Verona ItalyVerona Italy is, after Venice, the biggest tourist attraction in the Veneto. On my list of the five best things to see in the Veneto it would be at number five... Verona Italy is probably best known for two things; the Roman arena and Juliet’s balcony. It is also a popular base for exploring the nearby town of Soave and the wine regions as well as Lake Garda... 
For more Verona photos click here Where to Stay in VeronaIf you are spending time in Verona the good news is that you have a decent choice of places to stay, the prices are far better than Venice and the quality is superior to the mostly mediocre hotels to be found in Vicenza and Treviso. Our suggestion would be the Hotel Verona. It is well located and a really high quality three star hotel. The free bicycle available to guests is a nice touch. If you don’t mind paying a little more – actually quite a lot more – then an excellent five star hotel in Verona Italy is the Gabbia D’Oro. A quite lovely eighteenth century palace set right in the heart of the city. I always feel when visiting elegant, historic cities like Verona and Venice that, if you can afford it, staying in places that compliment the elegance and history of the city is surely befitting. The Gabbia D’Oro is certainly that though bigger rooms would have been nice. A little bit of Verona HistoryVerona was an important Roman city and this is the best city in northern Italy for visiting well preserved Roman buildings. After the end of the Roman era the next “golden age” was around the 13th century. This is the Scaligeri(Scala)era featured in Romeo and Juliet. The Scala family spent most of the next 150 years trying to dominate the north of Italy and, killing rival family members. In their spare time they did manage to build some beautiful buildings, palaces and bridges. The magnificent San Zeno Basilica and the Basilica of San Lorenzo date from this era. After the family was finally removed the city fell under the control of Venice. Most of the main sights you will want to see were built before Venice took control, apart from some elegant villas built by various rich Veronese families.
Sightseeing in Verona ItalyFor our Verona Italy map guide to where the main sights are click here. Churches in Verona Plenty of churches and many of them rival the beauty of the churches to be found in Venice. The Basilica of San Zeno is quite lovely and the finest of the churches.
For more on this and the other churches of Verona click here. It seems Verona tends to bring out the romantic in even the most jaded couple and all couples religiously make the trip to see Juliet’s balcony, which in reality is no such thing, but just a good bit of marketing by Verona. I don’t much like the balcony but
if you are interested in knowing why and more about it then click here. Verona is a World Heritage Site thanks to its Roman legacy. The Arena is the most important. Once a place where Roman gladiators engaged in brutal combat, the Arena is now a pleasant place of summer concerts, operas under the stars and tour groups.
Click here to read about the Arena, the concerts and the other Roman attractions in Verona. Other sights in Verona Italy
Plenty of other sights await you. These are some of the best:Piazza dei Signori Known as Piazza Dante by locals, because of the statue to Dante Alighieri in the piazza. Dante lived in Verona after being expelled from Florence. The most impressive buildings are the Loggia del Consiglio, Palazzo del Comune (dates from the Scala era) and the Palazzo del Capitanio (designed by Palladio). Piazza Bra A prosperous and pleasant piazza lined with bars charging ridiculous prices for even a simple cup of coffee. Despite the silly prices sit at a bar and have a drink in order to soak up the atmosphere but unless you have pots of money don’t eat here. The Piazza is also home to the local tourist office. The office provides some decent maps and advice on things to see in and around town. You can mail them at iatverona@provincia.vr.it From Piazza Bra you can take Via Mazzini – the main shopping street – through to Piazza delle Erbe. Piazza delle Erbe Home to the fresh produce markets and lined with some exquisite buildings. This is one of the loveliest of Italian piazzas. The piazza is surrounded by some of the most delightful buildings in Verona, Best of these is the Lamberti Tower and the Domus Mercatorum. Get to the Piazza early, when the first stall holders are setting up and only a few locals are rushing about, this is the best way to experience the centuries of history pervading the square. The Lamberti Tower When Verona was on fire, or a city meeting was called, one of the two bells was rung. From what I am told the largest was to call a city council meeting or as a call to arms. The small one was for less important things like fires. The city council obviously considered themselves important as city councilors tend to do. To visit the tower costs around € 2 though you will pay another € 0.60 if you don’t feel like walking and take the lift. The view from up top is spectacular – the whole town stretches before you and if it isn’t hazy (it always is when I visit) I am told you can see the Alps. Domus Mercatorum / The Merchant’s House Built in 1301, this building is okay. Nice colour, nice arches and the top part looks like a castle but to be honest it is nothing worth getting excited about. Palazzo del Comune Now this is a great 12th century building. It has a lovely courtyard with a splendid staircase inside - these stairs were added only in the 15th century but they compliment the original building. Changes made in the 19th century were less beneficial and the fact that only two of the original two towers exist is a pity. Palazzo del Capitanio My home province of Vicenza is famous for its Palladian architecture but this is also a famous example dating from 1565. It looks unfinished compared to other works by Palladio and that is because it is. It appears that the original design was never completed and the side wings were left out. Castelvecchio and Ponte Scaligero One of the places in Verona Italy that is really worth seeing. Not only because I tend to like castles but also because it provides an important insight into life during the time of the Scaliger dynasty and the museum is superb.
Read more about it here. Shopping in Verona
Try the markets if you would like quality designer items at discounted prices. If prices don’t worry you then visit Via Mazzini. In fact visit Via Mazzini, whether or not you like shopping, this is a vibrant pedestrians only street. If you turn right at the end of the street you get into Via Cappello of Romeo and Juliet fame. The Verona markets move around on a daily basis. The best one is the one held on a Saturday at the Stadio. Tourist information, or even your hotel, will be able to give you more details. Study Italian in Verona Italy?
If you want to really get the feel of life in Verona spend a few weeks or more studying Italian here. Most Italian language schools in Verona are excellent. My wife is a language teacher and we will shortly prepare a guide to the best of these schools but in the meantime should you wish to study Italian in Verona Italy, or the Veneto, you are welcome to contact me below for some free advice.
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