Verona mini-guide: Juliet’s house and courtyard, Castelvecchio Castle, San Pietro Hill, Arena di Verona, Lake Garda.
We included Verona in a big trip through the province of northern Italy. To be honest, I didn’t expect anything from this city. I knew nothing about him, except for the plot of Shakespeare’s tragedy, which was performed on the stage of medieval Verona. That’s why I was surprised when I fell in love with this cozy city built of warm stone. It seemed like home to me after the museum Venice as if it embraced me like the arms of an old woman.
So, I invite you to take a walk through historic Verona and see it through my eyes.
Verona in 2 days – what to do in the city?
Verona is comfortably located in the foothills of the Dolomites – in the north-east of Italy. It is twisted by the Adija River, which flows along the edges of the old part of the city. It is an exquisitely beautiful city where historical and cultural layers are intertwined. Walking around the city, enjoying the elegance of the details and admiring the monumentality of the buildings, the naked eye can see how one architectural era flows into another.
Juliet’s house
Almost half of the tourists go first to Juliet’s Courtyard. To visit Juliet. There are several places in Verona associated with Romeo and Juliet , but the main tourist attraction is the Casa di Giulietta. Juliet’s house once belonged to the Dal Capello family, but in 1907 the municipality bought it from the impoverished relatives and turned it into a tourist attraction.
People come here to stand in the crowd of people who want to take a picture with the statue of Juliet, whose breasts are smoothly polished by men’s hands. It is believed to bring success in love affairs. The men under the balcony are waiting for their Juliet to come to the door. And ladies will be interested in going to Juliet’s house and seeing the room decoration that prevailed in the late sixteenth century. Hang a heart padlock or leave a love message on special removable panels in the arch. Although a few years ago they were written on the walls, and chewing gum with messages was a punishable offense.
If you wish, you can stay in an apartment Relais Balcone di Giulietta apartments located in the same building. Choose a room with a window and balcony overlooking Juliet’s Court and feel like a real heroine of the romantic Middle Ages.
Address: Verina, Via Cappello 27. Entrance to the courtyard is free, full ticket to the Juliet House: full ticket – €6. Tickets are available online at museiverona.com or at the box office at the entrance to the house-museum.
Bonus: There is also a Romeo’s house in Verona (Via Arche Scaligere 2), but its owner opened a restaurant called Osteria Dal Duca instead of a museum.
Arena di Verona – an amphitheater dating back to the Roman Empire
Visit the ancient Roman amphitheater Arena di Verona. It was once an arena for gladiatorial fights and various performances. It is smaller than the Roman Colosseum, but it is much better preserved. Every summer, it hosts daily concerts, festivals, and opera performances: “Aida”, “La Traviata”, “Romeo and Juliet“.
The scenery is changed using a tower crane, storing it behind the walls of the Arena in Piazza Bra. The acoustics in the amphitheater are exceptional, and the sound spreads only within the building.
During the day, you can go on a tour, stroll along the cool arcades and see what the Arena looks like from the inside. The upper tiers of the amphitheater offer a magnificent view of Piazza Bra, with restaurants filled with tourists and locals in the evenings.
Address: Piazza Bra, 5, Verona. Entrance fee: €10, tickets to the coliseum are available on the website or at the amphitheater box office.
Castelvecchio Castle
A few blocks from the Arena you can get to the Middle Ages. Its symbol in Verona is the Castelvecchio Castle, built by the Scaliger dynasty, which ruled Verona in the 14th and 15th centuries. From the castle, the Scaliger Bridge runs across the river, with stone teeth that look like swallows’ tails.
Castelvecchio Castle now houses a museum with a rich collection of medieval sculpture and paintings. The Scaliger Bridge looks especially beautiful at night – the illumination makes the structure weightless, and the walls are reflected in the waters of the Adige River.
Address: corso Castelvecchio 2. Entrance fee without a guided tour is €6. Available on the the website or at the museum’s ticket office.
Maidan of Grasses and Lamberti Tower
The Scaliger era left a bright mark on architecture, but also on the development of painting, literature, and education in Verona. The great Dante lived and wrote here at that time. The monument to the famous poet is located opposite the Scaliger Arches, not far from Piazza delle Erbe, the Square of the Herbs . This square is home to the ancient forum. And now it has become a place of pilgrimage for tourists.
In addition to the souvenir market, there is a real mix of different times here, which has affected the appearance of the square. The remains of ancient Roman walls have been preserved in its northern part. The Scaliger family left a medieval imprint by building the Merchants’ House and the Casa del Gardello (clock tower). The Venetian era erected a column with a statue of a lion, St. Mark.
And above all this splendor stands the Lamberti Tower. It is the tallest building in Verona, with bells: theRengo, which announced city council meetings and called for war, and theMarangona, which warned of fires. There is an observation deck on the Lamberti Tower, from which you can see the city at a glance.
San Pietro Hill
Old Verona is attractive. It’s nice to walk around and look into the medieval courtyards, touch the ancient walls, sit on the warm steps of the cathedral and eat pizza. And then, after a walk, climb the Castel San Pietro hill, which offers a panoramic view of Verona, where impressions of squares and bell towers, medieval bridges and ancient Roman arches, green hills and a river that washes the stones of the ancient city come together.
What to see outside the city
Thirty kilometers from Verona is the largest lake in Italy, Lago di Garda. The lake is fed by alpine glaciers, the water in it is clear and even sweet in taste. The surroundings of the lake are extremely picturesque, especially in its northern part, where mountains like fjords surround it on both sides.
There are many paid and free beaches here: pebble beaches in the northern part of the lake and sandy ones in the southern part. The water is clean and warms up to 20 degrees in summer. Sightseeing sailboats run around the lake, but it’s more affordable to take a ride on boats that run on a scheduled basis from one shore to the other.
You can climb the mountains. In the small town of Malcesine there is a modern high-speed funicular that can take you to the Monte Baldo ridge to an altitude of about 1800m. Riding the cable car is an exciting experience: the gondola rotates 360 degrees around its axis.
The view from the top is simply breathtaking. In the warm season, you can fly a paraglider with an instructor. And in winter, you can go skiing – the Monte Baldo ski resort is suitable for beginners and families.
Where to stay in Verona – hotels, B&Bs and apartments
We were traveling around northern Italy in a rented car – looking for the cheapest and best option on Rentalcars. Therefore, they were not looking for a place to live in the very center of Verona. To make it easier to leave the car, we chose a B&B outside the old town. And we walked to the center.
We lived in Casa Palladio 29 – large apartment with parking, large kitchen, close to the Old Town.
If you are traveling by train or train, it is better to choose a hotel or apartment in the center of Verona. You won’t need a car in the city, only for traveling out of town or on a long route through Veneto and Lombardy. But staying in the Old Town, you can feel its atmosphere as much as possible: wake up to church bells in the morning, and sit in Verona’s restaurants until midnight in the evening.
Useful articles and links:
- Rome in winter – what to see in three days
- Tuscany – an itinerary for an independent car trip
- Sicily by car
- Road trip through the Dolomites
Booking of hotels and apartments – Booking.com
