In fair Verona…

Two households, both alike in dignity

(In fair Verona, where we lay our scene),

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;

Romeo & Juliet, William Shakespeare

I visited the beautiful city of Verona last week with my sister who came to spend her birthday in Italy with me and we had a brilliant time. Verona is a great city to visit if you’re staying in Milan and have a day to spare. We took the 09:38 train from Milano Centrale and arrived at 11:28 in Verona Porta Nuova. We travelled with TrenItalia on the Eurocity train in first class (very comfy!). We paid 54€ each but you’ll be able to find cheaper tickets if you buy yours in advance.

A few sites that I use to book tickets are:

https://www.omio.it/

https://www.thetrainline.com/it

https://www.rome2rio.com/

What to see and do in Verona

Verona Arena

The Verona Arena is a Roman amphitheatre in Piazza Bra which was built in 30 AD. It is still in use today and is internationally famous for the large-scale opera performances given there. Click on the link here to have a look at the Arena di Verona Opera Festival.

The Arena itself is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 until 19:00 and you can buy your tickets online or at the door. Every first Sunday of the month tickets are reduced to 1€ each. Full price is 10€ per person.

Juliet’s house

Cast in bronze, Juliet stands on the far side of the courtyard, welcoming you and inviting you to touch her breast. According to local legend, the statue of Juliet is the keeper of true love and if couples touch her breast, they will get the happy destiny that she and Romeo were denied.

Do you remember the film “Letters to Juliet”? Well, the Juliet Club really does exist! The “Secretaries of Juliet”, patiently and passionately reply to millions of lovers who write to the Juliet Club to seek advice and reveal their heartbreaks.

The history of the letters to Juliet dates back to 1930, when the keeper of Juliet’s Tomb, Ettore Solimani, began to collect the first letters that tourists left in search of advice and, moved by this phenomenon, he decided to start replying to each letter and thus becoming the first “Secretary of Juliet”.

The Juliet Club was born in Verona in 1972 from an idea of Giulio Tamassia and a group of artists and intellectuals united by a passion for the Shakespearean legend.

Did my heart love til now? I never saw true beauty till this night

Romeo and Juliet, W. Shakespeare

It’s free to enter the courtyard and take photos but just be aware that it can get really busy at times. To visit Juliet’s house, entry is 6€ per person. You can book your tickets in advance here.

Piazza delle Erbe

One of the most ancient squares in Verona. It is full of monuments and important landmarks such as the Madonna Verona fountain, Torre dei Lamberti, Palazzo Maffei, Houses of the Mazzanti and Colonna di San Marco.

Giardino Giusti

This beautiful garden is a must. There are hardly any tourists which might be because it was a little tricky to find but it was worth it. Tickets for the garden are 10€ per person and you can stay for as long as you like. I loved walking around the garden and listening to the music coming from the ballet studio as they rehearsed.

The buildings you see below used to be wool factories and the site of the present garden – was used to boil the enormous cauldrons of dye in which wool was soaked before being laid out to dry.

Opening time: Winter 10am-6pm | Summer 10am-7pm

Basilica di Santa Anastasia

Santa Anastasia is the largest church in Verona. A single ticket is 4€ or you can buy a cumulative ticket which is 8€ and allows you to visit the Basilica di San Zeno, the Cathedral Complex, the Basilica di Santa Anastasia, and San Fermo.

The Basilica of Santa Anastasia is open for visits Monday to Friday from 09:00 until 18:30, Saturday from 09:00 until 18:00 and Sunday from 13:00 until 18:00.

Piazza dei Signori and Mercato Vecchio

Leaving the crowds of tourists behind, we headed to Piazza dei Signori for a quick break and then moved onto the old market square.

Isn’t it beautiful? Here, you’ll find the Palazzo della Ragione where the Galleria d’Arte Moderna Achille Forti is housed and the Scala della Ragione (stairs of reason). You can also access the Torre dei Lamberti from here and enjoy amazing views of the city.

Scaliger Tombs

The Scaliger Tombs, are a group of five Gothic funerary monuments celebrating the Scaliger family, who ruled in Verona from the 13th to the late 14th century.

Romeo’s house

We actually happened to stumble upon Romeo’s house on our way to the Giardino Giusti. It was only when a lady asked to have her photo taken at the door that we noticed the sign saying Romeo’s house!

Romeo’s house is a medieval palace in the centre of Verona. It actually looks like a small castle. Until the early fourteenth century, it was the home of the Montecchi family who, according to legends and literary texts, was Romeo’s family. If you’re interested, there are several Romeo and Juliet tours that run throughout the day which you can book online.

Ponte di Castelvecchio

The Castel Vecchio Bridge or Scaliger Bridge is a fortified bridge on the Adige River. The segmental arch bridge featured the world’s largest span at the time of its construction.

Shopping and exploring

For a bit of shopping Via Giuseppe Mazzini is the place to start. The marble streets and colourful buildings make this area feel like a film set. Not to mention the beautiful old shop fronts!

Overall, Verona is a beautiful city to spend the day exploring. It’s very easy to get around but if you want to use public transport then getting the Verona card might be worth your while.

Is it worth buying the Verona Card?

For those of you who wish to visit the entire city, the Verona Card allows you to visit the churches and all the main monuments and museums of Verona, e.g. the Arena, the Museum of Castelvecchio, Juliet’s house, the Lamberti Tower, and much more. You can also use the Verona Card to travel on all city buses. The Card can be purchased at the entrance booths of all monuments and museums. You can also buy one at the IAT office, situated in Piazza Bra, at newsstands or tobacconists in the city centre.

How much is it?

20 € valid for 24 hours or 25 € valid for 48 hours from the first time you use it.
In the churches, the Verona Card always includes an audio guide, available in six languages, until they run out. Otherwise, there are written info sheets.

Lunch in Verona

For lunch, we went to Osteria Caffé Monte Baldo which is just around the corner from Piazza Erbe. The dish of the day was Carbonara which was absolutely delicious and I had the lamb ragù and it was amazingly good. We only ordered one main dish each and we were so full we struggled to finish our food but it was so nice we didn’t want to leave anything on our plates!

For anyone wondering what an osteria is; it was originally a place serving wine and simple food. The emphasis has now shifted to the food, but menus tend to be short, with the emphasis on local specialities such as pasta and grilled meat or fish, often served at shared tables.

When is the best time to visit Verona?

Like most of Italy, spring and autumn are the best times to visit. It is extremely hot in summer so if you do visit during this time, make sure to always carry water with you (there are fountains everywhere as well so you can refill your bottle) I always carry a thermal spray or some water in a little spray bottle to freshen up as well and a little towel. From around mid-May we’ve had temperatures of around 28°C and on some days 34°C! Whatever you decide to do, you’ll have an amazing trip!

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