Adriatic coast route

About the destination: Padua is a city and municipality in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It serves as the capital of the Padua province and is the economic and communication center of the region. MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS • Saint Anthony's Cathedral. The Basilica of Saint Anthony is the most famous tourist attraction in Padua. Constructed shortly after the Saint's death in the 1200s, it is home to his tomb and significant relics. • St. George's Oratory. This is a beautiful, frescoed, and typically vacant hall on the southern side of the square adjacent to the Basilica of Saint Anthony. • 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-kept park. • Palazzo della Ragione is a large building situated between Piazza della Frutta and Piazza delle Erbe. Its ground floor houses small market shops. • Jewish Ghetto, located between "Piazza della Frutta", the "Duomo" and "via Roma". It is characterized by narrow streets and numerous small art galleries and bars where you can enjoy a "spritz". • Palazzo del Bo' is the main university building. The University of Padua is the second oldest in Italy. • Botanic Garden - the first Botanic Garden in the world, managed by the University of Padua, and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1997.

About the destination: Perhaps no city is as extraordinary as Venice, a metropolis constructed on stilts, a maze suspended over a lagoon. Venice has been referred to as Europe's living room, and indeed for centuries, the city was a haven for ideas and idealists, a junction of the Byzantine and Roman worlds. Today, Venice is a different kind of living room. Affluent visitors scramble into gondolas to marvel at the Byzantine palaces while being serenaded by accordionists and art enthusiasts strain to catch a glimpse of Renaissance masterpieces. No monument is as unforgettable as the city itself, so use the major attractions only as a pretext for exploration. Venice revolves around Piazza San Marco. The best feature of the mosaic-covered Basilica di San Marco is the Pala D’Oro, a dazzling gold Byzantine bas-relief. The Torre dell’Orologio, to the left of San Marco, is a beautifully adorned clock tower. For culture enthusiasts, check out the Accademia for the finest Venetian paintings. Some say that the tourist Venice is indeed Venice, but there are other versions of Venice as well. To discover them, stray from the major attractions and into the quieter outlying residential neighborhoods, you won’t be disappointed, this labyrinth of stone and color radiates charm from every brick.