A tale of Love
Verona is one of the most beautiful italian cities that is not so much visited by tourists. It is situated in northern Italy at the foot of the Lessini Mountains on the River Adige. The city does not have much to offer compared to other big cities, and hence less tourists.
But it was in one of my top places whenever I planned a trip to Italy. I had seen the city in Amanda Seyfried’s movie, Letters to Juliet and could never forget about how romantic and charming the city looked.
And it was everything I imagined and much more. The vibes of the city is unlike any other city I had visited before. The city has diverse buildings accounting to its 2000 years of history through the Roman period, Romanesque, Middle ages and Renaissance. The 21st century Verona showcases elements of all that amid the narrow lanes adorned by colorful balconies.
In this article, I have got a guide for a few places to see, and a small article if you want to know about the Romeo and Juliet connection with the city. For readers who have no idea, this city is supposed to be Shakespeare’s inspiration for Romeo and Juliet’s story. What stands till day is a city full of lovers and a building dedicated to Juliet.
Casa di Giulietta / Home of Juliet
Now It is still debated if Shakespeare actually visited Verona, or if the two families who inspired Romeo and Juliet’s house are true or not. But my goal is to not verify the facts, instead just visit the place that I had heard so much about.
This was my first stop in Verona, rightly so because this was the reason I knew about this city. The entrance was a small alley covered with graffiti and love scribbles. It led to a courtyard with the famous statue of Juliet and the balcony to which if you want to enter, you take the ticket to the Juliet House Museum.
Standing there, touching the statue for good luck, and gazing around people writing notes & letters, couples taking photos, and women marvelling at the balcony made me think of how powerful love is. How the story of Romeo and Juliet resonates with so many of us, how the proposal at the balcony becomes so enchanting, and how people travel from various parts of the world for a day to just visit this place, not knowing what they are hoping to achieve here, but still feeling getting captivated by the whole atmosphere.
For tourists who are looking for pretty places and marvelous sights, you might be bored here, so might as well skip it or make way for people who feel connected to the place in some way.
For others, I can’t say that you will solve your love problems or receive a letter, but what I can say is you will feel closer to love. You will believe a little more in the idea of love, that it exists, it’s possible and out there.
Walk and admire!
I think Verona is a great city to explore by foot and there is a lot to admire. The historic center has one of the nicest collections of Roman remains in northern Italy, like the city gate, buildings, amphitheatres and even bridges. Some interesting sights to see on your stroll could be:
Verona Cathedral
Duomo di Verona is a Roman catholic cathedral, originally built in Romanesque style with additions of new features like Gothic windows and the Baroque in the facade. Inside is a church with richly decorated aisles and numerous chapels, and an old library which houses important works related to the Classical tradition.
Piazza Delle Erbe
A square buzzing with local daily markets and cafes with outdoor seating offering italian delicacies set against a backdrop with nice buildings. There is a large statue of a winged lion, a symbol of the city’s prowess.
Piazza Bra
The largest piazza in Verona, lined with a lot of cafes and restaurants. Even late during night from European standards, the piazza is buzzing with people dining, walking and just chilling in front of the Verona Arena.
Arche Scaligere
In the middle of a very rich area, The Scaliger Tombs, a group of 5 very elaborate funerary monuments stands tall containing tombs of the famous Scaliger family.
Bridges of Verona
There are some bridges over The Adige River that flows through the city. Two most important bridges, the Ponte Pietra and the Ponte Scaligero, got destroyed during the war but later were faithfully rebuilt using original materials recovered from the riverbed. Ponte Scaligero is also known as the Castelvecchio bridge and is connected to the castle’s courtyard.
Via Mazzini
It is the main shopping street starting from Piazza Bra. There are also many tiny streets branching out of Via Mazzini with nice shops.
Things to do –
Arena di Verona
Arena di Verona is a Roman Amphitheatre built in the 1st century which you will easily spot walking in the city. Unlike the Rome Colosseum, this one still holds much of its structure, and the best way to visit it is by watching one of the concert, operas or event happening there.
For planning to see an event happening at the Arena, check out their official site. https://www.arena.it/arena/en
Castelvecchio
Castelvecchio means old fortress, which belonged to the once ruling della Scala family and now is converted to a museum. It was built in the medieval ages, and is one of the most prominent examples of Gothic architecture of the age, with its M-shaped merlons along the castle walls. Museum displayed a collection of sculpture, statues, paintings, ancient weapons, and some old bells belonging to both medieval and modern periods.
Torre dei Lamberti
In the middle of Piazza Erbe, this 12th century tower stands high and offers amazing views of the city and also the mountains nearby. The tower has an interesting history and is known to be “a stem of light to the beauty and life of Verona”. The tower can be climbed by stairs or elevator and is open every day with a single ticket that also includes a visit to the adjacent Gallery of Modern Art.
Giardino Giusti
Across the river from the city centre, the small and artistically manicured Giusti gardens are named after the noble family that planned them. The idea was to have a scenery when marvelling at the city from its belvederes (terraces). They are considered a masterpiece of Renaissance landscaping containing a huge collection of flowers, important Roman ruins and soaring cypresses.
Gelatos
Dolce vita – indulge in the sweet life experience and keep trying the never ending flavors of gelatos. Some good recommendations are – Gelateria la Romana, Vittoria 1938 Gelato caffe, Gelateria Savoia, Gelateria Ponte Pietra. Which one is better than the other, try it out for yourself.
Day trips
Take advantage of super connectivity and go for a day trip to another city closeby. Some options are Lake Garda – note lake garda is not a small lake, there are about 100 of towns around the lake and depending on the time and interest, you can choose a city.
Connectivity
Flight
The small airport, Verona Villafranca Airport is 12kms from the city and operates budget flights from a few european cities. The aerobus runs between the airport and Verona Porta Nuova station every 20mins until 20.30 and then every 40mins until 23.00.
Or another feasible solution is to take a flight to Milan/Venice and take 1-2 hours of train from there.
Train
From Milan or Venice, it is 1-2hours of train depending between regional trains or high-speed trains. The train network is amazing in Italy, and there are very frequent trains that you can book in advance or on the same day.
If you are travelling from far, then booking a train in advance might be cheaper for the high-speed trains. I used trainline or italo for all my train bookings in Italy.