If you’re interested in staying near Venice without actually paying the high prices the hotels and restaurants inside the city require, you can do no better than to set up for a few days in nearby Padua. Not only is Padua a beautiful city to explore in its own right, but this small town makes an excellent location for exploring the region, including the larger city of Venice.
About Padua
The region of Veneto is best known as the home of Venice, of course, but this small city has had more than a bit of recognition over the years. A walled city along the Bachiglione River, you can stop in Padua and easily reach both Verona and Venice within minutes by either train or car. Inside the town, the large Basilica de Sant’Antonio stands imposing over the ancient houses and shops while the nearby Botanical gardens offer a bright spot of green inside the stone walls.
When staying in Padua, you have your choice of lodging in many of the hotels in the city. While not the luxury establishments that may be more common in Venice, the hotels in Padua are comfortable, affordable and located near the train station or the Basilica to make it easier to move around from town to town or to explore the town you’re in.
Eating in Padua is an experience in its own right. The fare in Padua is often more delicious and more affordable that the food found in either Venice or Verona. The small restaurants found here pride themselves on preparing food items using only fresh, simple ingredients, and the meals that are created are delicious for the food that makes them – not the sauces or creams that cover them.
Enjoying the Region
While Padua is certainly a charming town with plenty of appeal, it is ideally situated for additional travel outside the walls of the town. Take the train into Verona one day to explore that town before heading the other direction and enjoying the sights and sounds of Venice for a couple of days. By spreading out across Veneto, you’re able to see a great deal more of the countryside than you would be able to see staying on the island of Venice, but you’ll certainly not miss anything from this premium location.
