Hotel Europa is handy for historic centre of Padova

Entrance to Hotel Europa

Close to the Scrovegni Chapel, convenient for the tram and in the heart of the most exclusive shopping area, the four star Hotel Europa is in an excellent location in Padova.

A large, smart, comfortable hotel in Largo Europa, the Europa is just a short walk from the historic centre of Padova and the bars, restaurants and shops in Piazza della Frutta and Piazza delle Erbe.

The Eremitani Church and Scrovegni Chapel are only a street away while some of the best shops and department stores in the city are virtually on the doorstep.

The hotel serves an excellent buffet breakfast and the friendly staff are always on hand to advise about what to see and do in Padova, or to provide restaurant recommendations and book taxis.

Next to the hotel is one of Padova’s most historic restaurants, Trattoria Zaramella, which was recommended in the 2009 Michelin Guide.

And a few metres from the hotel at the end of Largo Europa there are stops for the tram service to the railway station and the tram that goes to Basilica di Sant’Antonio and Prato della Valle.

There is free wifi throughout the hotel and there are meeting rooms and special facilities available for business travellers.

For more information, to check prices and make a reservation, visit our hotel bookings partner www.venere.com

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Elegant Caffe Pedrocchi part of Padova's history

The historic Caffe Padrocchi is at the heart
of daily life in Padova

Right in the centre of Padova, the Caffe Pedrocchi has for nearly two centuries been a meeting place for business people, students, intellectuals and writers.

Founded by coffee maker Antonio Pedrocchi in 1831, the café was designed in neoclassical style by architect Giuseppe Jappelli and each side is edged with Corinthian columns.

Caffe Pedrocchi quickly became a centre for the Risorgimento movement, which was dedicated to liberating Italy from Austrian rule.

The café also became popular with students and artists because of its location in Via VIII Febbraio close to Palazzo Bo, the main university building. It was at the centre of a student uprising in 1848.

It later became famous even outside Padova as a venue that never closed its doors, where people were welcome to come to talk, read, play cards and debate as well as to eat or drink, at any hour of the day.

The upstairs rooms are elaborately decorated in medieval, Moorish, Egyptian and Greek style and are now used for lectures, concerts and exhibitions.

Caffe Pedrocchi has become a Padova institution and is a must-see sight for visitors. You can enjoy coffee, drinks and snacks all day in the elegant surroundings. A lunch menu is served between 12.30 and 14.30 every day except Wednesdays.

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Padova’s famous university was housed in ancient tavern

Palazzo del Bò

The University of Padova , originally established in 1222, is one of the oldest universities in the world - second in Italy only to the University of Bologna.

The main university building is Palazzo del Bò in Via 8 Febbraio, which was named after the tavern known as Il Bò (‘the ox’ in Venetian dialect) that had been acquired by the university as new premises in 1493.

Originally this building housed the university’s renowned medical faculty. You can take a guided tour and see the pulpit that was used by Galileo when he taught at the university between 1592 and 1610 and the anatomy theatre, built in 1594, which is the oldest surviving medical lecture theatre in the world today.

The university grew larger in the 16th century and other buildings near Palazzo del Bò became part of the complex. The palazzo itself was modified at this time by architect Andrea Moroni.

Today Palazzo del Bò has two main wings. There is a 19th century part, which was restored in the last century, and the older wing is to the left hand side of the building.

To find Palazzo del Bò, leave Piazza Cavour, passing Caffe Pedrocchi on your right, and walk down Via 8 Febbraio. The university building is on the left hand side of the street at its corner with Via San Francesco.

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