VERONA - TOP PLACES TO VISIT, ACCOMMODATION, RESTAURANTS, DAY TRIPS
Although I know that no place in Italy should surprise me anymore, because everything I've visited so far in this country has left me speechless, the city of Verona was far beyond my expectations. Or at least, I expected to like it, but not that much.
Among tourists, Verona is promoted as the city of Romeo and Juliet. Contrary to popular belief, Verona has nothing to do with Shakespeare's work, nor even with his source of inspiration for the creation of this work. Because yes, it seems that Shakespeare was inspired by another similar work, namely The tragicall Hystorie of Romeos and Juliette by Arthus Brook, which in turn was inspired by a Latin narrative poem.
Juliet's city or not, Verona is a destination that can be visited in any season and that does not lose its charm during the winter, on the contrary, I recommend winter if you want to avoid the crowds specific to warm periods.
It is not a very big city, so you can reach most of the tourist attractions on foot. In fact, one day is enough to check off the most interesting places and enjoy the atmosphere of the city, without having to run between the tourist attractions. If you choose the option of accommodation a little further from the center, where most of the places worth seeing are, there is also the option of public transport. The travel ticket can be paid by card directly on the bus.
HOW DO YOU GET TO VERONA?
The closest airports with the most direct international flights are those in Venice, Milan, Bologna or Bergamo. Keep an eye on Skyscanner (or any other search engine) to find the best deals because the situation can change from one month to the next. Usually, the most affordable prices for plane tickets are those to Bergamo.
To get to Verona from Bergamo, the most accessible option is by train. There is no direct train option to Verona, so you have to change trains in Brescia.
If you opt for the rental car option, it is good to know that access by car in Verona is not allowed. My recommendation for parking is Parcheggio Via Santa Tereza 2, stradone Santa Lucia, 37135. It is a free parking lot, under a bridge. The area does not seem the safest, so I recommend not leaving anything valuable in the car and especially, bags or luggage in plain sight, even if they do not contain anything valuable. From there, you can walk for about 20 minutes to the central area. I also want to mention that the motorway between Bergamo and Verona is paid based on a ticket that you receive at the entrance to the motorway and that you must insert into the machine at the exit and based on it you will be charged.
The second option to get to Verona is a bit simpler, namely departing from Milan. I say it is simpler because there is a direct train from there. The options Bologna and Venice, from where there is a direct train, are equally simple.
WHERE DO YOU STAY IN VERONA?
Below are some of the accommodation options in Verona that caught my attention and have good ratings on Booking:
- Giardino Giusti House & Court - accommodation unit with double or triple rooms, with internet included in the booking price. Airport transfer is available upon request;
- Hotel Firenze - accommodation unit with single, double, triple or family rooms, located in the central area. The reception is open non-stop, a special luggage room is available upon request and it is a pet friendly location.
- Hotel Leopardi - accommodation unit located a little further from the tourist areas, but which has a spa area, fitness room and parking included in the booking price.
- Truly Verona - apartment-type accommodation unit or with double rooms, divided into several locations. When booking the room type, the address of the apartment or location is specified. If you choose apartment-type accommodation, you will have everything that is normally in a house including: kitchen, washing machine, etc.
WHERE DO YOU EAT IN VERONA?
Among the best-rated restaurants in Verona are: Guapo, Nosh Verona and La Lanterna - Ristorante Vegano Biologico (the latter also has vegan options);
We didn't choose any of the mentioned ones, but stopped at the restaurant Caffè Ai Lamberti, located in Piazza delle Erbe. The food was great, at least the pasta we ordered (tagliatelle with mushrooms, spaghetti with seafood and lasagna), but what we really liked was the staff, which was far beyond expectations.
TOP PLACES TO VISIT IN VERONA
Arena di Verona is a Roman amphitheater, located in Piazza Bra. It is estimated that it was built in the 30s AD, has a capacity of 15,000 seats and is one of the best preserved buildings of its kind in the world. Nowadays, it is still used for the purpose for which it was created, namely as a performance venue. If you would be excited to attend an event, festival or theater performance held in this arena, it is good to know that you can do so during the summer.
The arena can also be visited on days when there are no events, and tickets can be purchased from here.
Torre dei Lamberti is a tower built in the Middle Ages, 84 m high. It is considered the tallest building in Verona and is the ideal place to enjoy a 360-degree view of the city. You can climb the tower both by stairs and by elevator. If you arrive early in the morning, you can avoid the endless lines at the elevator. Tickets can be purchased from here.
Piazza della Erbe is one of the most beautiful squares in the city. Following surveys by several international news publications, it was voted the most beautiful square in the world. Personally, I don't think so, I've seen other places like it that I liked much more. What I find really special and interesting is the architectural mix of the buildings.
Castelvecchio is a fortress built for military purposes in the mid-1300s by the Scala family, who were in power at the time. Nowadays, this place can be visited. The location has a very complex museum, where you can admire sculptures, paintings and various old objects. Some of the paintings exhibited in this museum were at one point stolen by some Ukrainian thieves, but they were recovered. The most impressive part of this museum is the Ponte Scaligero, a fortified bridge, which has been very well preserved and whose structure has not been affected by the numerous floods.
The Piazzale Castel San Petro is one of the places where you can admire Verona from above, completely free of charge. To get there you have two options: either climb the stairs or take the funicular. A visit to this location does not involve visiting a castle, as you might imagine, but rather enjoying a walk and the view. There is also a restaurant in this area, and a little higher up a small bar.
The old town
Most importantly, don't miss a walk through the historic center, starting from Portoni de la Bra and Piazza Bra, where you can admire some of Verona's most emblematic buildings, such as Palazzo de la Gran Guardia or Palazzo Barbieri. The walk can continue to Arco dei Gavi and Porta Borsati.
If you want to get an idea of the shops in Verona and even go shopping, then add Via Mazzini and even Via Capello to your itinerary, both pedestrian streets, which can become cramped for the crowds of tourists.
Don't forget to enjoy an ice cream as you get lost in the streets of the old center.
Also on the list is Ponte Pietra, a bridge rebuilt in 1967 after the original Roman bridge was blown up during World War II. The reconstruction tried to preserve as many of the original bricks as possible.
Verona Cathedral, also known as the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Matricolare, is an architectural complex with a long history, dating back to the 17th century. Since then, the cathedral has gone through many events that led to its destruction, but it has been rebuilt each time. The entrance ticket costs 3 euros, but if you come here on Sunday morning, when services are held, the entrance is free.
Juliet's House is the most visited and most crowded tourist attraction in Verona, so I couldn't exclude it from the list. As I said above, the city has nothing to do with Romeo and Juliet, especially the house where Juliet, a character who never existed, supposedly lived. However, tourists trample on their feet to visit this place and to touch the chest of Juliet's statue for luck in love. Access to the courtyard is free, and there is a ticket for the house.
If you want to have more interesting information about the city and discover lesser-known places, you can book a guided tour, details here.
Verona is known as the city with a wine culture, so you can opt for a guided tour, with tasting, details here.
For those passionate about cooking, there is also the option of experiencing a traditional food cooking demonstration, details here.
Day trip from Verona:
Verona is a city that can be visited in a single day, so if you have more days to spare, you can add a few day trips near the city to your itinerary. Here are some ideas:
Santuario Madonna della Corona, considered the meteor of Italy. You can book an organized trip, details here;
Gardaland, reserve an entrance ticket here;
Molina Waterfall;
Sigurtà Garden;
CONCLUSIONS ABOUT VERONA
Leaving aside the story of Juliet and Romeo, which made this city seen as the city of great love, Verona is much more than that. It is one of the few cities on the UNESCO World Heritage List, being practically an open-air museum, with fascinating architecture and worth adding to your itinerary, if you have the chance.
On this vacation, we also visited Lake Como, Limone sul Garda, and Bergamo.
Read about Milano and Lake Como.
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