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Padua, or Padova, is a city not too far from Venice. It has a colorful history and is a beautiful city to visit for a couple days.
I definitely underestimated this city. We spent a full day there which was nice, but I made several mistakes by not planning enough ahead. First of all, I didn’t book anything early which is necessary for a couple of attractions. Secondly, I found more things I wanted to see just by walking through the city than I could have from the guidebooks. My time in Padua was nice, but definitely incomplete.
History
Padua is the self-proclaimed oldest city in northern Italy. Tradition says that Trojan prince Antenor founded the city around 1183 BC after Troy fell in the Trojan War. The city later was annexed by the Romans, was sacked by Attila the Hun (406-453) in 450, and has been under the control of the Goths, Byzantines, Lombards, the Scaligeri of Verona, and others.
The Venetians took over and ruled from 1405 to 1797, then changed hands between the Habsburgs and Napoleon. Padua joined Italy in 1866. The city was bombed several times during World War II suffering some important cultural losses.
Getting There
We arrived in Padua on a train from Vicenza, which took about 25 minutes, and arrived at the Padua Railway Station (Stazione di Padova). It opened in 1842 and provides direct service to Venice, Milan, Naples, Rome, Florence, Bologna, Trieste, and several other cities. There is also international service to Munich, Paris, Vienna, and Zurich.
The nearest airport is Venice Marco Polo Airport, which is about 50km away. A shuttle bus connects the airport to Venezia Mestre Railway Station for easy access to and from Padua.
Getting Around
It was very easy to get around in the historic city center of Padua. We were able to walk just about everywhere we wanted to see. The only time we used any type of transportation was to take a taxi to and from our amazing dinner at Enoteca dei Tadi.
Padova Urbs Picta Card
The Padova Urbs Picta Card is a great investment if you plan on visiting several attractions in the city. It costs €28 for 48 hours and €35 for 72 hours (as of June 2024). It provides free admission to the Scrovegni Chapel (except for a €1 booking fee), Palazzo della Ragione, the Eremitani Museums, Baptistry of Saint John, and a handful of other points of interest. It’s best to buy the card online when purchasing your tickets to the Scrovegni Chapel. After purchasing online, you can pick up your card at the Eremitani Museums.
Hotel Grand’Italia
We stayed at the Hotel Grand’Italia for easy access to the train station. It was a terrible idea. The hotel was by far the worst on our entire trip to Italy. The price was cheap and there was a good reason for it.
First of all, our room was supposed to be a non-smoking room but stunk heavily of cigarettes. The minibar had open bottles and obviously hadn’t been checked by housekeeping. The bed sunk in the middle and was not very comfortable. Finally, the breakfast, although it had a lot of variety, left a lot to be desired. We were happy to get out of there.
Galleria N5 (Permanently Closed)
For lunch, we decided to change things and try something other than Italian food. We popped into Galleria N5, a sushi bar on Piazza dei Signori.
We ordered a lunch combo for a very reasonable price. The sushi and sashimi were very fresh and tasty, and service was a little slow but good.
Caffè Oro (Permanently Closed)
For a quick coffee and some pastries, we visited Caffè Oro on Piazza Garibaldi. Coffee was decent but the pastries we chose were excellent.
