Hello everyone:
am going to Padua this July and would like to spend two days there. Will be there over a weekend and would like to know what to visit and if certain places are closed on Sunday, in which case I could probably go to a local market and just take a nice stroll.
Any suggestions?
Thank you
You need to get your tickets to the Chapel in advance. Check the RS guide and Chapel website for info. Safe travels.
Hi,
We went there in the summer with our teens about 10 years ago. Visited the Scrovegni Chapel for the Giotto frescos (which is the chapel that I assume Pat is referring to), wandered the city, visited the church dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, ate gelato and great food. enjoyed the university-town ambience. I also remember that they had a carnival set up in on large oval forum. Teens kids loved it. Don't know if that was a regular feature or not. Rick does have a little bit to say about Padua in his guidebook so it might be worth checking out.
Have a great time
Kaye
The Scrovegni Chapel, open daily, is probably the most important sight in Padua, decorated with amazing frescoes by Giotto, It requires a timed entry, and you should book well in advance if you want to see it. There's also a good museum there. I also visited the Basilica of St. Anthony and the Palazzo della Ragione. There are other sights in Padua, it might be worthwhile to consult a guidebook. See also the information under "Explore Europe" above on this website.
I was in Padua in June 2022 and happen to be there Sat-Tues. Based on my notes, there are a few places closed on Monday, but not on Saturday and Sunday,
The Scrovegni Chapel is part of a larger museum (The Civic Museum) that is quite interesting. The University does a nice tour. There are some other museums very near the Civic Museum; I enjoyed the Palazzo Zuckermann for decorative arts (they also have a large coin collection). There are plenty of other sites to easily fill your two days. I don't have the most recent RS Italy at hand, but if it feels too sparse check Lonely Planet or other guide books for more recommendations.
Thanks everyone, I already made some notes of things to see but new perspectives are always helpful, especially re organizing
the trip beforehand. I haven't thought about booking in advance for the museum although that is now done at most important
museums, good tip.
I have estimated staying 2 days as the town itself looks charming, you're confirming that and as a bonus, I found out that most places stay open on Sunday.
Grazzie
We had a great day in Padova, could easily have spent longer. Here you might find some more ideas:
https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com/2019/09/day-trip-to-padova.html?m=1
Really like the blogspot you sent, I do enjoy slow travelling, havind the time to really look at paintings in a museum rather than rushing through. I just printed the blog and will use it while in Padova. Well written and Inspiring.
Thanks a lot
Thanks :) Hope you enjoy your stay
Prato Della Valle, the largest square in Italy.
We were there in February, day trip from Verona. We really enjoyed it. Check out the tour of the University.
https://www.unipd.it/en/bo
There's tours in English. The markets were nice, we had a great lunch. Definitely recommend the Baptistery tour also. One of the best audio tours we've ever done. The city has a cool vibe with all the young people. Have a good trip.
We stayed in Padua as a base camp for visiting Venice, which is a quick and easy 20 minute train ride away and yet Paudua turned out to be the star of that vacation. There is so much beautiful architecture, outdoor restaurants, it’s clean and safe, loved the brief tour of the University, founded in 1200s one of the first in Europe* and if interested in medicine you can view the oldest surviving med/anatomical viewing theatre in Europe. Beautiful, botanical garden, found Saint Anthony’s basilica inspirational and of course the scrovagni Chapel. We enjoyed it so much that we would certainly consider taking a sabbatical year in Padua, so I highly recommend it for your vacation.
Stayed here for two days in May and LOVED it! It felt like such a vibrant and alive town that was not overly tourist driven and had an 'every day life' feel to it that we just loved. There is a daily market (I think not on Sunday) that has been going on for 800 years, and the food stalls under the large town hall building are incredible. The hall above the food stalls is a worthy stop if only to see the roof, the horse, and the wall decorations. The Scrovegni chapel is incredible and as also said above the tour of the University is a MUST. The multi domed cathedral is super impressive as is the large oval town square with it's moat and statues. The city has a bit of grit to it but that just made it feel all the more real. I'd go back in a heartbeat. The covered walkways are everywhere and you can just wander endlessly around or spend time in the open spaces or the botanical garden. Evenings in the main squares are vibrant and full of families and friends eating and drinking and hanging out until super late.
Dear Susie and Tom:
Your comments made me already regret that I have only two days there as I am going to Abano and I decided to stop on the way to visit this town that attracted me, I am getting back home beginning of August and because August is a month with unbearable temperature I am heading straight home. I can come back next year and have a sort of a sabatical, in a less rushed and hot period of the year.
Thanks
