowed 15 minutes to see the frescoes before being shepherded out.
 * Notice: Reserve your ticket/timeslot in advance or go very early. In the off-season, the wait from purchase to first available timeslot is about 4 hours unless you arrive before the hordes; in summer it's probably even longer. When you are admitted, you will be held for 15 minutes in a antechamber to lower body humidity which would otherwise damage the frescoes. During this time, you'll see a documentary presenting the chapel and its history. Then you will be allowed 15 minutes to see the frescoes before being shepherded out.


 * At 90.000 square meters, Prato della Valle is the biggest square in Italy, and probably one of the most beautiful in the world. Historically a Roman theater and later a fairground, it was redone in 1775 to the present layout: a large central grassy area, surrounded by a statue-lined canal, then a broad expanse of flagstones before a couple lanes of traffic are allowed to trickle around it in the distance. Saturdays the square hosts a giant market. Other large events occur frequently (concerts, fairs, etc.). The area around the canal is well-used by joggers, bikers, and rollerbladers. The square is also a great place to sit in the evening, relaxing and watching the world go by. The statues appear to have been placed precisely to be good backrests.


 * Santa Giustina Basilica is along one side of Prato della Valle. When you visit, don't miss the Martyr's Hallway off of the right-front corner of the basilica.
 * Roman ruins, including an Arena. The Arena is smaller and less impressive than those in Verona or Rome, but well-located in a lovely and well-maintained park. About three quarters of the Arena walls remain; the rest were removed to make way for the Scrovegni Chapel and Scrovegni Palace (the latter now long gone). In summertime, open-air movies are shown in the Arena.
 * The Duomo, or cathedral, is smaller than the two basilicas but not by much - don't be misled by the relatively small façade on Piazza del Duomo. Michaelangelo was involved in the cathedral's design. Inside, there are some surprisingly modern touches among the statues and artwork. The duomo is mostly known for its baptistry which is filled with frescoes in late medieval style.
 * The Duomo, or cathedral, is smaller than the two basilicas but not by much - don't be misled by the relatively small façade on Piazza del Duomo. Michaelangelo was involved in the cathedral's design. Inside, there are some surprisingly modern touches among the statues and artwork. The duomo is mostly known for its baptistry which is filled with frescoes in late medieval style.


 * Note: The cathedral closes during lunch, with no visible hours posted beside the doors. If they're closed, try again later.


 * Next door to the cathedral is the Baptistry, with impressive frescos by Giusto de Menabuoi.
 * Most of the City walls of Padua have been made into the borders of people's back yards, but you can still roughly follow their route. At the northern gates leading towards the train station is a terraced garden leading up to the old water tower.
 * If you have extra time before your bus or train, visit Tempio Antonio della Pace, the large brick church a few minutes' walk away. The interior is light and airy - very appropriate for a place dedicated to Peace - and the walls are a subtle but moving memorial to the 5401 WWI soldiers and 989 civilian victims of WWII who are buried there.
 * In 2021, Padua got another entry on the UNESCO World Heritage List; named Padua's fourteenth-century fresco cycles. It's made up of the Scrovegni Chapel Church of the Eremitani, the Palazzo de la Ragione Chapel of the Cararesi Palace Cathedral Baptistery, the Basilica and Monastery of St. Anthony Oratory of St. George and the Oratory of St. Michael, or more specifically, the beautiful frescoes these building house.
 * In 2021, Padua got another entry on the UNESCO World Heritage List; named Padua's fourteenth-century fresco cycles. It's made up of the Scrovegni Chapel Church of the Eremitani, the Palazzo de la Ragione Chapel of the Cararesi Palace Cathedral Baptistery, the Basilica and Monastery of St. Anthony Oratory of St. George and the Oratory of St. Michael, or more specifically, the beautiful frescoes these building house.

Do

 * A pleasant local tradition is the spritz or aperitif in one of the central piazzas (Piazza delle Erbe, Piazza della Frutta or Piazza dei Signori), starting between 7 and 8 in the evening. There are lots of students and young people, which makes for a very pleasant atmosphere.
 * Many young folk, particularly students, converge on the Prato della Valle to eat their lunch, either on the central grass, or leaning against the statues that line the water. In fine weather you will generally find people ensconced against these statues for the afternoon.  It is one of the nicest places to rest, write, or watch the world go by in Padova.
 * Rugby Union: Petraca Rugby play in Serie A Elite, the top domestic tier. Their home ground Stadio Plebiscito (capacity 9000) is in the sports complex 4 km northeast of town centre; the national team also sometimes play here.
 * Sherwood Festival is between mid-June and mid-July in the outside garden of the main soccer stadium of Padua. It hosts Italian and international bands every weekend. It is easy to reach from the city center by bike in 20 minutes.

Learn
The Rolling Pin Cooking School - hands-on cooking classes in the center of Padua, about the art of Italian Gastronomy and Cooking.

Buy
Padua has two major markets. The older, much larger market fills the Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta, lying to the north and south of a grand, arcaded stone building, the Palazzo della Ragione. The open passages of the Palazzo house the butchers, cheese vendors, fishmongers, and fresh pasta shops. The Piazza delle Erbe to the south is mostly fruits and vegetables; the Piazza dei Frutti to the north is about half fruits and vegetables and half bric-à-brac and clothing. These markets are open all day every weekday plus Saturday.

On Saturdays, the Prato della Valle is filled with a giant market selling clothing, household goods, plants, and antiques. A small fruit and vegetable market has opened weekday mornings as well, though it is incomparably smaller than the offerings at the Palazzo della Ragione.

The old stone streets and piazzas to the southeast of the Piazza delle Erbe are pedestrianized and form the shopping center of the town.

Eat





 * For a light lunch, stop into any cafe for tramezzini - small sandwiches that come with a variety of fillings, and are usually cheap.

Cope

 * Bring your Italian phrasebook and study up - a little Italian goes a long way in Padua, especially in the low season.
 * The Padova Card offers free entrance to several key attractions, discounts at others, free parking, and free travel on buses. It's valid for 48 hours from the time you buy it.  At €14, it's worth having even if you only use it for the Scrovegni Chapel and one or two other sites or bus rides.
 * There are many students that can speak in English in Padua and many foreign students too, so the best way to find particular hints or suggestions is to go to one of the 3 piazzas around the Palazzo della Ragione during "aperitivo" time (19-23 hrs) and ask people there! They are usually really friendly and helpful.

Go next

 * The Colli Euganei are low hills to the west of town with some nice trails to hike on, and other equally nice restaurants to eat at after a day of walking.
 * Abano Terme is a small resort town especially popular with elderly German tourists based on the thermal spas in the area.
 * Arqua Petrarca is a beautifully preserved medieval town nestled in the hills, which is probably best known for being the final resting place of the Italian poet Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch).
 * Venice is not far at all. If you're in Padua, chances are you've already been to Venice or are on your way there.  But if not, it's definitely worth a day trip (or two!).
 * Villa di Teolo is a town on the Colli Euganei.