Verona is a refined northern Italian city on the Adige river, known for the Roman Arena (which hosts a summer opera season), its association with Romeo and Juliet (more tourist lure than historical fact), and a medieval and Renaissance centre that earns its UNESCO listing. It's also the gateway to Lake Garda and the Valpolicella wine country. The city has enough to fill two or three days — the Arena, Romanesque churches, a Castelvecchio museum, and good food — and works well as a base that combines city culture with lake and wine-country access. The crowds around Juliet's balcony are intense; the rest of the city is more civilised.
Why Stay in Verona
- Arena di Verona: The Roman amphitheatre seats 15,000 and hosts one of the world's great opera seasons (June to September). Seeing Aida or Carmen in a 2,000-year-old arena under the stars is a singular experience. Book well ahead for popular performances.
- Historic centre: Piazza delle Erbe (the old market square), Piazza dei Signori, and the Scaliger tombs are compact and walkable. The Romanesque churches of San Zeno Maggiore and the Duomo are among northern Italy's finest.
- Wine: Valpolicella and Amarone wines come from the hills immediately north. Soave is east. The wine-tasting infrastructure is well developed, with estates offering visits and restaurants matching local food with local wine.
- Food: Risotto all'Amarone, horse-meat stew (pastissada de caval), and bigoli pasta. Verona eats differently from Venice or Milan, and the restaurant scene runs from traditional osterie to modern fine dining.