The Euganean Hills Circuit

Surrounded by a network of artificial canals, the Euganean Hills stand out against the horizon with a surprising variety of shapes: cone-shaped peaks overlook the gently rolling hills interrupted by deep, narrow valleys. The striking landscape is composed of farmland, where the natural elements have been tamed by agriculture, alternating with still wild forests. The elliptical area has about one hundred hills within its perimeter and covers a total surface area of nearly 21,000 hectares.

The Regional Park of the Euganean Hills was established in 1989 to promote the landscape, where vineyards blend with meadows and forests, and to protect the area’s extraordinary biodiversity. Parco Regionale dei Colli Euganei.

From Bassanello, a southern neighbourhood of Padua, you’ll travel along the Euganean Riviera, an ancient canal with extraordinary historical, hydraulic, architectural, and natural monuments. The sequence of Veneto villas starts right outside the city with Villa Molin, a masterpiece designed by Vicenzo Scamozzi. In Battaglia Terme, a picturesque town on the canal, you should stop to admire the Catajo, an imposing mansion of the Obizzi family that stands near Botte del Pigozzo and Conca della Navigazione, two ancient hydraulic constructions built with surprising technical skill. If you want to learn more about the history of river navigation, you can visit the local museum in Ortazzo full of interesting artefacts. Right outside the town is Villa Selvatico - Sartori, which proudly stands in a panoramic location. Further on, you’ll see Villa Emo, with its typical Italian-style garden.

When you reach Monselice, you can visit the town square and take a stroll up the road to see the Sette Chiesette Chapel on Monte della Rocca that ascends to Villa Duodo, which is overlooked by the medieval fortress. Heading south, you’ll cross wide stretches of reclaimed land where you’ll see the Buzzaccarini complex and, further on, Villa Barbaro. In the distance stands Este, a town with a 14th century castle, large squares and marvellous works of art conserved in the Atestino National Museum, and in its many churches and stately homes.

To reach the western side of the hills, you’ll travel along the Bisatto canal, which in the hamlet of Bomba flanks an ancient foundry that is now the home of the Geo-Paleontological Museum of the Euganean Hills. The itinerary proceeds towards Mount Lozzo where the well-conserved Valbona Castle. still stands at its foot. You’ll travel to Vo’ Vecchio, a town built around the 17th century Villa Contarini - Venier that preserves its atmosphere of bygone days.

Further on, from Carbonara to Frassanelle, you’ll travel along secondary roads with little traffic that offer splendid countryside views. To the extreme northeast of the Euganean Hills, you’ll find the Praglia Abbey, a Renaissance jewel and important site of Benedictine spirituality. The last stretch from Praglia to Padua passes through Abano and Montegrotto Terme, two hot springs resorts known for their wellness and beauty treatments.