Verona, charming and romantic, is well known for the story of Romeo and Juliet. It’s a small city that you can see in a day or two – it depends on your schedule and what kind of traveler you are.
Verona was in my plans when I traveled to Northern Italy and combined Venice, Verona, Como and Milan. After visiting Venice, the next destination was Verona. We got the speed train from Venice which was around 1 hour.
We planned 2 days – actually 1 and a half day. Most travelers prefer to dedicate one day since its small and there is not much to see. The small city center is enjoyable and you can discover everything by feet. If you are dedicating only one day here, make sure to arrive early in the morning.
Staying
We stayed at the Hotel Italia, which is a nice hotel on a budget. The basic room provided all the necessary comforts. The hotel is located near the bus station which you can take and get to the city center. The hotel provides you free breakfast and free wifi and you can certainly enjoy a drink on the terrace.
Things to See & Do
Verona Arena, in Piazza Bra, is the Roman amphitheater, an impressive structure made of bricks and red marble. Although it’s aged and it still hosts some of the most famous musical operas, concerts, and other events. We paid to enter the Arena and were amazed by the inside. The afternoon we visited they were setting up for ‘AIDA’ that was going to be played on the same night and decided to buy tickets to experience this. I’m not into opera but I was curious to experience one. The ticket was 25 EUR. The language was Italian, I couldn’t understand a word but I knew the story so I could sort of figure out what was going on.
Juliet’s balcony represents the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet. It’s located In an old building right in the city of Verona. There’s a bronze statue in the courtyard which represents Juliet and above you can see the famous balcony were one of the most dramatic stories in literature took place. Lovers are struggling to find an empty spot on the wall to stick their love vows believing they will stay forever happily together (its Verona’s popular belief). Even touching the right breast of Juliet will bring luck for those trying to find true love (another belief). If you want to enter the house the entrance is 6 EUR, however, you can still go in free and take a photo with Juliet.
Piazza delle Erbe is a fruit and vegetable market amongst various historical buildings in the most ancient square in Verona. Here you may enjoy your coffee in the morning or your drink at night.
Castelvecchio (meaning old castle) and the Scaligero bridge is another attraction worth seeing in Verona. The bridge connected the castle with the other side of the river making sure, in case of danger, this assured a safe way to escape. You’ll enjoy nice views from the bridge.
Castle San Pietro is located on a hill, a magnificent point which provides enjoyable views of the whole city. We reached the hill using the Hop on Off sightseeing bus. As the top of the hill there’s the Austrian Fortress which can be reached by a stairway near the Roman Theatre.
Dining & Going out
Verona is not known for its nightlife since most people start the night early at the Piazza Bra, right outside the Verona Arena or at the bank near the river Adige. Both nights we stayed in Verona, we spend most of our evening in Piazza Bra, having a snack & drink in one of the café/bars,
We enjoyed exceptionally delicious food at Ristorante Maffei, which is located in Piazza Delle Erbe. It has an outdoor seating which is amazing. I had the lamb which was awesome. It’s a bit expensive but you pay for quality which you won’t regret.
We found La Tradision randomly. It’s a very special place which aims to preserve old stuff. Their chairs and tables are all different and nice old furniture and this is what makes the place special. Everyone was having melon with ham – we have noticed this in Italy a lot. We tried the antipasti platter ham and cheese which was nice. You will love this place. And everything is damn cheap.
The Veronian traditional dishes include peperita which is boiled beef with peppered cheese sauce and pastisada de caval which is stew made of horse meat. So we decided that we should try something traditional before leaving Verona.
Osteria del Duca was recommended by Google as a local restaurant and we decided to visit. Here you’ll have the opportunity to try new tastes. We had the menu for 17 euros each which included 2 plates. The pasta with the donkey minced meat (yes, donkey meat) was a new taste for us. We also tried the horse stew with polenta, however, the horse tasted a little like pork. This is a nice place if you want to try new tastes.
Enjoy some of my photos and if you have any questions or comments please comment in the box below. Thanks for reading.
