Euganean Hills (Colli Euganei)

The Euganean Hills (Colli Euganei) are a cluster of rounded volcanic hills rising abruptly from the flat plain southwest of Padua, forming Veneto's first regional park, established in 1989. Their cone-shaped summits, the eroded remains of ancient submarine volcanic activity, are cloaked in chestnut and oak woods, vineyards, and olive groves, and dotted with medieval villages, hilltop castles, monasteries, and elegant villas. The area is best known for two things: thermal wellness and wine. At its eastern edge, the spa towns of Abano Terme and Montegrotto Terme sit atop one of Europe's oldest and largest thermal basins, where hot mineral water and therapeutic 'fango' mud have drawn visitors since Roman times; dozens of thermal hotels and spas offer pools, mud treatments, and wellness programmes, with day-spa entries and treatments commonly starting around 30 euros. The hills also produce Colli Euganei DOC wines, and walking and cycling routes thread the slopes between tastings. Cultural highlights include the walled medieval town of Monselice with its terraced Sanctuary of the Seven Churches, the dramatic castle of Este and its archaeological museum, the hilltop village of Arquà Petrarca where the poet Petrarch spent his final years, and the working Benedictine Abbazia di Praglia. Visitors can fill a relaxed full day combining a thermal soak, a hilltop walk for panoramic views, and a wine tasting, or stay several days at a spa resort. Spring brings wildflowers and blossom, autumn the grape and olive harvest, while the thermal baths are a year-round, all-weather draw. The hills are quieter than Veneto's headline cities and reward slow exploration by car or bike. Set just south of Padua in Italy's Veneto region, the Colli Euganei combine nature, wellness, wine, and history in one compact area.