Cittadella Geography & Climate

The town lies at about 49 metres on the flat alluvial plain of the central Veneto, some 30 km north of Padua and 15 km south of Bassano del Grappa.

The site has no natural defences: no hill, no river bend, no marsh. Everything protective about Cittadella was constructed, which is why the walls are as substantial as they are and why a moat had to be dug and fed artificially.

The compensation is visibility. From the rampart the plain runs flat in every direction, and the Prealps and Dolomites stand along the northern horizon some 30-50 km away -- on a clear winter day, one of the best mountain views available from ground level in the Veneto.

The surrounding country is intensively farmed, and the town sits on the historic road between Padua and the Valsugana.

Summers (June-August) are hot and humid, frequently above 30°C, with little air movement on the plain. The walkway has no shade whatsoever, which makes a midday circuit in July genuinely unpleasant.

Winters (December-February) are cold and often foggy -- Po valley fog can sit for days and will erase the view entirely. When it lifts, though, the mountain view from the rampart is at its best of the year.

Spring and autumn are short and the most comfortable seasons for the walk, with the clearest air generally following rain.

Rainfall is moderate, spread through the year with spring and autumn peaks.