Having looked at aerial maps of the site and knowing I would be visiting in winter I set my expectations low. However I did enjoy my visit but I don’t think it will be a highlight of most people’s time in north-eastern Italy.

The main factor for its inscription is the fact that it is the oldest existent botanical garden in the world, and the fact that it is still laid out to these original plans. It also houses a large collection of materials and data for cataloguing plants. Worthy I guess of being a world heritage site.

What can you expect; essentially a well laid out small park with the names of all the plants in Latin and a few water features, and if like me you visit in winter there will be some very bare looking plants. It certainly didn’t set my world alight, but the staff were friendly and there was a relaxing, out of the way ambiance.

Padua was a nice city, the centre was littered with impressive buildings and the Prato della Valle near the gardens was impressive. However Padua did house the absolute stand out sight in the north of Italy in the shape of the Scrovegni chapel which will make a truly world class WHS if it ever gets nominated from the tentative list, shame you missed it Els.

Not the greatest WHS but probably a worthy one due to it’s age and continuity, however if you are in Padua there is a truely world clas site to visit in the shape of the Scrovegni chapel.

[Site 3: Experience 4]