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Things to do in Padua

About Padua

Padua (Padova) is a three thousand-year-old Italian city in the Veneto region in the north-east part of Italy, situated between Euganean Hills and the lagoon of Venice. It is a perfect place to visit for a weekend bus trip which will enchant you with its atmosphere, delicious food, and architecture. The city is crossed by two rivers: Brenta from the east and Bacchiglione from the south, which show the old borders of the city and nowadays create an occasion to have a romantic walk along the river with someone special. Padua is very well connected with other Italian cities and within one or two hours you can travel by bus from here to Verona, Bologna, Venice or Vicenza. For those coming from far away, there is an airport in Venice or in Bergamo. From both airports FlixBus offers a bus transfer to Padua, so book your bus ticket now and hop on the bus to Veneto!

Places of Interest in Padua

The city of Padua can be explored in many ways, just simply get off the bus and head to the city center (Centro Storico). You can try to get to know the city by yourself by walking on narrow streets or use one of the hop-on-hop-off buses “City sightseeing”. Padua (Padova) is quite a big city for Italian standards, but if you are wondering how to travel to most of the sightseeing attractions, you can easily walk because they are situated in the city center. For sure on your to-do list after you leave the bus stop should be visiting the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua, who is also the patron of the city. Walk further to Prato della Valle - one of the biggest elliptical squares in Europe built in the 18th century. It’s a wide garden surrounded by a canal and 78 statues portraying wealthy and important citizens of Padua. Continue your trip via Roma street until you get to the heart of Padova: Palazzo del Bò – the first and main building of the University of Padua founded in 1222, Caffè Pedrocchi – a famous meeting place of intellectuals from the 18th century, Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta – location of the best food markets. Nowadays it is the commercial center of the city with the imposing Palazzo della Ragione which is known for having the largest roof unsupported by columns in Europe. Conclude this walk in Piazza dei Signori with the sight of the famous Tower Clock dominating the square and have a Spritz in one of the bars admiring the architecture and beauty of the Padova historical center. After a bit of relaxing, have a walk to the Ghetto district with its beautiful narrow streets and architecture with cozy hidden bars and cafes.

Culture and History of Padua

Padua claims to be the oldest northern Italian city. Following the tradition, it was founded in 1183 BC by the Trojan prince Antenor. In Roman times Patavium, as Padova was called by the Romans was a very important cultural and intellectual center. The history of Padua was turbulent including the conquering by the Romans, independence, being part of the Republic of Venice, belonging to the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy and belonging to Austria. It’s a home to one of the oldest universities in Italy (after Bologna) where Galileo Galilei was a lecturer and where famous intellectuals and scientist were studying, e.g.: Nicolaus Copernicus or Nathaniel Eaton and where the first woman in the world received a master’s degree. A part of the university is the oldest botanical garden in the world, founded in 1545. Another “must see” in Padua after your bus arrives, should be Scrovegni Chapel famous for the frescoes painted by Giotto and considered to be an important masterpiece in Western art. The piece of art was completed in 1305 and until today all the paintings are amazingly preserved. Highly recommended to visit! No worries if you’re not the biggest fan of art, Padua is also famous for nature and nearby Euganean Hills, natural landscape with opportunities to hike and find a great spa resort called “Terme Euganee”.

Nightlife in Padua

For the fans of bars and pubs, Padova is a perfect bus destination! It’s a very student orientated city where around 60 000 of the inhabitants are students. So, don’t worry, there will be something for everyone! Veneto is famous for their apperitivo which starts in the late afternoon with a Spritz and complementary crisps or peanuts as a given. In Padua, there are plenty of bars, but the most crowded bar, especially in summer time, is Piazza dei Signori, where every evening each bar brings out their tables around the square and lets the people enjoy the nice weather and enjoy even better company. If you’re searching for a place to dance, try out “Fishmarket” or “Factory”. In summer, the “Navigli” festival starts in the university area close to via del Portello where you’ll be amazed by the number of bars, concerts and special events that are taking place. Another nice place which starts to be very popular in summer is “Il Chiosco”, a place built around a country villa where you can enjoy some drinks, food and nice music. Worth to have a look at their Facebook page beforehand while you’re traveling on your bus to Padua!