Village Italy with Rick Steves
Padua
Prato della Valle
Pretour
Relax
Wander
Gelato
Pizza
Wine
Lots of Wine
People Watch
Padua offers
alleys,
arcaded streets,
rivers,
canals,
bridges,
gardens,
piazzas,
a university,
huge markets,
outdoor cafes,
old town wall remains,
charming architecture,
lots of history,
and a wonderful climate
all packaged up
with delicious
wine and food.
So what's not to love about Padua?
Really, nothing.
Our guides,
Tricia and Lisa
took the group on our first orientation walk
along Via Rudena
to our multi course meal at Ristorante Il Corte del Leone.
We stayed at Hotel Fagiano, near St Anthony's Basilica.
In the morning we toured Scrovegni Chapel,
the Eremitani Church,
and with a local guide
we visited the anatomy theater,
the large markets of Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta,
enjoyed a spritz
and tramezzini together.
One of Padua's
top tourist attractions,
if not the
top tourist attraction,
is the
Scrovegni Chapel.
The chapel,
commissioned
by Enrico Scrovegni
in 1303,
is now a museum
open to the public
to view the vibrantly colored frescoes
of Giotto.
Piazza della Frutta
The Market
Via Rudena
Via Rudena
What We Did...
An afternoon and evening free so we climbed the steps of Ragione Palace which overlooks the market below, explored the shopping district, toured St. Anthony's Basilica and enjoyed spritzes at Prato della Valle soaking up the vibes among the college students. For dinner we met up with other tour members at Zairo's also in the Prato.
Basilica of St Anthony
Ragione Palace
Anatomy Theater
The best way to eat together with a group of people is let the staff know you are together but can be seated in smaller groupings.
Would you like to read about touring Scrovegni Chapel?
You can visit my blog on an external link here.
