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Euganean Hills Regional Park
Area: 141 km²
Attractions in the Euganean Hills Regional Park.
Highlights
Monumentale garden of the 17th century, designed by Andrea Barbarigo and drawn by Luigi Bernini. ...
Short walk from Arquà Petrarca to admire the most beautiful sunset in Veneto
The Buso dei Briganti has always been frequented as an observation point over the plain, from which ...
Padova, Este, Terme Euganee
The Este Castle, built between the 11th and 13th centuries and reshaped by the Carrara family in ...
The Casa del Petrarca, the former home of the great poet Petrarch, is set in the leafy countryside ...
From Padua, Montegrotto Terme or Torreglia, follow the signs to Abano Terme and, from there, to Monteortone. The point of departure is by the Shrine.
The name of the abbey comes from the Latin word “pratolea” (meadow), referred to the vast meadows ...
The Alta Via dei Colli Euganei reaches the most important peaks and includes some of the most suggestive paths of the Euganean Hills.
The nature trail of the Central Colli Euganei unfolds in the heart of the Euganei for about fifteen kilometers. The point of departure can be ...
The origins of the Euganean Hills
The Euganean Hills are about 80 hilly reliefs with soft but all different shapes (some resemble a cone, others a half sphere) that rise above the Po Valley, a few kilometers away from Padua. They were formed as a result of two cycles of underwater eruptions, one occurring 43 and the other 33 million years ago. Much older rocks, some even dating back more than 100 million years and containing fossils or calcareous shells, can be observed in the area.
Why are they called the Euganean Hills?
The name has a fairly recent origin (between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries) and derives from the Latin adjective "Euganeus," which at first indicated the Euganean people, who occupied the area of the hills before the arrival of the Veneti and then the Romans, later came to mean "Paduan."
A biodiversity to be protected
When one considers the unique origin of the Euganean Hills and their morphology, it is not surprising that an astonishing number of different plant species coexist on these hills: on the southern, sunnier slope, one can find typical Mediterranean scrub, with holm oaks, strawberry trees, cysts and brooms, but also dwarf prickly pears (for example on Mount Ceva) and agaves, a forest of oaks and dry meadows called "vegri" punctuated by the very rare Ruta padovana (a herbaceous plant with small yellow flowers).
On the northern one, where there is more shade and the soil is wetter, the vegetation more closely resembles mountain or submountain vegetation, with chestnut forests, some birch trees, a few examples of alpine flora and an undergrowth characterized by snowdrops, daffodils and dog's teeth. The territory of the Euganean Hills is also characterized by orchards and vineyards, located mainly on the plains.
In 1971, the Euganean Hills were the protagonists of an important event for Italy: nearly seventy quarries were active in the area for the extraction of rock material for construction, which not only disfigured the landscape, but were destroying the hills. Thanks to the intervention of young environmentalists and politicians, the Italian Parliament passed the country's first environmental law, sanctioning the need to protect the natural beauty of the Euganean Hills territory and to close the quarries that were threatening it. Today, almost all the quarries have been closed, but some can be visited.
To further protect this unique place and its rich biodiversity, 18 years later, in 1989, the Euganean Hills Regional Park, the first regional park in the Veneto region, was established. It covers more than 18,000 hectares and includes 15 municipalities.
Outdoor adventures in the Euganean Hills Regional Park
The Euganean Hills are the ideal place for those who want to immerse themselves in nature and enjoy the outdoors by hiking, trekking, mountain biking or horseback riding. In fact, they present a vast network of trails and paths that pass through pristine forests, vineyards and meadows and offer breathtaking views of the entire surrounding area.
For those who want to explore the area on foot, the Park Authority has created 31 hiking trails of varying levels of difficulty, but there are many other unmarked trails available, many of them easy and short. For trained hikers there are:
- the Alta Via dei Colli Euganei (No. 1), an exciting 41-km-long loop trail starting and ending in Teolo;
- the Central Euganean Hills Nature Trail (nr. 2), which crosses the area to a panoramic terrace overlooking the east face of Mount Pendice.
- the Atestino Trail (nr. 3), about 20 km long, which winds around the picturesque village of Arquà Petrarca.
Those who prefer to move around on a road or gravel bike or even an ebike can take advantage of the Euganean Hills bike trail, which is about 70 km long and almost completely flat and paved, to enjoy the splendid views of the Euganean Hills Regional Park. Mountain bikers, on the other hand, prefer to go deeper into the park and enjoy the more adrenaline-pumping ups and downs of the hills.
So many breathtaking views
Being like islands in the middle of the Po Valley, all the Euganean Hills have natural viewpoints, from which it is possible to enjoy wonderful views of the unique landscape of the regional park. We point out in particular the striking Pianoro del Mottolone, near Arquà Petrarca, from which you can admire one of the most beautiful sunsets in the Veneto, but also the Buso dei Briganti, located on Mount Cinto, and the Salto della Volpe, on the Mount of the Madonna. A truly splendid panorama can also be admired from the Church of the Madonna of Mount Pirio. On the days when the sky is clearest, one can even see the lagoon of Venice.
A special spectacle typical of this area that can be admired especially in winter is the one created thanks to the phenomenon of thermal inversion: in the plain surrounding the Euganean Hills, where sunlight arrives later during the day, temperatures are lower than in the hills, and fog forms here. In this way, the tops of the hills appear as islands in a sea of fog.
Photo: Massimiliano Piazza, CC BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons
The Euganean Hills between history and culture
The National Atestino Museum of Este, housed in the Mocenigo Palace, narrates the history of the ...
Photo: Gianni Crestani, CC BY, Pixabay
Also hidden among the softly shaped green hills and the plain that connects them are charming old villages, Renaissance villas, medieval castles, splendid churches, solitary monasteries, and spectacular gardens. Among the towns worth visiting are Arquà Petrarca, Monselice and Este, all three of which have medieval origins. Arquà Petrarca, one of Italy's most beautiful towns, hosted Francesco Petrarca in the last years of his life, so here you can visit his home and tomb.
The very atmospheric fortified town of Este is famous for its spacious Piazza Maggiore, the Villa Contarini degli Scrigni (also known as Vigna Contarena) and the beautiful Carrarese Castle, with its 1-kilometer-long walls. In the past it was a thriving cultural center, and artists and jesters were hosted at court.
But the Euganean Hills count many other villas that are absolutely worth visiting: first and foremost, Villa Barbarigo, in Valsanzibio, with its splendid Baroque garden designed by Luigi Bernini in the 17th century, where you can admire fountains, waterfalls, fishponds, numerous sculptures, ancient trees and one of the most beautiful natural labyrinths in Italy. Villa dei Vescovi, in Luvignano, is a Renaissance building with neat lines and wonderful frescoed rooms. The splendid Catajo Castle, somewhere between a villa and a fortress, in Battaglia Terme, is worth a visit as well.
In this area, more precisely in Teolo, is one of the most beautiful and important Benedictine monasteries in Europe: Praglia Abbey. In this peaceful place surrounded by vineyards, it is possible to join a guided tour with one of the monks who live there and rest after hiking or biking.
Relaxation between the spa and a glass of wine
After practicing their favorite outdoor activity or visiting one of the pretty villages or Venetian villas in the Euganean Hills Regional Park, visitors can relax in one of the hundred spas in the territory of the so-called"Terre Euganee," which is characterized by the presence of natural springs of water rich in mineral salts known since ancient times and unique in the world. Their therapeutic and healing properties are countless. Spa towns include Abano Terme, Montegrotto Terme, Battaglia Terme, Galzignano Terme and Teolo.
And why not end the day with a good glass of wine? The Euganean Hills area is located not far from the 45th parallel, known as "the wine parallel," the latitude where the world's best wines are grown, so it should come as no surprise that delicious wines, both red and white, are produced here. The Euganean Hills Wine Route, a loop trail, connects a large number of wineries, farms and agritourisms that offer tastings and guided tours for a taste experience!
Destinations in the Euganean Hills Regional Park.
Localization
