The most beautiful cities of the Po Plain (Padana)
We have brought together the cultural cities of Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia Romagna for you. According to our experience, several of these beautiful places are visited during a trip to Italy. In each of these cities there are valuable art objects and a lot of history to discover. It is worth visiting not only the famous metropolises, but also the smaller towns with their medieval and Renaissance buildings.
The city centers are now all traffic limited and there are excellent restaurants of traditional cuisine in addition to the many sights and not too expensive.
We are happy to create a visit program that is tailored to your needs in terms of content and cuisine and can be completed with a boat trip or a visit to a Palladio villa.
Some Ideas for the Padana (Po Plain)
If you don’t find what you are looking for then please let us know. Bespoke itineraries are our Expertise!
Discover the small towns
We’ve all kind of heard the names before. Sometimes these are associated with a product such as Parma with the ham and the hard cheese, Modena with the aromatic vinegar. We have gathered the most interesting for you.
1 - Vigevano
Vigevano, northwest of Pavia, is small and tranquil and still an insider’s tip away from tourism. The place is full of beautiful Renaissance buildings and a Castel of the Visconti family. The footwear industry, to which a museum is dedicated, is still very strong. The city is surrounded by rice paddies. It grows the best risotto rice in Lomellina, as this stretch of land is called.
2 - Pavia
An active monastery and a covered bridge over the Ticino River-in between a very beautiful university town with pedestrian zone. The small university town has something special to offer: The Carthusian monastery with the precious church and the monastery with the monk cells, which is cultivated by Carthusian monks.
3 - Monza
Better known is Monza’s race track as the venue for Formula One. But also the beautiful old town of Monza is worth a visit with the Villa Reale in the park of Monza, which was built in 1777 by Maria Teresa of Austria. Milanese come to Monza to buy furniture. The showrooms of the well-known Italian brands can be found all over the city.
4 - Bergamo
In Bergamo there is the modern lower city and on the hill, surrounded by the Venetian city walls, the historic upper city, accessible by the city cable car. The neighborhood village of Crespi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A magnificent workers’ settlement with a textile factory in the centre. It was the first village in Italy to get electric light. The hydroelectric power plant on the River Adda is still in operation today. The settlement is beautifully cleaned out and inhabited.
5 - Cremona
In the new Museo del Violino you will learn from five centuries of violin making and Cremona’s most famous masters Amati, Stradivari, Guarneri. Cremona is known to all music lovers for famous violin makers such as Stradivari and Guarneri. The newly built museum of violins is definitely worth a trip.
6 - Parma
Parma is not only the city of famous musicians such as Arturo Toscanini and Giuseppe Verdi, but also the headquarters of the European Food Authority. The most famous products for tasting are the Parma ham and the Parmesan cheese. We are happy to provide you with a complete tasting programme with visits.
7 - Brescia
Brescia is one of the most beautiful and oldest coastal towns in Lombardy. Great are the well-preserved excavations from Roman times with the Capitoline Temple in the Roman Forum as well as the mosaic footbents of the Roman villas in the museum of the monastery complex Santa Giulia and San Salvatore.
8 - Mantua
Mantua is located south of Lake Garda on the Mincio River. Mantua is definitely worth seeing with its medieval old town around Piazza Sordello and Piazza delle Erbe. A very special experience is the visit of the “Camera degli Sposi” to the Doge’s Palace and the former amusement palast Palazzo Té of the Gonzaga.
9 - Modena
Modena is best known for the Aceto Balsamico di Modena, as well as a motorsport resort and the Maserati plant. The Ferrari plant is also nearby.
10 - Ferrara
The medieval town centre of Ferrara within the well-preserved city wall with the narrow and picturesque streets of the Jewish quarter has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
11 - Vicenza
In Vicenza you should not miss the Villa Rotonda Capra, a masterpiece by Palladio and the Villa Valmarana ai Nani with frescoes by Tiepolo. From the hill of Vicenza you have a great view and visit the church of S. Corona, Piazza Signori, Palladio Basilica and the Cathedral.
12 - Padua
The most important attraction in Padova is the chapel of the Scrovegni family, which was painted in blue and gold by Giotto at the beginning. Another treasure in Padua is the Basilica of San Antonio with four cloisters and many works of art.
13 - Bologna
Visiting Bologna means eating well. Bologna’s old town with it’s towers from the Middle Ages and about 40 km of arcades is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The University of Bologna is the oldest university in the Western world. It is important to visit the Anatomy Amphitheatre in the university’s Palazzo Archiginnasio.
14 - Verona
Verona is famous as the city of the lovers Romeo and Giuliett and the Amphitheater Arena. In the summer month you can visit Italian operas open air in the Arena.
