Things to Do in Padova

Historic 19th-century café with three distinct rooms in neoclassical, Egyptian, and Renaissance styles. The ground floor is still a working café, and you can wander the main rooms for free. The upper floors (museum) cost €5, but the street-level arch

🕐 Mon–Sat 08:00–22:00, Sun 09:00–20:00

💡 Order just a coffee – the house specialty 'caffè Pedrocchi' (with mint and cream) costs around €3, which is reasonable. The tables outside are pricier, so sit inside.

13th-century basilica with a marble facade, Donatello bronzes and St Anthony's tomb.

🕐 Mon–Sat 06:30–19:15, Sun 06:30–19:45

💡 Go early (before 10am weekdays) to see the chapel without queues. Dress code enforced: shoulders and knees covered.

One of Europe's largest public squares, an elliptical island surrounded by a canal lined with 78 statues of historical figures. Locals gather here for markets, rollerblading, or just sitting on the grass. The canal walk is free and takes about 20 min

🕐 Open 24 hours

💡 Go on Saturday morning for the antique market. Otherwise, early evening is quietest, and the light on the statues is softer.

One of Europe's largest public squares with a central island, canal and 78 statues.

🕐 Always open

💡 Head there just before sunset; the market (Wed & Sat mornings) adds local colour but crowds build fast.

The world's oldest academic botanical garden, founded in 1545. Laid out in a circular plan with medicinal plants, greenhouses, and a ginkgo tree from 1750. Entry is about €10, but the first Sunday of each month is free.

🕐 Apr–Oct: daily 09:00–19:00; Nov–Mar: daily 09:00–17:00

💡 The free Sunday gets very busy, so arrive just after opening at 09:00. Bring water – the greenhouses can be muggy.

UNESCO World Heritage garden founded 1545, with medicinal plants and ancient trees.

🕐 Daily 09:00–19:00 (to 18:00 Nov–Feb), closed 25 Dec, 1 Jan

💡 First Sunday of each month entry is reduced to €1 after 11am. The greenhouse and arid plant house are worth the inside route.

A sprawling red-brick basilica that mixes Romanesque, Gothic, and Byzantine styles. Houses the saint's tomb, a chapel with reliefs by Donatello, and a treasury of relics. Entry is free, but the treasury and cloister have a small fee (around €2).

🕐 Mon–Sat 06:30–19:00, Sun 06:30–20:00

💡 Visit the treasury for the reliquary of Saint Anthony's tongue – it's macabre but historically interesting. Avoid 12:00–14:00 when tour groups flood in.

Giotto's fresco cycle, dating from 1305, covers the interior in vivid biblical scenes. The chapel itself is a brick box, but inside is one of the most important paintings in European art. Entry costs around €13, but the adjoining Eremitani Museum and

🕐 Daily 09:00–19:00, last entry 18:30

💡 Book online at least three days ahead, especially in summer. Walk-ins are rarely possible. The 20-minute viewing slot is timed exactly.

Fresco cycle by Giotto from 1305, considered a masterpiece of Western art.

🕐 Daily 09:00–19:00 (last entry 18:00), closed 25 Dec, 1 Jan

💡 Book at least a day in advance online via the museum website — walk-up tickets rarely available. Low-cost entry only; no free times.

Medieval town hall with a vast hall and frescoed zodiac cycle on the upper floor.

🕐 Tue–Sun 09:00–19:00, Mon closed

💡 Skip the paid upper hall if budget's tight — the ground-floor portico (free) has enough Renaissance atmosphere and a good view of the square.