What is special?
Verona is a major Italian city in the Veneto region. It is located halfway between Lake Garda and Venice, directly on the Adige River.
We took the opportunity on the way back from Venice and stayed for one night in this beautiful city. The historic buildings and structures of the old town are simply breathtaking.
Be it the Arena or the Ponte Pietra, which were still built by the Romans or the many houses from the 15th and 16th century.
A walk through the old town of Verona is like a time travel through many eras. William Shakespeare chose Verona as the setting for his tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” because the story was known in Italy long before him, but he changed it and wrote it down. On the other hand, Verona was already synonymous with romance.
Verona sights
The list of sights of the city is long, I would like to list only a few here. However, I can say with certainty that one day is much too short for this city.
If you want to see everything in detail, even go inside, you should plan at least 2 days.
But even that will not be enough to discover all the beautiful places and places of the city.Arena
The Arena of Verona is a Roman amphitheater which was built around the year 30 AD. Despite the fact that it is no longer preserved in its full size, it is the third largest arena in Italy, after the Colosseum in Rome and the Arena of Capua.
In the past, gladiator fights and other competitions were held in the arena, which has a capacity of 30,000 spectators. The current capacity is: 22,000 spectators. On the occasion of Giuseppe Verdi’s 100th birthday, an opera was then performed for the first time in the “open-air opera house” on August 10, 1913 with Aida. Today, the opera festival held every summer is world famous.
Juliet House
William Shakespeare did not invent the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. This story existed in Italy long before him. He embellished everything a bit and moved everything to Verona. Even then, the city was considered the epitome of romance. The two families probably really existed. They were never friends, but they were never enemies.
Whether everything really happened that way will never be clarified.
But it is important that the city with this story your image properly polished and both with the balcony and home of Julia (Capulet), the home of Romeo (Montagues) and their graves true tourist magnets can call their own. On the balcony from which Juliet is said to have received her Romeo, you can go for a small fee and take a souvenir photo. In the courtyard of the “Casa Guiletta” there is a bronze statue of Juliet, which is also used for a photo opportunity. Address: Via Cappello, 23, 37121 Verona
Lamberti Tower
The Torre dei Lamberti is a tower in the northern Italian city of Verona in Veneto. It towers 84 meters high, as one of the tallest buildings in the city, clearly overlooking its surroundings. The tower stands directly in the center of the old town, about 450 meters north-northeast of the Arena di Verona at the western corner of a block of houses in Piazza delle Erbe, on the narrow alley Via della Costa, which forms a passage to Piazza dei Signori (often called just Piazza Dante because of the statue of Dante there). The construction of the former municipal tower began in 1172, and initially tuff and terracotta were used for the Romanesque structure. The belfry of the Torre dei Lamberti housed two bells. The smaller one – called Marangona – was struck every hour of the day and when there was a fire alarm. Rengo, the larger bell, was used to call the town councils together and to summon the population to arms in times of military conflict. Both bells were melted down and renewed several times. The large tower clock was installed in 1779. Nowadays the tower is a popular tourist attraction. An elevator or 368 steps take you to a viewing platform, from which you can enjoy a wide view over Verona.
Ponte Pietra
The Ponte Pietra is an arched bridge over the Adige River, built by the Romans in 30 AD. Today the bridge, along with the Ponte Scaligero, is one of the most beautiful and oldest bridges in the city. Both bridges were destroyed in the 2nd World War and then rebuilt true to the original. From the Ponte Pietra you have picturesque photo opportunities in all directions. A walk through the city to the north end of the old town is definitely worthwhile.
Piazza dei Signori / Dante
Piazza dei Signori was the former center of power. Around this beautiful square are crowded magnificent buildings of the former city government, the court and the seat of rule of the Scaligeri. Then in 1865 the statue of the famous Italian poet Dante Alighieri was erected, which made the square famous also as a date square.
Verona hotels
Hotel Mastino
3/5
Verona is a big city with about 260,000 inhabitants. But the old town looks like from another time. Since we had only one night planned, we chose a hotel that is very close to the old town to not waste unnecessary time with arrivals and departures. Our choice fell on the hotel “Mastino”. A 3 star hotel directly at the city gate at the Piazza Bra. The hotel does not make the very best impression from the outside now. But don’t let the facade fool you. Inside everything is super modern and spacious. The night in a double room with breakfast costs 230 euros. It’s just 3 minutes from the hotel to the arena, so you’re right in the middle of the action, so to speak. If you want to save money, there is also a McDonald’s nearby.
Parking is available in a limited number at the hotel. For parking in Verona, I recommend the underground garage (Parking Piazza Cittadella) is only 150m from the hotel and the old town. Here you pay 15 euros for 24h. To the website of the hotel →
Another little culinary tip
If you just want to take a breather in a beautiful place after many alleys, squares, bridges and statues, I can recommend the Café Cappa. It is located directly on the Etch and you have a wonderful view of the Ponte Pietra and the Castel San Pietro. In addition, the café offers in addition to normal drinks also unusual beers from around the world. I also ate the best tiramisu of my life here.
More pictures
