Verona

Verona is an historic city with a population of about a quarter of a million in north-eastern Italy's Veneto region. It's most famous as the setting for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Understand
Though close to the more popular tourist destination of Venice, many people consider Verona a more relaxed and pleasant place to visit. There are many tourists, but the number of tourists per square metre is lower.

By plane


Connections to the city:
 * If you have a rental car the trip to Verona isn't difficult: take the A4 towards Padova (Padua) and follow all the way to Verona (approx 7 km).
 * If you have a rental car the trip to Verona isn't difficult: take the A4 towards Padova (Padua) and follow all the way to Verona (approx 7 km).

Venice Marco Polo Airport is further but has far more flights. From there take the shuttle bus to Mestre railway station (25 min), then the train to Verona (1 hour).

Also within a couple of hours of Verona are Venice Treviso and Bergamo airports. These have no obvious advantage.

By train

 * Some local trains (regionali) also stop at another station in Verona,.
 * Some local trains (regionali) also stop at another station in Verona,.

By car
Verona is the meeting point of 2 of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) corridors and as such is easily reachable by car from a number of surrounding European countries.

Get around
City bus schedules available online, via google maps and through the "ticket bus Verona" app. The 11, 12 or 13 bus on weekdays will get you from the train station (Stazione Porta Nuova) to the Arena (Piazza Bra). Sunday and holiday schedules differ with a separate numbering system. You can pay the fare at the automatic machines, online with the previously mentioned app, from every cigarette or lotto shop (look for blue "T" signs) and, as a last resort, directly on the bus by asking the driver (cash only and with an €0.80 surcharge - quite a lot if your ticket is only €1.30).

See
Verona was a Roman city, and many Roman ruins have been preserved, notably the Arena. The ancient city was badly wrecked by the earthquake of 1117 AD, which led to a flurry of re-building. Therefore, most of the historical sights on view today date from the past 800 years, while the Roman city lies 6 metres below you.

Verona showcases the transition of Western European art from late medieval to early renaissance styles, with its rich offering of 12th-century churches and art museums. Verona's military importance has also left city fortifications and an excellent castle. Look out for architectural details related to the Scaligeri (or della Scala) family, who ruled the city from the 12th to 14th century, e.g. their family emblem is a ladder, scala in Italian.

Top sights are the Arena, Castelvecchio, the churches of St Zeno and of Sant'Anastasia, and the cathedral. Much of the pleasure of Verona comes from simply strolling the medieval centre, especially in the evening when the day-trippers have departed. The Arena hosts performances by the world's top singers, and when these are on the whole city, not just the Arena, will be booked solid.





A little further out across the river, find the Castel San Pietro, the Giusti gardens, and the other amphitheatre. The walk along the riverside is usually enjoyable, but in 2016/17, the pavement between the Roman Bridge and the Garibaldi Bridge was under reconstruction, with no end in sight.



Do

 * Wander around Carega block (just ask for 'Carega', close to the Duomo), near Garibaldi Bridge, and experience traditional wine bar and cosy restaurants.
 * Hire a tourist guide for a guided sightseeing tour or a wine tour in Valpolicella or Soave.
 * Football: Hellas Verona play soccer in Serie A, Italy's top tier. Their home ground Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi (capacity 39,000) is 2 km west of city centre.
 * Visit the Christmas markets during your winter holidays
 * Football: Hellas Verona play soccer in Serie A, Italy's top tier. Their home ground Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi (capacity 39,000) is 2 km west of city centre.
 * Visit the Christmas markets during your winter holidays

Eat


The Veronese are keen eaters of horse-meat (cavallo), a local speciality. Pastisada de caval, is a dish of braised horse meat, as is Picula de Caval.

Pizza is not traditionally eaten locally, but pasta dishes feature widely on restaurant menus. Try Pizzocheri (buckwheat pasta with cheese and sage), casoncelli (a type of ravioli) or bigoli (thick spaghetti).

Casoela is a pork casserole, and a bollito misto is a mixture of boiled meats, usually served with mostarda, a traditional accompaniment of fruit and vegetables in mustard.

Budget
All these are in the city centre:



Drink
Avoid the hordes of tourists in Piazza Bra and head to Piazza delle Erbe. At least slightly more genuine, this Piazza has a number of good bars where you can sit and enjoy a coffee or an "aperitivo" in the sun. Great for your coffee in the morning and your drinks into the evening.



Sleep
Verona is frequented annually by millions of tourists, so you'll be able to choose among a lot of different accommodation options, all a lot cheaper than nearby Venice. However it is essential to have booked hotel accommodation on days when the annual arena opera performances are taking place between July and August months in advance. Turn up on spec or late and it is possible to find every bed in the city taken - cheaper alternatives might be found in nearby Vincenza or Padua.

Budget
There are three youth hostels in Verona, all within walking distance of the town centre and a short bus ride from the main train station (Porta Nuova). A tourist map, available from the station's tourist information centre, will point you to their locations. The northeasternmost hostel of the trio, near Piazza Isolo (regular buses from Porta Nuova) has a stunning converted Renaissance complex complete with porticoes, verandas and a huge forested garden, dorm beds for only €15 per person, with a passable breakfast included.

Also consider several small bed and breakfasts in the immediate province, after all a car rental for €30/day and a substantial saving on the nightly fee is an acceptable turnaround. Especially if you need the car to visit the surroundings.

There is also a campsite:

Connect
As of June 2022, Verona has 5G with all Italian carriers.

Go next
The surrounding area around Verona offers access to some of Italy's most spectacular scenery - to the north you have rolling hills with vineyards and small towns, to the west the Lake Garda (Lago di Garda).


 * Other cities and towns worth a visit and easily done as a day-trip by rail from Verona include Vicenza, Padova, Mantova and of course the big draw Venice.
 * Drive to the nearby valley Valpolicella, famous for its renowned Amarone, Recioto and valpolicella wines as well as for its ancient villas.
 * Lake Garda (Lago di Garda) can be easily reached from Verona for a day trip. There are frequent regional trains to Peschiera del Garda, the ride from Verona Porta Nuova takes only 15 Minutes, however it is by far not the nicest of towns at the lake. Your best and fastest (meaning 2 hours with mediocre traffic) bet would be bus 185 to the town of Garda at the eastern shore of the lake (from which other lines run all the way up north). Busses 164 and 165 also run to Garda, albeit on a less direct route, however both go via Verona Airport. All lines depart from infront of the main train station in Verona. Tickets can be bought on the bus. Get a timetable (orari) from the tourist office or from APTV transport website (Lake Garda is in Zone C), they are also clearly marked at the central bus station.