Marostica & Cittadella: Walled Towns

Getting there from Mogliano Veneto

By car: the practical choice for visiting both towns in one day. Marostica is about 55 km, 40–45 minutes via the A31 toward Bassano then south; Cittadella is about 45 km, 35–40 minutes on the A4 (exit Cittadella) or provincial roads. The two towns are 25 minutes apart, loop Marostica morning, Cittadella afternoon, or reverse.

By train: Marostica has a station on the Bassano line (change at Mestre or Padova); Cittadella is served by regional trains on the Padova–Bassano route. Reaching both by public transport in one day is awkward, choose one town or rent a car for the pair.

Parking in both towns is straightforward: Marostica has lots near Piazza degli Scacchi and below the upper castle; Cittadella has free or low-cost parking outside Porta Padova or Porta Bassano, minutes from the walls. Casa Lilla guests with on-site parking can drive without the Venice limited-traffic zones or lagoon garage fees.

• Car: essential for Marostica + Cittadella same day.
• Marostica only: train feasible; 1h15–1h30 from Mogliano with changes.
• Suggested loop: Mogliano → Marostica (morning) → lunch → Cittadella (afternoon).
• Distance between towns: 18 km, 25 minutes on SS53/SP35.

Marostica: castles, chess and cherries

Marostica is dominated by two castles, Castello Superiore on the hill and Castello Inferiore at the foot, linked by medieval walls and a panorama over the plain. The lower castle faces Piazza degli Scacchi, where every two years (even-numbered years, September) living chess is played with costumed people as pieces, a tradition dating to a 15th-century legend of a duel settled by a chess match.

Even without the festival, the square delights: porticoes, cafés, the cherry motif everywhere (Marostica cherries have DOP status). Climb or drive to Castello Superiore for views; the walk up takes 15–20 minutes on a paved path. The lower castle hosts exhibitions and can be visited when open.

Stroll the walled lanes, browse cherry products (jam, liqueur, chocolate), and lunch under the porticoes. Marostica is compact, two to three hours cover the essentials before you drive to Cittadella.

• Piazza degli Scacchi: heart of town; festival in September of even years.
• Castello Superiore: best view over rooftops and the Pre-Alps.
• Cherries: fresh in May–June; products year-round in speciality shops.
• Museo del Costume: costumes from the living chess tradition.

Cittadella: medieval walls and porticoes

Cittadella is one of Europe's best-preserved walled towns: a nearly perfect elliptical circuit 1.5 km long, built by Padua in the 13th century as a fortified outpost. You can walk the entire parapet walkway, unique in the Veneto, with views over red rooftops, the Duomo bell tower and the surrounding plain.

Enter through Porta Padova or Porta Bassano and explore the inner grid of streets lined with porticoes, over a kilometre of arcades shelter shops, bars and trattorias. Piazza Pierobon and Piazza del Duomo are the civic centres; the cathedral and baptistery hold art worth a brief visit.

Cittadella feels lived-in rather than museum-like: locals shop under the porticoes, students gather in bars, and tourism is light compared to Venice or Verona. Allow two to three hours including the wall walk and a coffee break.

• Wall walk: full circuit 45–60 minutes; ticket for the elevated walkway.
• Porticoes: rain-proof strolling and shopping in any weather.
• Duomo: Romanesque-Gothic baptistery with medieval frescoes.
• Torre di Malta: former prison tower; views if open to visitors.

Food, wine and local specialities

Both towns offer honest Veneto cooking. Marostica: cherry desserts, bigoli pasta, grilled meats, and wines from the foothills. Cittadella: risotto, horse meat (traditional in the Padua area, optional), and prosecco from nearby hills. Trattorias under the porticoes serve set lunches at modest prices.

For lunch between the two towns, you can eat in Marostica before driving to Cittadella, or stop in a countryside agriturismo en route. Aperitivo in Cittadella's porticoes, spritz and olives, is a fine mid-afternoon pause before the wall walk.

Neither town requires advance restaurant bookings except during the Marostica chess festival weekend, when the whole province descends on the square. Outside that event, walk-in lunch is normal.

• Marostica: cherry cake, liqueur, seasonal fresh fruit in spring.
• Cittadella: portico trattorias; try risotto or baccalà if on the menu.
• Wine: Prosecco and Colli Euganei labels from nearby producers.
• Picnic option: buy salumi and bread under the porticoes, eat in a piazza.

Sample day and how to combine with your stay

Depart Casa Lilla around 8:30–9:00. Arrive Marostica 9:45, coffee on Piazza degli Scacchi, climb Castello Superiore, browse shops. Lunch 12:30 in Marostica porticoes. Drive to Cittadella 14:00, wall walk, Duomo, portico stroll. Coffee and depart 17:30, home by 18:15, time for a garden aperitivo at the house.

If you prefer one town only, Marostica pairs with Bassano del Grappa (30 minutes north); Cittadella pairs with Padua (20 minutes south) or the Euganean Hills. From a single base at Casa Lilla you can build a week of distinct medieval towns without repeating Venice crowds.

Best seasons: spring for Marostica cherries and wall flowers; autumn for clear views from the ramparts; winter for foggy atmosphere and empty porticoes. Summer is warm but still less crowded than coastal resorts, ideal when you want history without heatstroke in Venice's stone streets.

• Full combo: Marostica morning + Cittadella afternoon, the classic day.
• Marostica only: add Bassano or Asolo if you start early.
• Cittadella only: combine with Padua's Prato della Valle and Basilica.
• Photography: morning light on Marostica castles; afternoon on Cittadella walls.

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