Historic Padua Italy: Evening Walks, Giotto Frescoes, Padua, Italy

Northern Italy has no shortage of famous cities. Venice draws crowds for its canals. Florence attracts travelers searching for Renaissance art. Verona offers romance and Roman ruins. Yet Padua surprised me more than I expected.

Padua was the first stop on my 7-day solo train trip through the heart of Europe. The all-day train journey started in Bari in southern Italy.

Northern Italy has no shortage of famous cities. Venice draws crowds for its canals. Florence attracts travelers searching for Renaissance art. Verona offers romance and Roman ruins. Yet Padua surprised me more than I expected.

Padua was the first stop on my 7-day solo train trip through the heart of Europe. The all-day train journey started in Bari in southern Italy.

I felt tired from hours of watching olive groves, farm fields, and changing landscapes roll past my train window. Instead of going straight to bed, I headed out for an evening walk through the city.

Padua feels alive in the early evening. Students fill the streets. Locals gather in cafés. Cyclists glide past medieval buildings as church bells echo through the city center.

I was staying at the Palazzo Mantua Benavides, a grand 16th-century palace that now operates as a hotel. I wandered through the garden to study sculptures and plants as the daylight softened. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).