A clock without Libra, a ship-hull roof and 78 statues: Padua as a game
The Padua scavenger hunt is a self-guided city game you play on your phone: you walk from landmark to landmark, solve a riddle at each one by looking closely at what is in front of you, and unlock the stories and legends behind it. Spread over 3.4 km of flat, arcaded streets, the 10 stops need about 42 minutes on foot, and riddles, stories and the odd look at the market stalls round the game up to about 2 hours, counted from the moment you open it.
Highlights include the astronomical clock on Piazza dei Signori, the ship-hull roof of the Palazzo della Ragione above the market squares, the university where Galileo taught, the domes of the Basilica of Saint Anthony and the statues of Prato della Valle. Padua's centre is flat and lined with arcades, so it is easy to explore on foot.
- Durationabout 2 hours
- Walkingabout 42 min · 3.4 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
Ten riddles between a medieval gate and a giant square
Riddles in stone, bronze and brick
Every stop hands your team a riddle that only careful eyes can crack: the zodiac on the astronomical clock in Piazza dei Signori, the Lion of Saint Mark on its column, the bronze rider in front of the Basilica of Saint Anthony. Logic does the rest, and no Italian is required.
Galileo, the café without doors and a famous graduate
Once solved, each riddle unlocks a story: why the Caffè Pedrocchi was long called the café without doors, which years Galileo spent teaching at the university, and how Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia became the first woman to earn a university degree in 1678. Switch on the audio narration whenever your eyes need a break from the screen.
3.4 km of flat, arcaded streets
About 42 minutes of walking take you from Piazza Garibaldi through the market squares and past Palazzo Bo to the Santo and Prato della Valle. Arcades line much of the way, and Google Maps points you from stop to stop.
Market stalls, a coffee, a bench by the canal
Nothing is timed, so buy fruit on Piazza della Frutta, stop for a coffee near the Pedrocchi or sit by the canal of Prato della Valle, then carry on later or another day. Beneath the Palazzo della Ragione, the food shops of Sotto il Salone are worth a look on the way.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who plays in the city of Saint Anthony and Galileo
A day trip from Venice
Padua is a short train ride from Venice, and about 2 hours of play covers the market squares, the university and the Basilica of Saint Anthony. That leaves the rest of the day for a museum, a long lunch or an early train back to the lagoon.
Children counting statues
Kids enjoy hunting for the sign of Libra that the astronomical clock is said to lack, meeting Donatello's bronze horseman and counting the 78 statues that ring the canal of Prato della Valle. Padua is flat underfoot, and each team has an adult along.
Students, alumni and colleagues
Teams of up to 5 read the riddles on their own phones, one each, and a bigger party breaks into several teams that leave Piazza Garibaldi at intervals. Prato della Valle, one of the largest squares in Europe, has room for everyone to meet again at the finish.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Teams of up to 5 work best; bigger groups split into several teams, one ticket per player.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
Bulgaria –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Good
Sabrina– Austria –
Collected on GetYourGuide
War alles super
Argentina –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Spain –
Collected on GetYourGuide
A través de la aplicación recorres los principales lugares más emblemáticos de la ciudad
Italy –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Per chi è di Padova è una caccia al tesoro tanto semplice.
Maria– Italy –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Una proposta carina e divertente per essere guidati nei punti di interesse principali, qualche difficoltà nel capire quale app utilizzare ma l’assistenza tecnica telefonica, disponibile e cordiale, anche se si trattava di una giornata festiva. Consiglio l’esperienza!
zsujcc– Hungary –
Collected on GetYourGuide
It was fun, exciting, we loved the puzzles and meanwhile we discovered Padova! Real fun, very original!
philippe– France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Bon guide. Trop de choses dans le temps énoncé
Jörg– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Wer nicht minutiös einen Rundgang zu den Highlights planen möchte, für den ist diese Schnitzeljagd genau das Richtige.
David– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Sehr gute Ausarbeitung der Tour
Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Excellent way to explore the city !