Adriatic coast route

About the destination: Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS • Cathedral of Saint Anthony. The Basilica of Saint Anthony is the most well-known tourist site in Padova. Constructed immediately after "The Saint's" death in the 1200s, it is home to his tomb and significant relics. • St. George's Oratory. A stunning, frescoed, and generally vacant hall on the south side of the square adjacent to the Basilica di Sant'Antonio. • Roman ruins, including an Arena. The Arena is smaller and less impressive than those in Verona or Rome, but it is situated in a beautiful and well-maintained park. • Palazzo della Ragione is the large building located between Piazza della Frutta and Piazza delle Erbe. Its ground floor hosts small market shops. • Jewish Ghetto, it's located between "Piazza della Frutta", the "Duomo" and "via Roma". Characterised by narrow streets and numerous small art galleries and bars where you can enjoy a "spritz". • Palazzo del Bo' is the main university building. Padova's university is the second oldest in Italy. • Botanic Garden - the first Botanic Garden in the World, operated by the University of Padova, and on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1997.

About the destination: Perhaps no city is as fabulous as Venice, a metropolis built upon stilts, a maze perched over a lagoon. Venice has been dubbed the parlour of Europe, and indeed for centuries the city was a haven for ideas and idealists, a crossroads of the Byzantine and Roman worlds. Today Venice is a different kind of parlour. Wealthy visitors scramble into gondolas to gawk at the Byzantine palaces while being serenaded by accordionists and art lovers strain for a glimpse of Renaissance masterpieces. No monument is as memorable as the city itself, so use the major sights only as an excuse for wandering. Venice revolves around Piazza San Marco. The best feature of the mosaic-covered Basilica di San Marco is the Pala D’Oro, a glittering gold Byzantine bas-relief. The Torre dell’Orologio, to the left of San Marco, is a beautifully adorned clock tower. For culture enthusiasts, check the Accademia for the best of Venetian paintings. Some say that the tourist Venice is indeed Venice, but there are other Venices as well. To find them, wander away from the major sights and into the quieter outlying residential areas, you won’t be disappointed, this labyrinth of stone and colour radiates enchantment from every brick.