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THINGS TO DO
Attend an opera at the Arena
A summer opera night in the Roman Arena — the largest open-air opera season in the world, with the stage built across the arena floor and 15,000 people under the open sky.
History & Heritage
Verona
A Roman amphitheatre and medieval old town on the Adige — the setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
QUICK INFORMATION
- COUNTRY
- Italy
- REGION
- Veneto
- BEST TIME TO VISIT
- April to June and September to October
- DURATION
- 1 day
ABOUT THE DESTINATION
Verona is a Roman-founded city on the Adige river in the Veneto, best known for its 1st-century Arena that still stages opera, and for its medieval old town of pink marble. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is the literary setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and a natural gateway to the Valpolicella vineyards and Lake Garda.
MAP & LOCATION
Verona
HISTORY & CULTURE
The Story Behind the Place
Verona was founded as a Roman colony in the 1st century BC, on the Adige at the crossing of the north-south and east-west roads of northern Italy, and its arena, theatre and street plan survive from that period. After the fall of Rome it passed through the Ostrogoths, the Lombards and the Holy Roman Empire before it became the seat of the Scaliger dynasty, the Della Scala family who ruled the city from 1262 to 1387 and built the Castelvecchio and the Scaliger tombs. Venice took the city in 1405 and held it for four centuries, giving it the Venetian character that overlays the Roman and medieval. Shakespeare set Romeo and Juliet here, from Luigi da Porto’s 1524 novella, and the city has been a literary pilgrimage ever since. The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the survival of its Roman, medieval and Renaissance layers in a single urban fabric.
TOP THINGS TO DO
Experiences Not to Miss
TOP ATTRACTIONS
Sights & Highlights of Verona
FOOD & DRINK
WHERE TO EAT
01
Osteria al Duca — a historic osteria near the Piazza delle Erbe for classic Veronese cooking
02
Trattoria al Pompiere — a relaxed trattoria near the Piazza delle Erbe, known for its cured meats and local wines
03
Antica Bottega del Vino — a 19th-century wine bar with 100 wines by the glass and a long Veronese menu
04
Ristorante Greppia — a refined Veronese restaurant near the Arena, the place for risotto all’Amarone
05
Osteria Sottoriva — a riverside osteria under the arcades, honest cooking and a local crowd
HOTELS & STAYS
WHERE TO STAY
01
Due Torri Hotel — a historic hotel in a medieval palace beside the Arena, with frescoed rooms
02
Hotel Milano & Spa — a stylish hotel near the Arena with a spa and a rooftop bar
03
Hotel Antica Porta Leona — a boutique hotel in a Roman-era building near the Arena
04
Hotel Colomba d’Oro — a hotel in a medieval convent near the Piazza delle Erbe, good value for a central base
ITINERARIES
Keep Driving
More here soon — the road is still being mapped.
NATURE & WILDLIFE
The Living Landscape
Verona sits at the southern edge of the Alps, where the Adige emerges from the alpine valleys onto the plain, and the hills of the Valpolicella and the Lessini rise immediately to the northwest. The Adige itself is the river that shapes the city, looping through the old town in a wide bend, and its banks are the city’s green corridor. The hills above the Roman theatre, the Giardino Giusti with its Renaissance garden, and the slopes of the Valpolicella with their vineyards and cherry orchards give Verona a greener setting than most Italian cities, with the alpine foothills within minutes of the centre.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Practical Information
Getting There
Verona is reached by high-speed train from Venice (1h), Milan (1h20), Florence (1h30) and Rome (3h) to Verona Porta Nuova station, a 15-minute walk from the old town. The city’s airport, Catullo, serves low-cost carriers with a shuttle bus to the station. By car, the A4 and A22 motorways meet at Verona.
Park Entrances
Book Arena opera tickets through the festival website well ahead. The Arena, Juliet’s house and the Castelvecchio can be booked online for timed slots.
How Long to Stay
Allow one full day for the old town. A second day lets you reach the Valpolicella wine country or Lake Garda.
When to Go
April to June and September to October are ideal — mild and bright. July and August are hot but the Arena opera season is at its peak; book opera tickets well ahead. Winter is quiet and cold, with the Christmas markets.
What to Wear & Bring
Comfortable shoes for the cobbles, a cushion and a shawl for the Arena opera, and modest clothing for churches.
Accessibility & Mobility
The old town is largely flat and cobblestoned, with some pedestrian streets; the Arena steps are steep and not accessible, and the climb to San Pietro is steep (a funicular is available). The museums have lifts where possible.
WEATHER
Verona — Current conditions & forecast
Forecast data from Open-Meteo. Updated regularly.
TRAVEL GUIDES · STORIES
More here soon — the road is still being mapped.
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