Length of stay: 1 day
Visited: August 2022
Verona is located in northern Italy along the Adige River. It is famously known for being the setting of William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. It is often referred to as Little Rome as it was once a Roman colony and contains many ancient Roman relics and ruins, including an amphitheater, which now hosts an opera festival every summer.
While visiting Venice we planned a day trip to Verona, which is just over an hour away by train. We walked to the station first thing in the morning, hopped on a high speed train and arrived in Verona shortly after 9 a.m. From there it’s about a 15 minute walk to the historic downtown. First things first, we went to the Verona Tourist Information Office to pick up a Verona Card, which granted access to all of the attractions we had on our list and it allowed us to skip the line in a couple of places.
We started with the Verona Arena, an amphitheatre that was built by the Romans in 30 AD. Today it is internationally famous for its open-air opera performances. It is located across from the Tourist Information Office, except it wasn’t quite clear where the entrance was as there was a lot of construction around the exterior as they were working on a set for the upcoming opera. The inside of the arena was pretty rustic. There were a few signs that provided more information about the history of the arena, including how it’s been conserved and restored.
Afterwards we went to Juliet’s House, which has become associated with William Shakespeare’s, Romeo and Juliet, and is rumoured to have been where Juliet once lived. The real draw is the balcony outside where the star-crossed young couple declared their love for each other. There is a small museum inside the house. Since our Verona Card granted us access, we decided to give it a whirl. There really wasn’t much to see though, just some costumes and bed from the set of one of the Romeo and Juliet movies. We could also take our picture on the balcony.
We then went to the Scaliger Tombs, a series of five funerary monuments of the Scaligeri family, a rich and powerful family who once ruled in Verona from the 13th to end of the 14th century. The monuments are built in Gothic style and are located in an enclosed courtyard outside of the Santa Maria Antica.
The Lamberti Tower was about to open, so we decided to join the queue. The tower is 84 metres high and is the tallest building in Verona. There are two options to reach the top, either by elevator (which includes an extra fee) or stairs. Naturally we opted for the more challenging route and climbed up the 368 steps. The top of the roof provides a glimpse of the bells, along with a panoramic view of the city.
We started to make our way to the Adige River, stopping at the Basilica of Saint Anastasia, the largest church in Verona that is also beautifully decorated.
We continued to make our way to the river and crossed the Ponte Pietra, a Roman stone bridge that was completed in 100 BC and is the oldest bridge in Verona.
Located nearby is the Archaeological Museum at the Roman Theatre. The Roman Theatre is another amphitheatre that was built in the late 1st century BC. While it is significantly smaller than the Verona Arena, in the summer it hosts numerous theatrical and music events.
We climbed up the steps to reach the archaeological museum, which is located on top of the theater in the building of a former Jesuit Monastery. The museum showcases a collection of marble statues, frescas, mosaics and old artifacts. It also provided a lovely view of the city from across the Adige River.
After stopping for a bite to eat, we headed to the Verona Cathedral. The cathedral is part of a larger complex of connected religious buildings, which also includes a baptistery, the Sant’Elena church, and a few other areas that are off limits to the public.
We then walked along the banks of the Adige River towards Castelvecchio, a defensive fortress that was built by the Scaligeri family. The inside of the castle contains a collection of art and ancient armour and weapons. The real highlight, however, was walking along the castle walls.
It was then time for us to make our way back to the train station and Venice to pack our bags. The next morning we planned to fly to Spain.
L
I love your pics. It makes me feel like I’m right there. Thank you so much for your posts. 🙂❤️
Thanks for your lovely comment. We had a wonderful time exploring the historic part of Verona and learning more about its history. I’m glad these medieval buildings and amphitheatres have been preserved.
So many beautiful photos! An amazing place. ☺️❤️
Thanks!! We were lucky to have mostly blue skies and sun during our trip, which is always great for taking pictures and for wandering around.
A blue sky is always good, sometimes a cloudy sky can add so much to a photo, especially in landscape photography.
That’s true. And let’s be real, people like us will still be taking pictures regardless of what the weather or sky is like!
I’ve been to Verona several times for extended periods and have always enjoyed that it’s so much more relaxed and less crowded. The comfort level at the arena has improved over the years as it has been restored. The first show I attended was an opera that I watched from one of the old stone seats; my derrière felt like stone afterwards, too! The next time I shelled out for one of the comfortable seats. 🙂
We were contemplating taking a day trip to either Burano or Murano, but decided on Verona to get away from the crowds. It was so worth it. It must have been so neat to attend the opera in the ancient amphitheater (minus the uncomfortable stone seating). Glad to hear that the comfort level has improved and that there are more comfy seats available! I’m sure the acoustics in the arena were fantastic.
The acoustics were great – the ancients knew how to build a sound system! The Venetian Islands are beautiful and usually less crowded, as well, but it would still be Venice in high season, so I think you made the right choice.
I guess this means that we’ll just have to come back to explore the Venetian Islands someday … and to attend the opera in Verona!
Definitely!
What a wonderful experience to have!
For sure. We came to Italy for a friend’s wedding, which was a great excuse to take a vacation. Even though we visited during the middle of summer when it was stinking hot and crowded, overall we had a wonderful time.
That’s awesome!
Great tip about the Verona card and how interesting to see how “rustic” the arena is. I kind of get the feel just from your photos that Verona is a quieter much smaller version of Rome. Seems to have some of the same kinds of sites on a more manageable scale. It’s actually a place I’d like to spend some time because of it’s close proximity to smaller northern towns as well. Thanks so much for sharing!
We typically don’t buy these city cards, but in this case it made the most sense since it wasn’t very expensive and all the places we wanted to visit were included. That’s one of the great things about taking these day-trips is that once we left the busy cities like Venice or Florence, the price of everything is so much cheaper. We did get a lot of Roman vibes when visiting Verona, minus the crowds, which is always a good thing. Thanks for reading. Linda
Lovely view of the city from the Lamberti Tower. And I love an ancient Roman bridge – I always try to imagine how it was to cross these bridges centuries ago. And what a lovely way of ending your visit with a castle wall stroll! Romeo and Juliet – that was what I knew about Verona 😉. Now, thanks to you, I know there’s so much more to Verona!
I’m such a fan of climbing these towers. It’s a great way get a bird’s-eye view of the city … and to burn off some of those calories from all the pizza and pasta we were consuming! Verona is very charming and it felt very Rome-like without the crowds. We definitely had an action-packed day.
Amazing pictures of a beautiful place 😍. I visited with school when I was about 15 and I wish I had been old enough to properly appreciate it. I really hope that I get to go back in the future 🤞
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. That’s pretty awesome that you got to visit Verona as part of a school trip. I know what you mean about not fully appreciating something when you’re younger. I guess this means you’ll just have to return!!
What a beautiful visit to Verona, Linda. I didn’t even register that Romeo and Juliet took place in Italy – so does that make the characters Italian? How cool you got to visit the Capulet home too and stand on Juliet’s balcony!
The open air amphitheaters are very cool. I always wonder how/if sound travelled well to the far back seats though.
Very cool to see a bridge before Christ’s time. We simply don’t get craftsmanship like this today.
Looking forward to seeing your Spain recaps!
Visiting Juliet’s House gave me flashbacks to Grade 9 English when we read Romeo and Juliet in class. I didn’t remember that it took place in Verona either. Of course, the story is mostly fiction. The house here became known as Juliet’s House as it once belonged to the Dal Capello family, which I guess sounds close enough to Capuleti. The real kicker is that the balcony of the house was added in 1936 to help play up the story.
The amphitheaters were pretty neat. Apparently they are supposed to have really good acoustics. I don’t imagine the seating would be very comfortable though. And agreed, we don’t make bridges and buildings like that anymore, which is a bit of a shame as it adds so much character.
I love the entrepreneurial spirit! 😆
Ha, no kidding! It’s all about drawing those tourists in! This was actually one of the busiest places that we visited in Verona.
Italy would be so nice right now. Can’t wait for your Spain posts!
Lovely! My wife would love to see this, especially Juliet’s house. We are still dreaming to become world travellers, not possible at this time with having school kids. But this is definitely one in our list. Thanks for sharing.
We had such a fabulous time in Italy. I love how easy it is to travel around by train. Verona is a lovely day trip from Venice. Hopefully you’re able to visit someday when your kids are older. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
I don’t know if you’re packing up just yet, but I’d recommend a few hikes in Switzerland. A great one is oeschinensee.
We’ve unfortunately moved on from Europe. We were only there for two weeks in August. I have yet to visit Switzerland, so I’ll have to keep that hike in mind for when we finally make it there. I just looked up some pictures of Oeschinen Lake and all I can say is wow. The scenery looks breathtaking!
It is just incredible to imagine this much history! The buildings and cathedrals are beautiful. I’ve always been a huge fan of the Romeo and Juliet tale, but I believe it was really more because of the time period – which is intriguing. Loved reading about it and seeing your beautiful photos!
Thanks for your lovely comment. Visiting Verona felt like we were transported back in time. It’s a shame we don’t design cities like this anymore. I just love how easy it is to walk around everywhere and the medieval architecture looks so charming.
Thanks for this wonderful tour of Verona! I can’t wait for Spain!
Verona was a wonderful way to wrap up our trip to Italy. I just love how there are so many of these charming historic towns. It was neat to see the contrast in the architecture (and food) between Italy and Spain.
I’ve only ever been to an opera once – and it was here, in the wonderful open theatre on a gorgeous sunset evening. What a place to see my only opera! It was Madame Butterfly, by the way. Great to read your experiences and trigger memories of that trip so many years ago.
What a wonderful place to watch an opera! I don’t imagine the seats being overly comfortable though, but I bet the acoustics were outstanding. And talk about an opera with a view!
You’re right with all three things…and you have to claim your seat several hours before the start so you’re there for a long time!
Woah! It’s too bad that there isn’t assigned seating, but I guess it’s just part of the experience!
Well you can book seats ahead, but they keep back several hundred or more at much cheaper prices for those who turn up on the day, as we did. But if you do that then you have to get there early. And join the mad scramble for a seat when they open the doors!
It’s nice that they hold some of the tickets back, but yah, I imagine the lines and waiting can be brutal. Hopefully you’re able to at least bring in some snacks, which are always great when you have to wait around (either in traffic or in line).
Oh, don’t worry – this is Italy after all, there’s plenty of sellers working the line!
Very true! At the very least, Italy (and Europe in general) seems more relaxed about drinking in public compared to North America.
I’ve not visited Verona but it looks beautiful from your photos and text. I’d love to experience the amphitheatre and to see all the other sights as you did. A splendidly informative post Linda.
Thanks for your kind words. We had a wonderful time exploring Verona. It definitely reminded me of Rome in some ways, but was significantly less crowded. It would have been so neat to attend an opera in the amphitheatre. Next time.
Thank you for this introduction to Verona. Contrary to you, I stopped there briefly on my way to Venice. I didn’t see much, much less than what you show, hence the interest of your post.
If you came in from the train station then there really isn’t much to see nearby. It’s about a 15-20 min walk from there to get to the downtown where all the historic buildings and monuments are. It’s a nice city with a lot of history.
I drove from Geneva and Milan, then stopped at the end of the day on the road to Venice. I took a quick walk through the centre but didn’t see much.
It’s too bad that you didn’t have more time. That always seems to be the biggest issue!
Wow! Wow! Wow! Verona, so beautful! Very romantic… The balcon from two romantics movies.
Thank’s for share Linda.
Have a wonderful day!
Elvira
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. It was neat to visit Juliet’s House. It brought back memories of when we had to read and watch Romeo and Juliet in school. Take care. Linda
So much history. It’s amazing to see things built 2,000 years ago that are not just still standing, but still being used.
Oh I know. It’s pretty impressive. It’s a shame that we don’t make things like we used to (although I do enjoy air conditioning)!
How beautiful!!
Verona is such a charming city that is filled with lots of interesting architecture and history. Plus the food was amaaazing. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Linda
Ah Europe! So beautiful! Can’t wait to go there 🙂
You had a wonderful trip!
We sure did! We actually came to Italy for a wedding, so it was actually a great excuse to stay for longer and explore more of Europe. It wasn’t ideal to visit during the middle of summer, but despite the heat and the crowds, we had a wonderful time.
Perhaps summer is not the best season in Italy. It is too hot. But the emotions and memories you got there compensate it. I think you had a perfect escape!🙂
For sure. We found getting an early start to the day was a great way to explore the city without the crowds. Plus it’s always much cooler then. It also helps to book your tickets in advance to avoid the long lines!
We dis the same. We organized our trip so well that we avoided crowds, lines and heat. 🙂
Amazing. It always helps to plan ahead!
Absolutely🙂
Did * mistyped 🙂
Verona looks so exquisite, and the buildings very elegant! The Basilica of Saint Anastasia really caught my eye and the ceilings are so detailed. Thank you for sharing these beautiful photos and interesting facts about the region.
Verona was a lovely little day trip. The churches in Italy are stunning! I love how colourful and bright some of them are inside. We don’t make them like that in North America! Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. Linda
These photos from Italy are just amazing. I’m just enjoying reading this posts series.
Thanks for your kind words. This was our first trip outside of North America that we took since the start of the pandemic. It was nice to get a change of scenery. We had a wonderful time exploring and eating our way through Italy!
I’m loving your tour! After perusing all your pics of ancient buildings, it’s fun to remember that in my neck of the woods, the late 1700s is considered way old! 😉
Thanks! It’s incredible how much history Italy has. It’s hard to believe just how old some of the buildings and structures are and that they are still being used today.
This city looks well worth the visit Linda. Beautiful architecture and setting. Thanks for sharing. Allan
For sure. We had a few different options in terms of a day-trip from Venice, but I’m glad we landed on Verona. It’s a charming town with a lot of history. Plus, it wasn’t very busy, which is always a huge bonus. Thanks for reading. Linda
I feel like you visited every city in Italy on this trip 🙂 Verona looks beautiful!
I wish! We were only in Italy for ten days, which wasn’t nearly enough time. I wish we had more time to explore the Amalfi Coast. Next time!
What a wonderful tour of this beautiful city! I’ve never been a big fan of the story of Romeo and Juliet, but I still think I would need to go out onto that balcony and say the lines that probably everyone does when they visit. It’s so interesting to me that Juliet has reached a near saintlike status and is seen as such a relationship guide to so many people across the world. Maybe I missed something when I read it?
Thanks for your kind words. Visiting Juliet’s House gave me flashbacks to Grade 9 English when we read Romeo and Juliet in class. I didn’t have much of an appreciation for Shakespeare back when I was in school. I never fully understood why the story was so romanitized either.
Verona certainly packs a punch. That theatre is stunning, it would be amazing to attend an opera performance there, and I’ve never been much into opera. But even I could be persuaded to experience it there. Looks like you had a wonderful trip in Italy. Looking forward to Spain posts.
For sure. I’ve heard the acoustics in the amphitheatre are incredible. All the more reason for us to return someday. We had such a wonderful time in Italy and I wish I could have stayed for longer, even with the heat and crowds.
Amazing day tour of a city I’ve never even heard of. Crazy that there are two amphitheaters in one city!
I know! In many ways it felt like we were in Rome, minus the crowds. Verona is very charming and filled with so much history. It was a fun day trip and a great way to spend our last day in Italy.
Such a lovely post! I was smiling at the Verona Arena, as I only know it from this old Inspector Morse episode, “The Death of the Self”. If you are into mystery at all, I bet it would bring back memories for you!
Cheers,
Julie
Thanks for your kind words. I’m now curious to watch that episode of Inspector Morse. It’s always neat to see a place you’ve been on film or tv. Have a wonderful weekend. Linda
It looks like Verona offers so much more than Romeo and Juliet, although undoubtedly many visitors who come to this city have Shakespeare’s play in their minds. Apart from the beautiful architecture, I love how the city has two open-air theaters, and still makes the most of them by hosting performances.
For sure. It’s pretty amazing how even though those amphitheatres are over a thousand years old, that they are still being used today. Apparently the acoustics are amazing. It’s too bad we weren’t able to attend the opera, but I guess this just means we’ll have to return someday.
Verona is really a beautiful city! I’ve just visited a few days ago 😁
I couldn’t agree more!! That’s awesome that you were just there. I bet the temperature was much more comfortable than when we went in the middle of August (and that it was probably less crowded too).
I always ‘viewed’ Verona as a romantic city, but it seems there is so much more to see. I share your love of climbing towers, so I am totally for the bird’s eye view of the city.
I also love the bridge, Ponte Pietra, it is amazing for still being in use after 2000 years. Romans were quite knowledgeable about building roads and bridges, weren’t they?
You had quite a wonderful summer!!
Verona isn’t a big city, but it sure packs a punch in terms of attractions and sights. The Roman ruins and artifacts scattered around the historic city centre were neat. It is impressive that the amphitheatres and bridges that were built a couple thousand years ago are still being used today. I’m such a fan of climbing the towers. It’s a great way to get a different perspective of the city and to soak it all in. We definitely made the most of being able to travel again this summer!
First off, great shots !!! The angles you got are perfection !!! I am in love with the gothic type architecture. It’s a little standoffish in nature but still so eloquent and beautiful. I can’t help but marvel at it. There is a church in a city near my town. It was designed in the gothic style. The tips of the steeples come to such a small, sharp point. I was always fascinated by that church during my college years. I want to go and find out more about it one day. It’s age looks like it could tell stories. That’s pretty interesting that they have props from the movie and that that place was a rumored home of Juliet. That movie and play is so heartbreaking. I do think it’s incredible though, despite how tragic it is. Verona seems pretty awesome. How was the temp ?
Thanks for your kind words. Verona was an impulsive last minute day trip that I planned and I’m glad it worked out well and we were able to explore another historic city. I’m such a fan of the Gothic style of architecture as well. The only downside to visiting Verona in the middle of the summer was that it was stinking hot (and busy). And Europeans don’t have air conditioning like we do back in North America. It was typically in the mid to high 30s (in Celcius) or around 90-100F.
Whoa!!! It was that hot with no air conditioning?! I would be melting. Wow 😳 I don’t know how they handle that. I’m glad that the sudden day trip worked out for you though. It’s nice checking out new places, even on a whim 🙂
Some museums and hotels that we stayed in had air conditioning, but it wasn’t nearly as powerful (or effective) compared to what we have back home. It took awhile to acclimatize to the heat. We tried to get most of our walking done first thing in the morning when it was much cooler outside.
Going in the early morning is a smart choice. I do that a lot during the summer months with my friend Ann. I hope you had a great Christmas 🙂 Christmas was nice and quiet. We visited both our families and relaxed and played games. It went by too quickly but it was nice. I was grateful Matt ended up off of work for Christmas day. How was your Christmas? What did you guys do ?
Same! I also find the mornings to be much quieter and a great way to avoid the crowds (in addition to the heat). Glad to hear that you had a quiet Christmas and that Matt didn’t have to work. We had a pretty good Christmas too despite the wild winter storm. We went to a few family gatherings and it was non-stop feasting. I’m not looking forward to having to take all my Christmas decorations down.
I hear that ! We’re keeping the tree up. We’re thinking of decorating it for the holidays to come. The corner we have it in is pretty bare with nothing in it so why not ?, Lol 😂 taking decorations down is tough. We don’t have too many decorations up. I tried to find decorations that could work for the winter as well as Christmas. I tried. Lol . We had a lol of food too. Luckily, we spent hours at each place before going to the next place. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to eat lol 🤣 . There was a lot of food. I’m glad you guys didn’t get sick. It’s too bad about that storm. I understand, though. It’s better to be safe than travel in bad weather. We had really cold days on Christmas and Christmas Eve. Then, the weather got warmer significantly, like spring. Weather is really weird here lately
I love it!! That’s such a neat idea to keep your tree up and then decorate it for the other holidays throughout the year. We have a real tree, so unfortunately it only has a couple of weeks left before it starts to turn brown and crispy. I’m actually planning on putting my decorations away today as tomorrow we’ll be leaving for vacation. I can’t wait!
Ohh that’s a great idea !!! We were thinking of doing that !! We don’t have too many decorations up thankfully . The decorations we have up are basically the tree and winter decorations so it’s not all Christmas stuff so luckily we don’t have too much to put away . The area our tree is in is a bare space so it needed something to spruce it up haha literally 🙂 my family and I always used real trees growing up. I wanted to carry on the tradition but it’s a lot of work and with working so much and trying to get settled with things around here, we don’t want too much extra work. Plus, we are renters so we don’t want to risk making a mess with the tree water mix and such. I am accident prone so it’s for the best haha 😂😆. There really is nothing like having a real Christmas tree. I love the scent of the tree filling the room. When I was little, I would crawl under the tree and lay looking up at the branches and lights. It was such a calming feeling. I’m glad you have a real tree. I wish they could last longer. They’re one of the best parts of Christmas memories
Getting a real tree is definitely a lot more work. You have to water it and clean up after it. Taking down the Christmas ornaments and lights is always the worst and it’s crazy how much of a mess all the fallen needles make. I’ll still be finding some even months after we threw the tree out. They do look and smell nice. Agreed, it is too bad they don’t last longer.
I know what you mean. I wish they làsted longer. They’re so refreshing when you step into the room and smell them . The pine scent is so calming. My neighbor at my parents house used to save her tree and ours for her daughters goats to eat lol 🤣 I would get such a kick out of her son and law driving by and hauling off our dying trees for the goats lol 🤣🤣 I didnt even know goats ate pine trees but evidently they do lol
It’s one of my favourite smells and always reminds me of Christmas. I have some relatives in the Netherlands and the town they live in takes all the old Christmas trees and makes a bonfire with them. That would be quite the sight to see the goats eating the pine trees. I didn’t realize they ate them either!
Simply wonderful!
Italy is one of my favourite European countries. We had a wonderful time exploring some of the smaller towns, like Verona. Plus the food (and wine) was delicious. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
Verona is such a wonderful little city and a delightful place for anyone that loves the Gothic style of architecture and wonderful piazzas lined with colourful buildings and outdoor cafes. I had a chance to explore it around two decades ago when I was still under Romeo &Juliette’s spell and was thrilled at the opportunity to visit Casa di Giulietta — Juliet’s House and go into the house and out onto that famous balcony. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
Visiting Verona was a fun day-trip from Venice. It was nice to just wander around through the historic downtown and admire the architecture and history of this place. It certainly looks charming and very fitting to be home to Romeo and Juliet. Glad you had the chance to visit and stand on the famous balcony! Thanks for reading. Happy Wednesday. Linda