Verona

The home of Romeo and Juliet, with open-air opera on summer nights in the Roman amphitheater, and nearby Lake Garda and the Valpolicella wine country for a slow-paced getaway.

Verona lies in Italy's northern Veneto region, where the Adige River makes two big bends around the city, about 110 km from Venice and 160 km from Milan. With more than 2,000 years of history, the city preserves a Roman arena, theater and city gates, the castles and towers of the medieval Scaliger family, and palaces from the time of the Venetian Republic; in 2000 the entire Old Town was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Shakespeare set the story of Romeo and Juliet here, making it the "city of love." Climate: Apr–Jun and Sep–Oct are the best times for strolling; mid-June to mid-September is the Arena's open-air opera festival, when the city is at its liveliest but hot and hotels are expensive; winters are gray and foggy, and in December Piazza Bra hosts a Christmas market. Where to go: the Old Town sits within the river bend, and everything can be reached on foot: Piazza Bra and the Arena, then Via Mazzini (shopping), Juliet's House, Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza dei Signori, and the Torre dei Lamberti. To the west are Castelvecchio and the Basilica of San Zeno; across the stone bridge on the east bank are the Roman Theatre and the Castel San Pietro viewpoint. Nearby you can visit Lake Garda (Sirmione, Malcesine, Riva) and the Valpolicella wine country (Amarone red wine). Getting there: Verona Porta Nuova station is on the Milan–Venice high-speed line, about 1 hour 15 minutes from Milan, about 1 hour 10 minutes from Venice and about 50 minutes from Bologna; from Verona Airport a bus reaches the city in about 15 minutes. The Old Town is a restricted traffic zone (ZTL), so do not drive in. Suggested time: 1–2 days in Verona, plus 1 day at Lake Garda. Time-sensitive note: from April 2026, entry to Juliet's House is through the Teatro Nuovo entrance and requires an advance online reservation; the VeronaCard (24/48 hours) covers the Arena, Torre dei Lamberti, Castelvecchio Museum, Juliet's House and other major sights plus city buses, and suits intensive sightseeing.

Top sights

• Arena di Verona – One of the best-preserved ancient Roman amphitheaters, hosting open-air opera on summer nights. It was the venue for the closing ceremony o…
• Juliet's House – “Juliet’s House” from Romeo and Juliet. The balcony and bronze statue in the courtyard are a pilgrimage site for lovers from around the wor…
• Piazza delle Erbe – A city living room on the site of an ancient Roman forum, surrounded by frescoed façades, the Lion of St Mark column and market stalls. It…
• Torre dei Lamberti & Piazza dei Signori – Verona's tallest medieval tower, at about 84 m, reached by lift or 368 steps, with views over the red-roofed old town and the Adige River.
• Castelvecchio & Scaliger Bridge – A 14th-century red-brick castle of the Scaliger family, remodelled into an art museum by architect Carlo Scarpa. A crenellated bridge spans…
• Castel San Pietro & Ponte Pietra – A viewpoint on the hill across the Adige, the best place to overlook Verona's red roofs and the river bend, with a Roman stone bridge below.
• Basilica of San Zeno – A masterpiece of Romanesque architecture in northern Italy. Its bronze doors, the 'Wheel of Fortune' rose window and Mantegna's altarpiece…
• Verona Cathedral (Duomo) – A bishop's cathedral that blends a Romanesque façade with a Gothic interior. It houses Titian's 'Assumption of the Virgin', and beside it a…
• Basilica of Sant'Anastasia – Verona's largest Gothic church, with Pisanello's fresco 'Saint George and the Princess' and two holy-water stoups carried by hunchback figu…
• Scaliger Tombs (Arche Scaligere) – The Gothic tombs of the Scaliger family, who ruled Verona in the 14th century. Spire-like tombs are topped with equestrian statues, and the…
• Porta Borsari & Corso Porta Borsari – A Roman city gate from the 1st century AD, with its white double-arched stone facade well preserved. The street behind it continues the rou…
• Roman Theatre & Archaeological Museum – A 1st-century BC theatre built into the hillside across the Adige River. Its semicircular seating faces the old town, and the monastery abo…
• Giardino Giusti – One of Italy's most beautiful Renaissance gardens, with a cypress avenue, a geometric hedge maze and a 'Monster Mask' lookout at the top of…
• Juliet's Tomb & Fresco Museum – The red marble sarcophagus said to be where Juliet was laid to rest. It sits in the basement of a former Franciscan convent, and upstairs i…
• San Fermo Maggiore – A double-decker church with a Romanesque lower level from the 11th century and a Gothic upper level. Its boat-hull wooden ceiling and Pisan…
• Via Mazzini – A marble pedestrian street linking Piazza Bra and Piazza delle Erbe, lined with designer shops and cafés. It is Verona's liveliest shopping…
• Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes – A round church on a hill north of the old town, converted from an Austrian fortress. Its terrace overlooks all of Verona, cradled by a bend…
• San Giorgio in Braida – A Renaissance church on the bank of the Adige, with a dome designed by Sanmicheli. Inside, under the dome, is Veronese's altarpiece of the…
• Gardaland – Italy's largest theme park, with roller coasters, water rides and a LEGO-themed hotel. It is the top choice for family trips on the shores…
• Bardolino – A wine town on the eastern shore of Lake Garda, with a lakeside promenade, Romanesque chapels and red wine estates that make for a relaxed…
• Lazise – A medieval walled town on Lake Garda, with the Scaligeri Castle, an old harbour and the Venetian customs house, all very picturesque.
• Malcesine & Scaliger Castle – A lakeside mountain town on the northeastern shore of Lake Garda. The Scaligeri Castle, built on a rock by the water, is the most photogeni…
• Monte Baldo Cable Car – A rotating cable car rises from Malcesine to 1,760 metres, with views over the whole of Lake Garda. Hiking in summer and skiing in winter.
• Sanctuary of Madonna della Corona – A sanctuary built into the cliffs of Monte Baldo, appearing to hang between earth and sky. It is the most breathtaking pilgrimage site arou…
• Borghetto sul Mincio – A medieval village of water mills on the Mincio River, with old waterwheels, stone houses and a Visconti defensive bridge. It is one of Ita…
• Parco Giardino Sigurtà – A 60-hectare garden where millions of tulips bloom in spring. Its lawns, lakes and hedge maze have earned it recognition as one of Europe's…
• Valpolicella Wine Region – A famous wine region in the hills northwest of Verona, known for Amarone, a rich red made from dried grapes. Terraced vineyards and villa e…
• Soave & Scaliger Castle – A medieval wine village wrapped by walls that run from a hilltop castle, famous for its white wine of the same name and about 25 km from Ve…
• Parco Natura Viva – A large zoo on the outskirts of Verona, split into a walk-through zoo and an African safari park that visitors drive through.

Where to eat

• Antica Bottega del Vino – A historic Veronese tavern opened in 1890, winning the Wine Spectator Grand Award for 23 consecutive years, famous for…
• Osteria al Duca – A historic tavern next to Romeo's House, featuring a highly cost-effective two-course set menu, with horse meat stew an…
• Osteria il Bertoldo – A family-run alley tavern operating since 1988, tucked away from the main tourist areas, known for its consistent quali…
• Trattoria al Pompiere – A historic restaurant next to Juliet's House, with cured meats hanging all over the room, famous for its Italian charcu…
• Osteria Caffè Monte Baldo – A historic Venetian tavern opened in 1909, offering over thirty kinds of handmade crostini paired with wines by the gla…
• Casa Perbellini 12 Apostoli – Verona's only three-Michelin-starred restaurant, where Chef Perbellini presents creative contemporary cuisine in a hist…

Itineraries

• Verona to Venice Art Cities by Rail – Travel east by train through Verona, Vicenza, Padova, and Venice to admire Roman and Renaissance architecture.
• Venice and Verona, Dolomites Day Trips – Stay on Venice's main island and make day trips to Verona, the Brenta Riviera villas and the Dolomites.
• Northern Italy Grand Road Trip: 15 Days from Milan to Venice – A two-week road trip traversing Northern Italy, connecting Milan, Lake Como, Lake Garda, the Dolomites, and Venice.