Discover Italy: Great Travel Tips - Scenic Drives - Motorcycle Tours - Art Cities - Food & Wine

Colli Euganei is the Italian name for Euganean Hills (pic n°2), a group of hills of volcanic origin that is located in the southwestern area of Padua. It is a wide system including about a hundred hills, and it is now part of the Regional Park of the Euganean Hills. Around the perimeter of the park, there are some tourist destinations that are worth a visit, as well as the natural landscapes and the archeological remains that testify to the life of ancient civilizations.

Your tour will start visiting Monselice, a very picturesque city with lots of beautiful attractions. You can visit Piazza Mazzini with Torre Civica (pic n°3), and do not forget Villa Duodo (pic n°4), located on a hill and dominated by Medieval walls. From here, the view embraces the whole southern part of the Euganean Hills.

Not so far from Monselice, there is Arquà Petrarca, where the famous Italian poet, writer, and philosopher (and also one of the starters of the Italian Language) Francesco Petrarca was born. The town features picturesque alleys carved in the rock and a wonderful view of the Hills.

Westbound, stop at Este, a beautiful town with a famous fourteenth-century Castle (pic n°5) and a pleasant historic center where to have a relaxing walk. The tour then continues to Monte Lozzo, where you can visit the Castle of Valbona surrounded by an olden-times aura. You can also visit the famous vineyards of Rovolon (pic n°1), which produce some excellent red wines and delicious Muscat wines.

After reaching the northeastern end of the hills, we suggest you pay a visit to the eleventh-century Praglia Abbey, a real jewel dating back to the Renaissance period, and an important center of the Benedictine spirituality.

South of it, you can get lost in the relaxing and dreamlike landscapes of the Euganean Hills, where the whole sense of time seems to be suspended. In the small village of Luvigliano di Torreglia, you can admire a beautiful fifteenth-century villa, called Villa dei Vescovi. While driving the last stretch towards Padua, stop at Montegrotto Terme (pic n°6), famous throughout Europe for the great quality of its thermal spas and its wellness care.

Thanks to several climates and soil-related reasons, the Euganean Hills are home to a high number of plants, trees, and flowers. Nevertheless, 80% of the area is dedicated to agriculture. Beekeeping is important, but the main products are wine and olive oil.