From Padua to Venice the best way. We travel from Abano Terme through Padua to the cities of Italy - convenient routes to Venice and Verona

07.10.2023

A sprawling city in the north of Italy, Venice is built on a network of canals. Situated across a group of 118 small islands, the Floating City is renowned for the beauty of its watery settings, awe-inspiring architecture and striking artwork. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, a visit to Venice involves a romantic trip down the Grand Canal on a gondola, marveling at the architecture of its historic buildings, sampling traditional Venetian dishes, and partaking in the annual Carnival celebrations, world famous for its elaborate Venetian masks.

Things to do in Venice

Piazza San Marco

Piazza San Marco, often known in English as St Mark's Square, is the principal public square of Venice, Italy, where it is generally known just as la Piazza ("the Square"). All other urban spaces in the city (except the Piazzetta and the Piazzale Roma) are called campi ("fields"). The Piazzetta ("little Piazza/Square") is an extension of the Piazza towards the lagoon in its south east corner (see plan). The two spaces together form the social, religious and political center of Venice and are commonly considered together. This article relates to both of them.
Doge's Palace

The Doge's Palace (Italian: Palazzo Ducale; Pałaso Dogal) is a palace built in Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice in northern Italy. The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the former Republic of Venice, opening as a museum in 1923. Today, it is one of the 11 museums run by the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia.
Santa Maria della Salute

Santa Maria della Salute (English: Saint Mary of Health), commonly known simply as the Salute, is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica located at Punta della Dogana in the Dorsoduro sestiere of the city of Venice, Italy.

With virail you can compare train prices from Padua to Venice in no time. What you only need to do is select the date you are planning your holiday and, if you wish, sort and filter the results by price and time. In order to book your perfect trip, virail will redirect you directly to the provider's website for an extremely secure purchase.

Trains from Padua to Venice: which companies can you travel with?

Virail finds offers from many railway companies in Europe and the rest of the world. For example, it shows the possible train connections from Padua to Venice offered by Trenitalia.

Trenitalia belongs to the national railway group and is currently the first railway provider in Italy, with more than 40 million passengers, offering not only regional and local connections, but also high-speed routes.

How much are low cost train tickets from Padua to Venice?

By booking in advance, you can find cheap train tickets from Padua to Venice from RUB 4.35. However, train tickets for this route cost on average about 4.35 RUB.

The location of Venice, almost in the very northeast of Italy, imposes certain restrictions if you want to see other places of worship. So, it’s a long way to get to Rome, although there would be a desire... Some generally limit themselves to visiting only Venice. Meanwhile, one day of your trip absolutely needs to be allocated to Padova, which is only 20 km away. from Venice and easily accessible by regular train...

How to get there?
Just take the train from Venezia Santa Lucia (S.L.) station and you'll be there in half an hour. There is no need to book tickets in advance, trains run frequently.

Impressions from the city
We arrived in Padua at the very end of our crazy winter journey, during which we went to Karlovy Vary, Prague, Salzburg and Venice. And from the railway station we went straight to the center (luckily we had a printout of the map on hand). The construction of the city is striking - the old city, quite spacious inside, is surrounded by walls and a deep moat and looks quite antique. Usually in such cities all the ditches are now covered, and only a few ruins remain of the walls. In Padua, everything is different - it is like a frozen memory of centuries, which is almost untouched by modern urban developments.

The first on our way, on the left hand, came across a beautiful park, which, despite the January frosts, was buried in greenery. We walked along it for about an hour, so we reached our daily quota of “unity with nature” in this place. The city is generally quite green, there is a botanical garden, the opening hours of which we could not get into - in winter it is open only a few hours at the height of the day.

After eating at a local trattoria somehow (we were fed - and thank you for that, and the owners were hospitable), we headed to the far end of the city to main square of Prato della Valle, which means "Meadow in the Valley".

Before him, we wandered through the interior of the old city, seeing various buildings, including the palace Rajone, from which we were shocked. No, not reverent. The palace was almost invisible - there is a large city market here and 3-meter-high tents completely block the view of the building of very interesting architecture, whose roof is shaped like the bottom of a ship, which lies at the bottom with its masts and belly down.

And here Prato and holy basilica Justins... It's very strong. To be honest, we didn’t expect such a scale at all from a provincial town. However, as it turned out, this basilica is one of the most significant in Italy - it houses the remains of the Apostle Luke. It’s true, sometimes it’s better to go to a city without knowing anything about it. Ellipse(in simple terms - oval) area a couple of hectares, cut crosswise by paths has an external border in the form of houses flanking the road. Inside: a wide bicycle path (Padua can be called a paradise forI'm a cyclist); a moat with water, along the banks of which there are many sculptures; trees and a large fountain.Photos only partially convey this scope. And the statues and ancient vases on pedestals are, of course, stunning.

There is also a cathedral with frescoes in the city Giotto, but with limited time we prefer to be “outside” rather than “inside” (so, 2 years later, with a pure soul, we ignored a visit to St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican with its kilometer-long queue, going for a walk around the neighborhood).

It's time to go back
Back on railway station Padua, we were waiting for the train, watching a strange man who was trying to fall asleep in incredible positions, constantly turning over with his head down. I’m not familiar with breakdancing, but probably what he did has some name there. Our train was cancelled, but an hour later its namesake arrived, picked us up and drove us slowly through the night back to Prague, which is destined to soon begin the “Czech Republic” section of our blog...

Padua, Italy - detailed information about the city. Guide to Padua: popular attractions with photos and descriptions.

City of Padova

Padua is a city in the Italian province of Veneto, located in the valley of the Po River, 20 km from the Venetian Lagoon. This is a beautiful ancient city in which you will find many attractions, original and interesting places and delicious cuisine. It is very convenient to stay here when traveling in northeastern Italy, since Padua is advantageously located near the tourist meccas of Venice and Verona, and prices for hotels and food are significantly lower here.

History of Padua

The founding of Padua dates back to the period between the thirteenth and eleventh centuries BC and is associated with the civilization of the ancient Greeks.

There is a legend that after the mythical Trojan War, one of the leaders of Troy, Antenor, fleeing from the Greeks, sailed down the Po and founded the village of Padus (from the Greek - swamp) in a swampy area.

During the Roman Empire, Padus, later called Patavium, became an ally of the Romans and became rich thanks to its favorable location at the crossroads of trade routes. Padua became one of the largest cities in the Empire.

In 601 Padua was razed to the ground by King Agilulf and then again in 800 by the Huns. After this, the city was almost abandoned - residents fled to the surrounding area, many moved to Venice.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the territory came under the rule of the Lombards. They completely changed the social structure and introduced feudalism.

At the same time, Catholicism began to gain strength. Temples began to be built in the city, Padua began to come to life and grow rich. At the beginning of the 11th century, defensive structures were erected in the city, public and religious buildings were built.

At the beginning of the 13th century, a university was founded in Padua. In the 14th century, Padua turned into one of the cultural capitals of all of Europe - Giotto worked here, Averroes and Avicenna taught.

At the beginning of the 15th century, Padua came under the rule of the Venetian Republic. For almost two centuries, the city has become one of the cultural centers of the entire region.

After the Napoleonic Wars, the city and region came under Habsburg influence and remained under it until the unification of Italy.

How to get to Padua

Padua is located almost in the center of the Veneto region between the cities of Treviso and Venice. If you get to Padua by plane, there are three options - airports in Venice, Rimini and Milan. The closest is Marco Polo Airport in Venice.

If you go by car, then from Milan and Venice it is the A4 highway, from the south of Italy - A13 (Bologna).

Tourist tax

Like many cities, Padua has a tourist tax, which may or may not be included in the price of your stay (you need to check when booking). In 2016, the following tourist tax was established:

four stars and above € 2.85
three stars € 1.90
two stars € 1.40
one star € 0.95

Urban transport

City transport in Padua includes buses, trams and taxis. Tickets can be purchased at numerous kiosks.

Accommodation in Padua

In Padua you can find hotels, inns and guest houses to suit every taste and budget. There are a large number of colorful hotels in the city and its surroundings. We recommend booking accommodation in the historical center or in the villages surrounding Padua.

Kitchen

The cuisine of Padua is represented by ancient culinary traditions. In addition to pizza, which is traditionally associated with Italy and is found everywhere, we recommend trying horse meat dishes, cheeses, bigoli, Paduan chicken, focaccio, false parsuto, sweets pazientini and zaleti. Alcohol: local wines.

Sights of Padua

As in most ancient cities, the main attractions of Padua are located in the historical center. This is especially true of most Italian cities because they often developed around ancient Roman or medieval defensive walls.

Despite its fairly decent size, all the main attractions of Padua are located within walking distance. Although, if necessary, you can use buses that will take you to all the sights. But we recommend taking walks, as it is pleasant to walk around the city. There is no abundance of tourists here like in Rome, Venice, Verona, Milan, you can calmly enjoy the city and its interesting places. There are also quite a lot of pedestrian areas.

Piazza Eremitani in Padua

Piazza Eremitani is an ancient square in Padua. There is a large regional museum here, which houses interesting collections from the Roman, pre-Roman, Etruscan and early Christian periods. Valuable art objects are also displayed here. Among them, Giotto's masterpiece, the Crucifixion, stands out.

Another attraction of the square is the Scrovegni Chapel, built at the beginning of the 14th century and painted by the brilliant Giotto. Many of the original frescoes are perfectly preserved.

Also on the square is an ancient church from the 14th century, the Zuckerman Palazzo and the Museum of Applied Arts.

Address: Piazza Eremitani, 35121 Padova PD

Plaza San Antonio and St. Basilica Antonia

A square in the historical center of Padua, adjacent to the main cathedral of the city - the Basilica of St. Anthony. The Basilica is the main architectural dominant of the historical center and the largest cathedral of Padua, the main center of veneration of St. Anthony of Padua. The basilica was built in the 13th century in Baroque style. Altichiero da Zevio, Jacopo d'Avanzo, Stefano da Ferrara, Girolamo Tessari took part in its painting.

To the left of the basilica is Donatello's masterpiece - bronze equestrian monument,dedicated to the Venetian commander.

Address: Piazza del Santo, 35123 Padova PD

Prato della Valle

Prato della Valle is the largest square in Italy and one of the largest in Europe, almost 90,000 sq. meters. This is the main square of Padua, located in the southern part of the historical center.

The square received its unique shape at the end of the 18th century thanks to the Venetian governor Memmo. This is a huge green island surrounded by a canal that is crossed by 4 bridges and a fountain in the center. Along the canal there are sculptures of famous people - scientists, artists, doctors, politicians who lived, created and worked in Padua.

At the very edge of the square stands the Abbey of Santa Giustina, a magnificent example of the Renaissance, built in the early 16th century. An impressive architectural structure with an 82-meter bell tower with a foundation from the 12th century dominates the architecture of the square. Moreover, it looks no less impressive on the inside!

Not far from the square there is an ancient botanical garden, which contains more than 6,000 plants. On the south-eastern side of the square there is an ancient basilica from the 16th century.

Address: Piazza Prato della Valle, 35121 Padova PD

Specola is an old astronomical observatory, one of the symbols of Padua. There is an astronomical museum here, and from the top there is a wonderful view of the city. Once upon a time, the great Galileo himself conducted research here.

Nearby is also the Oratorio di San Michele, closely associated with the last years of the life of the famous Petrarch, as well as the 13th century Carraresi castle.

From specola it is easy to get to the city center, along the way looking at the Church of San Tommaso, Piazza Duomo and the magnificent baptistery, painted with beautiful frescoes.

The heart of Padua - squares della Ragione, della Erbe and della Frutti

Square Della Ragione is the second most important square in Padua. Here is the beautiful Palazzo della Ragione or Salone (great hall), one of the symbols of the city.

On the southwest corner of the square there is a 15th century tower with an astronomical clock.

Squares della Ragione, della Erbe and della Frutti are the heart of the medieval city and also the site of the daily market.

University of Padua

The University of Padua is one of the oldest universities in Europe, founded in the first half of the 13th century. Galileo, Copernicus, Harvey and many others taught and conducted research here.

A few steps away is the historic Café Pedrocchi, which has been open since 1830.

What else to see in Padua

Bridge of St. Lorenzo - a stone bridge 53 meters long.

Obelisk of Antenor - the legendary founder of Padua.

Historic gates - San Giovani and Molino.

The Church of San Nicolo is one of the most romantic places in Padua. The 16th century church is located on an old medieval square.

“We lost two ships here on the Tiber River, and since then the expression “steered” has come into use...

—Have you ever lost anything in the city of Pisa?

Pisa is a tower city. Of course, there are some other attractions in Pisa, and even the University of Pisa, but people still come there because of the tower. And they leave the same day.

It turned out that the Leaning Tower of Pisa does not stick out alone in the field. That is, it is in the field that she sticks out, but not alone, but in the company of the Baptistery and the Cathedral ( Duomo).

The height of the tower is 56 meters. Everything, that to me you need to know - the tower tilted during construction. And it no longer leveled out, even when they dug around its diameter to drain the groundwater.

When constructing religious and secular buildings in Pisa, it was considered good form to install one column of porphyry. One - because porphyry is a very expensive material. And it is also red. The priest told parishioners of the Cathedral whose husbands had gone to war that if you look at the porphyry column on the Duomo twice a day, your husband will remain faithful in separation. And all women were pagans at heart - parishioners, in order to follow this rule, regularly attended church at least twice a day.

There is no reliable data available regarding the correlation between the frequency of visits and the degree of fidelity of husbands.

Padua

The name Padua comes from the word "pad" - lowland.

There are many shoe and branded clothing production facilities around Padua.

Padua is home to one of the largest squares in Europe - Prato della Valle. The configuration of the square is elliptical; around the central part there is a canal with a double ring of statues depicting famous residents of Padua.

The patron saint of Padua is Saint Anthony of Padua. Strictly speaking, by birth he is not Paduan, or even Italian, but Portuguese. But he was overcome by such a powerful desire to preach the Gospel that he boarded a ship and sailed to Africa, fully confident that he would die a martyr’s death there. But the ship was caught in a storm, lost its way, and was thrown somewhere off the coast of Sicily. Saint Anthony saw this as a sign and decided to stay where fate led him. He never returned to Portugal.

In Italy, he went from “driver to leader” at a church field, and was canonized almost immediately after his death. By unknown to me reason is considered the patron saint of children. There is a Gothic basilica named after him in Padua.

There are many beautiful palazzos in Padua. Padua was part of the Venetian Republic, and it was here, on the mainland, that there were villas of noble Venetians who moved here in the winter - at a time when it was very damp and cold in Venice.

Padua has its own university. Students are a very restless people, and the Venetian doges did not want to have a source of constant unrest at their side, so the university was sent to Padua. The most famous faculties of the University of Padua are medicine and law. Here Francis Skaryna received his doctorate in medicine, and Galileo himself taught mathematics. Galileo lived in Padua for 20 years. The Venetian Republic was free from the prejudices of the Inquisition, and here it was possible to make any scientific discoveries, except for the dissection of human bodies. However, it was also possible to open the bodies. But carefully, that is, secretly. Autopsies were performed in the anatomical theater. Theater - because everything is in tiers: below, in the courtyard of the university, the body was dissected, and students watched from the balconies of the second floor. Fallopius and Eustathius worked at the University of Padua. The Fallopian and Eustachian tubes are named after them.

In the architecture of Padua there was a place to reflect the political trends of the time. Guelph ( the consignment) supported the Pope, adherents of this party built castles with rectangular battlements. The Ghibellins were against the Pope ( and for the emperor), and their locks had serrations in the shape of a swallow's tail.

Milanese architects, invited to build the Moscow Kremlin, were at first very puzzled - what shape should the turrets be made here? But then they decided that the Prince of Moscow was certainly not for the Pope, and therefore there were crenellated towers near the walls of the Kremlin.

Venice

Venice has 118 islands and a mainland. 50 thousand Venetians permanently live on the islands of Venice, another 150 thousand live on the mainland.

The islanders, one might say, are unlucky: it’s stuffy in the summer, chilly in the winter. Therefore, deep down in their hearts, they all dream of renting out their apartments for the winter season, and of moving to the mainland themselves.

Narrow streets also irritate local residents; or rather, it is not the streets themselves that irritate them, but the tourists crowded on them. Therefore, in Venice it’s like on the escalators in the metro: stand on the right and pass on the left.

Driving any type of vehicle, even bicycles, is prohibited on the islands. All travel is by boat only. There are gondolas for tourists, there are taxi boats for locals, there are cargo boats... Venetians living on the islands store their cars in garages on the mainland. If suddenly in Venice you hear a drawn-out cry of “Attenzione” - step aside without hesitation! The porters have unloaded the cargo boat and are now transporting a cart with luggage, they don’t care how many legs they crush.

The most famous islands of Venice are Lido (Venice Film Festival), Murano (Venetian glass), Burano (Venetian lace), and Torcello, which old Hemingway simply loved to visit.

Murano-Burano-Torcello sounds like an ancient spell! If you repeat these three words for a long time, inviting tourists on excursions, then, it seems to me, you can inadvertently summon Satan.

Venetian glass

Glass melts at a temperature of 520 degrees Celsius, hardens after 2 minutes, and during these 2 minutes the glass blower must have time to twist the intended shape out of it. The glass itself is colorless, and the color of Murano glass is obtained by adding manganese, cobalt...

Venetian masks

Masks were originally invented by doctors so as not to accidentally inhale the bubonic plague while visiting a sick person. To this day, a doctor’s mask with a long nose is called the “mask of health.” Venice is a small city, and the Venetians really liked the idea of doing their business “incognito” in an era of strict morality. It turned out that you could do absolutely anything while wearing a mask, and then say: “I am not me, and the mask is not mine!” And everyone, from noble doges to simple lackeys, began to wear masks, stopping only for lunch.

And things in the Venetian Republic fell into complete decadence. Then the Venetians decided that masks could be worn, but only for a certain period of time - for example, a week before the start of Lent. That's where we parted ways.

And the most popular women's mask is called Colombino.

Saint Mark

Saint Mark is considered the patron saint of Venice. Before becoming a saint, Mark preached in Alexandria, where he suffered martyrdom. Venetian Christian merchants stole the relics of the saint so that no Egyptian force would desecrate them, and in order to scare away Muslims they met along the way, they hid them in baskets with pig carcasses, which the Saracens even disdained to check.

To store the relics in Venice, a special basilica was built in St. Mark's Square - St. Mark's Cathedral.

St. Mark's Square is the only square in the city. The rest of the squares in the city are called “campo”, because these used to be fields where grass grew.

Love and pigeons. And seagulls...

In Venice, there was a tradition of presenting gifts to the Doge once a year from each district of the city and religious brotherhoods. Usually these were food items. But in the year the construction of St. Mark's Cathedral was completed, among the gifts was a cage with two doves. They were released, but instead of flying away, they sat down on the arch of the facade of the newly consecrated basilica. This was interpreted as another miracle of St. Mark, who thus made it known that he wanted pigeons to become sacred birds, and the Doge signed a decree to feed this pair of pigeons and all their offspring at public expense...

With government support, pigeons multiplied beyond measure.

And in 2008, during the bird flu epidemic, feeding pigeons in the square was prohibited, and all the cornices around were covered with spikes to make it uncomfortable for the pigeons to sit.

I walked away from the group to buy myself a bun when something hit me on the head. Like a bag of rags - it didn’t hurt, but I closed my eyes from surprise. And when she opened her eyes, a seagull the size of a chicken was already soaring into the sky, carrying a good half of the bread she had just bought in her beak. "Don't feed the pigeons!" "Beware of pickpockets!" Why doesn’t anyone warn: “Beware of the seagulls diving from the sky” or “Take care of your buns from a young age”?!