Verona – A Local’s Guide
Verona is a beautiful city in the Veneto region of Northern Italy, that also happens to be where one of my great friends grew up. She helped me write this guide so that you can have a local’s perspective on visiting Verona. Most people know of Verona as the setting for William Shakespeare’s famous play, Romeo and Juliet. While you can see Juliet’s house and the balcony, there are so many other wonderful things to see and do in Verona.
Need to Know:
Currency: Euro
Language: Italian
Airports:
Verona – VRN
Bergamo – BGY
Venice (2) – VCE and TSF
Bologna – BLQ
Milan (2) – LIN and MXP
Electrical Outlets: 230V supply voltage and 50Hz, plug type C
Planning Your Trip
Accommodation – There are tons of hotel, Airbnb, and B&B options that allow you to walk to most destinations in the city. I spent my first two nights at Milano Hotel and Spa, which is a four-star hotel with a beautiful rooftop bar and hot tub. Then I moved to an Airbnb for a more budget accommodation. The best place to stay is near the historical city center, so that you can get to most destinations by foot or bus. I don’t recommend staying by the train station since it is a little outside the city center.
Food – Coffee or aperitivo: Il Kappa Caffè (near the Adige river and Ponte Pietra, great view!), La Tradicion (has really good cold cut platters and drinks), Osteria Sottoriva, La Terrazza Bar al Ponte (also great view, not far from the river)
Gelato: Gelateria Savoia, Gelateria La Romana
Traditional food: Il Ciottolo, La Locanda Scaligera, Osteria Punto Rosa, Osteria il Duca, La Vecia Mescola
Pizza: Bella Napoli, Peperino (close to the Arena), Cantine dell’Arena
Some typical Veronese dishes would be Risotto All’Amarone, Risotto al Tastasal, dishes with Polenta, Tortellini di Valeggio.
Note: make sure to have an authentic Spritz Aperol and at some point try a glass/bottle of Valpolicella Amarone
Getting Around – Verona is very walkable so you can get around most of the city on foot. To get to the train station, Porta Nuova, it’s best to take a bus or taxi since it is a little ways outside the city center. There is a taxi line right by the fountain in Piazza Bra where you can take a taxi to the station for €10 (the minimum charge). It is much cheaper to take the bus for just €1.30. Google maps works quite well for navigating the bus system by telling you the line numbers that will go to your destination and which stop to wait at in order to catch the bus going in the right direction. You can pay with coins or pre-paid tickets (virtual or physical). To buy a physical ticket you can go to any “Tabaccheria” (equivalent of a convenient store and marked outside by a blue “T” sign) and buy one or a pack of ten tickets. You’ll want the “urbano” tickets which are blue and used for anything within the city center limits. If you are tech savvy and have international data, I recommend downloading the Ticket Bus Verona App. You can buy tickets ahead of time by selecting “buy ticket” > “Urban” > “Verona City Ticket.” Then when you get on the bus, go to “my tickets” in the app and click activate. When you activate the ticket, it’ll take you to a QR code scanner where you scan the QR codes posted around the inside of the bus.
Verona Card – If you want to visit multiple museums, go inside multiple churches, or bundle any of this with seeing the inside of the Arena, look into buying the Verona Card. This card will give you admission to many top sights for 24 hours at €20, and 48 hours at €25.
Things to See and Do in Verona
Piazza Brà: The heart of Verona where you meet up in the city. This is a great place to see the architecture of the city. You can see Portoni della Brá and the Palazzo della Gran Guardia right off the main bus station. This piazza is surrounded by a ton of restaurants, but they will be overpriced since it is a more touristy area. This is a great place to grab a gelato, stroll, and enjoy the city, especially in the evening.
Arena di Verona: An ancient Roman amphitheater famously known today as a concert/entertainment venue. It is a big destination for opera performances and concerts in general. It is beautiful to see from the outside, but it is a different and majestic experience if you have the opportunity to go inside. Once you have your trip planned, check if there are any concerts going on during your stay. Make sure to buy tickets in advance since this is a popular destination.
Castelvecchio: Historically the residence and military construction of the “Scaligeri” (Italian dynasty), this is a beautiful castle with a scenic bridge over the Adige. This is a popular photo destination for some great views and your insta moment. Also a very romantic spot for locals to stroll and kiss. There is museum if you have extra time, but it is pretty small and not considered a must-see.
Castel San Pietro Vista: Located on the very top of the hillside, you’ll need to climb Scalinata Castel San Pietro to get to the castle and vista. If you aren’t interested in climbing a ton of stairs, there is also a cable car you can take to the top. From the top, you get a great view of the city as well as the Ponte Pietra. During WWII the German’s blew up this bridge and a local architect foresaw this happening, and mapped out the bridge and stones so that when they had to rebuild the bridge, it was easier to reuse the original materials. This story was told to me by my friend’s family friend who was related to the architect that designed the rebuild plans.
Piazza Erbe: Named “Piazza of the herbs” because of it’s historic use as being a marketplace – which is still alive today. You can wander the piazza and shop the local booths to buy souvenirs or other Italian goods. This is also a good spot for an aperitivo given there are numerous nice restaurants and bars around the piazza. Also walk over to Piazza Dante (Piazza dei Signori) by wandering through the archway off of Piazza Erbe.
Roman Theatre: Another amphitheater in Verona, famous for theater and events.
Casa di Giulietta: Probably the biggest tourist destination of Verona, try to visit off peak times. I recommend going during the week and in the morning if possible. If you see a long line – I recommend coming back at a different time. Most people just see the courtyard where you can see the statue of Juliet and the famous balcony from the outside. Many people take a picture touching Juliet’s right breast which apparently is good luck. You can go inside “Juliet’s house” and see a museum about the history of the time, as well as even write a letter to “Juliet” on the computer.
Santa Anastasia, San Zeno, and San Fermo: The most iconic catholic “chiesas” in Verona, these are beautiful landmarks, fairly centrally located in the city, also with beautiful stained glass. You can go inside but you will need a ticket (Verona Card will work for this). Please be respectful and be quiet, as well as cover your shoulders.
Top Day Trips from Verona
1
Lake Garda
Take the train from Porta Nuova to Peschiera del Garda (most common), Lazise, Bardolino, or Sirmione to experience Lake Garda. Popular for biking, grabbing an ice cream, sunbathing, taking a boat out on the lake, and a fun destination to get away from the city.
2
Venice
Easy to take the train from Porta Nuova to Stazione di Venezia Santa Lucia and spend the day exploring this famous city. Make sure to see St. Mark's Square, wander around the canals and get lost in this beautiful city.
3
Lessinia
You'll need a car to get to this mountain destination, but it is a popular place to visit outside of the city. You can take a nice hike and stay at a rifugio to rest and eat some delicious local mountain food. You'll see a lot of cows roaming around, as well as beautiful mountain views.
4
Valpolicella Wine Region
Check out the beautiful wine region, just north of Verona. You can book a guided tour through Airbnb experiences or through a local company that will take you to multiple vineyards.
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October 3, 2021
