Magically beautiful
A landscape to fall in love with
No matter where you dig in Italy, sooner or later you'll stumble upon an ancient myth. This is also true of Abano Terme - a vacation destination that has been highly regarded for over 2,000 years.
The landscape, which is somewhat reminiscent of the Auvergne, has been known since ancient times for its volcanic thermal springs and their healing properties. Today, the area around Abano Terme is a wellness destination (in terms of hotels) and remains very popular with visitors.
The beauty of this landscape has put quite a few heroes of history to the test, most famously the legendary hero Hercules (who once built a temple in Abano):
Incidentally, the name derives from the distinction of the Euganean clan, who once lived here even before the Veneti (that is, about 2,000 years ago).
The hills cover an area of 12 by 15 km, just a few kilometers southwest of Padova. You can recognize the highest hill, Monte Venda (601 m), by the large RAI transmission tower at its summit, from which the northern provinces are supplied with Velinas.
The landscape is somewhat reminiscent of the volcanic landscape of Auvergne and possesses a magical beauty. And quite a few have succumbed to its charms:
Geryon, the three-headed giant - truly a Herculean task.
A landscape
to fall in love with
According to legend, Hercules and his men set out for Abano to defeat the three-bodied giant Geyron (the 10th of Hercules' 12 labors).
After accomplishing his heroic feat, Hercules refreshed himself in the waters of a warm spring. Deeply impressed by the beauty of the landscape and the miraculous properties of the spring, the group decided never to return to Greece and to settle here instead.
To make amends for the wrong done to the giant, Hercules built a temple in Abano, which - much like Delphi - subsequently became a true oracle site. So popular, in fact, that even roman Emperor Tiberius stopped by here on his travels to the Illyrians to consult the oracle (as Suetonius reports).
Hiking
in the Euganean Hills
The best starting points are the Casa Marina hiking parking lot or the parking lot at the Re del Venda restaurant in Sottovenda.
Monastery of the Olivetans
Euganean Hills
Just below the summit of Monte Venda and accessible only on foot lie the ruins of an abandoned Olivetan monastery (with a view! Great vantage point!). Originally built around 1199 as a hermitage by a hermit named Adam, it grew and thrived until it was abandoned in 1771 - or rather, expropriated by Napoleon, or "secularized," as the saying goes.
But it is by no means the only hermit's retreat. A glance at the map shows (and a look at history teaches us) that quite a few people (such as Heracles or Petrarch) decided at some point in their lives to retreat to this beautiful area.
If you find yourself on the north side of the Colli, you may well be delighted by the sweet chestnut forests that thrive here. Some of the trees are centuries old (where else can you find that?) and are called maronari.
For those who, for whatever reason, cannot find the time to hike, we recommend one of the many restaurants and cafes easily accessible by car, from which you can enjoy a magnificent view of this magical landscape.
Kissed by the muse,
plagued by gout
Even the great poet Petrarch once stopped by here to treat his gout. Like Hercules, he was so taken with the place (or, more precisely, with Arquà) that he decided to spend his final years here (the medieval and very picturesque village is open to visitors, by the way).
Petrarch's grave is also located here.
