A Weekend in Padova, Italy

Padova is a beautiful city in Italy in the region of Veneto - here's how to spend a couple days! This guide includes 4 restaurants, 7 museums/gardens to visit, and a description of the typical food you will find in this region/city.

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Padova (Padua) located in northern Italy’s Veneto region is a really great, and in my opinion, underrated, city to visit. It's perfect for a calm weekend getaway, or even a day trip, and is a great destination to visit from Bologna or Venice.

Padova is probably most famous for its incredible frescoes by Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel and the immense 13th century Basilica of St Anthony. But there is so much to explore!

What to Visit

Giardini dell'Arena

@daniellecohen

This garden/park area is in between the train station and the Scrovegni Chapel. It's a nice, calm green area with lots of little bar/cafes, the perfect place to pause, enjoy the sunshine and have a drink.

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Prato della Valle

@daniellecohen

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The Basilica of St. Anthony

@daniellecohen

This church is free to enter and a must stop on your visit in Padova. The incredible basilica, has Byzantine-style domes and notable pieces of art, as well as contains the namesake St Anthony's tomb.

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Scrovegni Chapel

@daniellecohen

Make sure to reserve tickets well in advanced! You must select a time slot, (I would suggest arriving 10 minutes early at least) to make sure you drop any large bags/backpacks off and find the entrance okay. They sell out quickly so prepare in advanced.

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Musei Civici Eremitani

@daniellecohen

You can spend a lot of time in this museum! The ticket comes with your entrance to the Scrovegni Chapel

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Ragione Palace

@daniellecohen

The entrance to this palazzo feels slightly hidden, but it's just above the food market. The frescoes are incredible, but does not require much time to explore.

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Jewish Museum Of Padua

@daniellecohen

I always find it very interesting to learn about the Jewish history in Italy. I visited the Jewish museum, which was small, but worthwhile, and then was brought to see the synagogue, which hosts the 20 local practicing Jews in the city, for holiday services.

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What to Eat?

Bigoli

This type of long, thick fresh pasta and is made with flour, eggs, water and salt. It is a product of peasant tradition, since the times of the Serenissima Republic of Venice.

Often you will find it with a duck or wild boar ragù (ragù bianco d'anatra o ragù bianco di cinghiale.

Folpi Bolliti

Octopus boiled with olive oil and parsley

Seafood

You will find lots of pastas with mussels, anchovies, cuttlefish, and other seafood.

Fegato alla Veneziana

Venetian style liver is rather popular here.

Engage in the Art of Cicchetti

In the region of Veneto, you will hear/see the word cicchetti everywhere.

When the hunger starts to kick in or friends want to get together to catch up, locals head to their favorite bàcaro for Italian tapas, called cichetti. The term comes from the Latin "ciccus" meaning “little or nothing”. Cicchetti are normally made up of a range of small finger foods like crostini or small pieces of bread topped with something like fresh fish or cheese, (similar to an open faced mini sandwich), polpette (fried meatballs), or even an array of pickled vegetables. The options are endless and just depends on the bàcaro, or wine bar.

It is more of a casual dining experience than a fancy restaurant, and that will be obvious by the groups of locals enjoying it. Cicchetti are inexpensive, usually just a couple of euros per item, and make for the perfect snack to pair with a glass of wine, or cocktail.

Where to Eat?

La Folperia ️

@daniellecohen

This informal food stand in Piazza della Frutta is a Padova institution. It is always circulated by locals coming to enjoy traditional regional seafood street food, like folpi (octopus). The food stand doesn't sell drinks but you can buy a drink from Bar dei Osei, next to it, to sit down at their tables.

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Frascoli Bacaro / Cicchetteria veneziana a Padova

@daniellecohen

This spot is great for cicchetti and drinks with friends, or as a sit down dinner spot.

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Locanda Peccatorum Padova

@daniellecohen

This place filled up with locals quickly for lunch but it was fantastic. Try the Bigoli pasta or it's also an option for cicchetti and drinks.

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Dalla Zita

@daniellecohen

A popular, but delicious panino shop!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Danielle Cohen

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Ciao! My name is Danielle and I'm a Californian from San Diego, who's been living full time in Florence, Italy since 2020. I studied in Florence in 2016 and absolutely fell in love with the food, culture, and history, and made it my mission to move back. I moved right before the pandemic, and staying here through all the lockdowns and pandemic life really helped me discover slow travel and find all of Italy's beauty, including lesser known gems, and off the beaten path travel spots. During my three years in Florence, I have wrote for publications like The Florentine, done freelance marketing with restaurants and a travel agency, giving me high insight into the best destinations, foodie spots, and more. I am here to help you make the most of your vacation in Italy with curated itineraries for every type of traveler and digital maps to help you enjoy THE BEST food each region has to offer. Let me do the work so you can just relax and enjoy, without any stress! I've had a very unique experience living in Italy the last 4 years, as I made my official move right before the pandemic, after visiting for years. Because of this I learned to travel locally and deeply throughout the numerous incredible destinations in Italy and for that I cater my travel services to finding the most local and mindful experiences, keeping true to discovering and appreciating Italy's culture.

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