On this tour of Padua with a local guide, you will walk through the city to discover its most important corners, squares and monuments.
Firstly we will see Prato della Valle, the largest square in the city of Padua and one of the largest in Europe. With its 78 statues Prato della Valle is a kind of album of the most important people of Padua.
Afterwards we will reach the Basilica of St. Anthony, or ‘Il Santo’ (‘The Saint’), a destination for millions of pilgrims every year. This magnificent basilica is a romantic blend of styles and cultures from all corners of the world and will leave you speechless, but most importantly it houses the remains of the Franciscan monk Anthony. He died in Padua in 1231 and was declared a saint the following year.
Then, along cobbled streets and medieval arcades we reach the heart of the historic centre. We will see the city’s Old Ghetto, which with its narrow streets and small bars has become a meeting place for young students from Padua University.
We will then reach Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta, overlooked by Palazzo della Ragione. Here mornings are enlivened by the stalls of the local market and the bustle of people under the ‘Salone’, the city’s ancient covered market.
The tour to Padua with a local guide will continue to Piazza dei Signori where the residence of the city’s lords once stood, now a meeting place for Paduans for the ritual of the aperitif.
Finally, we will stop outside Palazzo Bo, the seat of the University of Padua, founded in 1222, which has always attracted students from all over the world.
We will conclude the tour with a Paduan tasting, the famous mint coffee at the historic “Caffè Pedrocchi”.