Although the giant container ships of the city’s free harbor may offer some competition, there is still one clear winner in this category in Hamburg: Miniatur Wunderland. If you’re visiting the city, plan to dedicate at least an afternoon to the experience. If possible, take a friend (school-age or otherwise) along with you.

Conceived and run by twin brothers Gerrit and Frederik Braun, Miniatur Wunderland is the model railway display to end all model railway displays. The admission price (12€/9€ reduced, children 6€) is worth every cent.  It doesn’t matter if you’re not a train geek or have never dug miniature trains—you’ll be excited about them after your visit.  If you don’t believe me, check them out in action:

Hundreds of thousands of hours and a keen sense of humor have gone into creating the extensive model railway exhibition, which is housed over two floors of a converted warehouse in Hamburg’s central Speicherstadt district. Your journey will take you through Switzerland, Austria, Scandinavia, the United States and Germany. Currently there are over eight miles of miniature rail, but the ever-expanding Wunderland is aiming for a total of 12.5 miles with its Italian, French and British models now under construction.

Over the last decade, the Wunderland has experimented with many technologies. Scandinavia, true to form, is surrounded by water and is serviced by remote-controlled ferries. America and Germany feature roadways with moving cars and trucks. The exhibit’s newest section, Knuffingen Airport, features a runway where planes taxi, take off, and land.

In order to keep the trains from colliding on the tracks and more quickly fix derailments, the miniature railway (and all other elements) is controlled by an extensive computer system that mimics the one used by actual rail traffic controllers.

Great for kids or for the kid in all of us, Miniatur Wunderland is a stand-out experience you won’t ever forget.

It’s open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and in summer these hours are often extended both earlier and later (check the website for exact times).

The post Hamburg’s Miniatur Wunderland is the ultimate model train display appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Padova is famous for having been home to Saint Anthony, a Franciscan friar who lived in Padua for several years and died there on June 13, 1231. The remains of Saint Anthony are preserved in the Basilica of St. Anthony, the destination of many pilgrims from around the world and one of the city’s main attractions (see below).

Some of the sights I recommend visiting:

Loggia della Gran Guardia

On the corner of the road which leads from Piazza dei Signori to the Duomo, the true heart of the town rises. The Loggia della Gran Guardia got its name because this is where the Great Council used to meet after the fire of the previous hall in 1420. The elegant Renaissance building was designed by Annibale Maggi da Bassano. The building is commonly known as “Gran Guardia.”

The Palazzo della Ragione

Scrovegni Chapel

One of the masterpieces of international art, well worth a visit to the city, the Scrovegni Chapel stands in the ruins of the ancient arena in Padua (probably built between 60 and 70 AD). In the fourteenth century it was bought by the Scrovegni family, a wealthy Paduan family of bankers and usurers, and in 1300 the family began building their palace.

Between March 25th, 1303 and March 25th, 1305 the Chapel of Our Lady was erected by Enrico Scrovegni in memory of his father Reginaldo. The father, you see, had been condemned to Hell by Dante (in his Divine Comedy) because of his unfair business practices.

Giotto was given the task of representing a sequence of stories from the Old and New Testaments, culminating in the death and resurrection of Jesus and the Last Judgement. He wished to urge those who entered the chapel to meditate on Jesus’ sacrifice. The work was completed very quickly so that in 1305, after only two years of work, the chapel was decorated throughout and was consecrated a second time. Giotto work in the Scrovegni chapel is considered by many to be his masterpiece.

The Chapel is open only by appointment by booking on their website.

Admission charges: Full-priced ticket: €13, Museum ticket only: €10, Reduced-priced ticket: €8, Special reduced ticket €6.

Palazzo della Ragione

Palazzo della Ragione

The building of the Palazzo della Ragione helped revolutionize construction techniques and designs in the Middle Ages. The Palazzo is popularly called “Il Salone” (The Big Living Room). The great room upstairs was a miracle of architectural boldness and solidity. Palazzo della Ragione is situated in the center of a cluster of municipal buildings, including the palace.

Entrance from “Scala delle Erbe”, Piazza delle Erbe
Opening times: from Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., closed Mondays.
Entry tickets: full tickets € 4, reduced € 2, free entry for children up to 6 years old and for people with disabilities.

Prato della Valle

Prato della Valle, one of the great symbols of Padua, is a great elliptical square, which aside from being the city’s largest square (88,620 square meters), is also one of Europe’s largest, second only to Moscow’s Red Square.

The elaborate design of the square was inspired by the great tradition of Venetian patrician gardens. The square is a monumental space featuring a central island green called “Memmia Island” in honor of the mayor who commissioned the work. The island is surrounded by a canal adorned with statues of famous personalities from the past. Today you can see 78 statues, along with eight pedestals topped by obelisks, while two are empty. Four lanes on bridges across the lawn meet at the center of the island.

Caffe Pedrocchi

In Padua, as in Venice, in the late 18th and early 19th century, many cafes were opened where people used to meet and read.

Antonio Pedrocchi in 1816 commissioned the famous Venetian architect Giuseppe Jappelli to expand upon the small coffee house he inherited from his father. In his plan the new cafe had to be the “fairest of the land.” It opened in 1831. For more information, visit Caffe Pedrocchi’s website.

Palazzo Zuckermann

The Palazzo Zuckermann houses the Bottacin Museum and the Museum of Applied Arts. Established in 2004, the new museum of Palazzo Zuckermann, opposite the Scrovegni Chapel, houses an extraordinary collection of over 2,000 objects, including hidden assets of the Civic Museums of Padua.

For visitor information, visit the Palazzo Zuckermann’s website.

Basilica del Santo

The Basilica of St. Anthony, known as “The Saint,” is the city’s most important religious center and attracts thousands of pilgrims each year. The Basilica is especially busy on June 13, the Feast of the Holy, when thousands arrive in the city for the famous procession. The enormous building presents a remarkable fusion of styles: Romanesque, Gothic Byzantine and Moorish.

For more information, visit the Basilica’s website.

Museum Cards

Padua offers two tourist cards that are intended to make your visit more convenient and affordable. They are:

PadovaCard

The PadovaCard grants admission to Padova’s major sights and monuments and offers discounted fares for parking and transportion throughout the city. For full details, visit the PadovaCard website.

Validity: 48 or 72 hours
Cost: €15  (48 hours), €20 (72 hours).

PadovaMusei

The PadovaMusei card offers admission to the city’s major museums. The cards can be purchased at museums and at Piazza Hermits.

PadovaMusei Family pass: 2 adults and 2 children under 12 years
Validity: 15 days from the date of first use
Cost: €25

PadovaMusei One-Year Pass (per person)
Validity: One year from the date of first use
Cost: Adults €15, reduced €12

Getting to Padova from Venice

Padova is situated just about 40 km from Venice, within easy reach by car or by train or by bus. The train journey is only 25 minutes from Venice Santa Lucia train station or from Mestre train station, a round-trip ticket cost about €6 and the trains are very frequent.

The bus journey is more pleasant, as you get to follow the River Brenta and you get to see amazing Renaissance villas on your way. The bus leaves from bus lane C4 in Piazzale Roma. Tickets costs about €8 and the trip takes about one hour.

The post Padova, Italy: An art-filled day trip from Venice appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.