Verona
Introduction
Verona is the largest city in the Veneto region of northern Italy and one of the region's provincial capitals. Its metropolitan area spreads across a wide stretch of the surrounding countryside, and the city ranks among the principal destinations in Northern Italy.
Artistic heritage is the main draw, along with a calendar of annual fairs and shows. The highlight is the opera season held in the Arena, an ancient Roman amphitheater that serves as the city's stage.
Before you go
Verona sits close to Venice, yet many travellers find it the more relaxed and pleasant of the two. It draws plenty of visitors, but they are spread more thinly, so the city rarely feels as crowded as its famous neighbour. For practical help once you arrive, the IAT Verona tourist information office is on Via Degli Alpini, just off Piazza Bra, and can be reached by phone or email.Getting there
Verona's airport, Aeroporto Valerio Catullo (also called Verona Villafranca), sits about 12 km from the city and handles mostly budget flights, with international routes from Brussels, Dublin, London, Paris Beauvais and Madrid, plus domestic links from Alghero, Palermo, Trapani, Brindisi and Rome. To reach the centre, take the VeronaAirLink (Line 199) shuttle, which stops in front of the terminal and connects to Verona Porta Nuova station in roughly 15 minutes; buy your ticket from the driver (cash only) or from the machines at the stop, and expect the bus to be crowded at busy times. If you're driving, the A4 towards Padova leads to Verona in about 7 km. Venice Marco Polo Airport has far more flights: take the shuttle to Mestre railway station, then a train onward to Verona.
By train, you'll arrive at Verona Porta Nuova, the main station and about a 15-minute walk from the old town. It sits at the crossing of two major international lines - the Brenner route from Innsbruck to Bologna and the Milan-Venice high-speed line - so long-distance and regional services run in all directions, with frequent high-speed trains to Milan and Venice, international connections from Munich, and slower regional trains on the same routes. Some local trains also stop at Verona Porta Vescovo. Long-distance buses use the ATV station, where you'll find ticket machines and an office between the platforms, and tickets are also sold through the local bus app. By car, Verona lies at the meeting point of two major European transport corridors, making it easy to reach from neighbouring countries.
Getting around
Verona is compact and walkable, and most visitors cover the historic centre on foot. The Arena in Piazza Bra and the Shakespeare-related landmarks such as the Casa di Giulietta sit within easy strolling distance of one another, and Verona Porta Nuova station is only about a 15-minute walk from the old town. If you are staying centrally, plan to reach the core sights on foot and save public transport for longer trips or for arriving and departing.
There is no metro or tram; local public transport is bus-based, run by ATV, with the main bus station, Stazione ATV, serving the city and province. City bus schedules are available online, via Google Maps and through the "ticket bus Verona" app. On weekdays the 11, 12 or 13 bus takes you from Stazione Porta Nuova to the Arena at Piazza Bra, but Sunday and holiday schedules differ and use a separate numbering system, so check before travelling on those days. Buy your fare at automatic ticket machines, online via the app, or at cigarette or lotto shops displaying blue "T" signs; paying the driver on board is a last resort, is cash only and carries a substantial surcharge relative to a basic ticket. At the ATV bus station the ticket office sits between platforms Bs and Cs, with automated machines at platforms B2 and C3 and at the main ticket office. For anything beyond the centre, rail travel means the national and regional network: Porta Nuova is the station you will almost certainly use, while some regional trains also stop at Verona Porta Vescovo. Taxis are available, and it is best to arrange one through your accommodation or a taxi rank. If you fly into Aeroporto Valerio Catullo, the VeronaAirLink (Line 199) bus connects the airport with Porta Nuova, stopping in front of the terminal and to the left of the station entrance, with tickets from the driver (cash only) or from the machines next to the stop; the bus can be very crowded at times.
Where to stay
Verona has plenty of accommodation and is generally cheaper than nearby Venice, but if you're visiting during the arena opera performances in July and August, book months ahead — arrive on spec and you may find every bed in the city taken. In that case, look to nearby Vicenza or Padua for cheaper alternatives.
- Three youth hostels sit within walking distance of the town centre and a short bus ride from Porta Nuova train station; a tourist map from the station's tourist information centre will point you to them. The northeasternmost of the trio, near Piazza Isolo, occupies a converted Renaissance complex with porticoes, verandas and a large forested garden, and offers dorm beds with breakfast included.
- Small bed and breakfasts in the surrounding province are another option, particularly if you rent a car to explore the surroundings.
- Campeggio Castel San Pietro, on Via Castel San Pietro, has views over the city, is about 15 minutes' walk from the centre, and also offers cabins and tents for rent.
- Agriturismo Sommavalle, in the Torricelle suburb north of Verona, sits on a sunny, panoramic hillside and is reachable by car or urban bus.
- In the centre, Apple Suite B&B on Via Santa Felicita offers a full apartment, and the Ca Vendramin apartment in the quiet Filippini area is a five-minute walk from the Arena.
- Further out, B&B Mambrotta lies in the Venetian plain near the Verona Est autostrada exit, and Agriturismo Ca' del Ferro and Agriturismo Delo Relais, a farmhouse in the Veneto hills, both require a car.
- Among hotels, the Grand Hotel Verona is an elegant aristocratic building decorated with works by Italian artists, within walking distance of the Arena; Hotel Gardenia in San Michele Extra offers high-quality service; and Hotel Italia Verona is an economical three-star option with a restaurant and meeting room.
- For a splurge, the Due Torri Hotel faces Piazza Sant'Anastasia, and the Hotel Gabbia d'Oro on Corso Porta Borsari has de luxe rooms in an 18th-century palazzo.
Food & drink
Verona's traditional cooking leans hearty and meaty. Horse-meat is a genuine local speciality, served as pastisada de caval, a braised dish, and as picula de caval. Pork appears in casoela, a casserole, while bollito misto is a mixture of boiled meats usually accompanied by mostarda, a traditional preserve of fruit and vegetables in mustard. Pasta features widely on menus even though pizza is not traditionally a local food: look for pizzocheri (buckwheat pasta with cheese and sage), casoncelli (a type of ravioli) or bigoli (thick spaghetti).
For cheap eating in the centre, you can choose between pizzerias, piadinerie and trattorie. Pizzeria da Vincenzo on Piazza Nogara is a small, cosy traditional pizzeria, while Pizzeria La Conchiglia on Via Leoncino, next to the arena, serves thick-crust pizza by the slice. Wraps and piadine are the draw at Buoono on Via Anfiteatro and at Piadineria Artigiana Bacchabundus Cavour on Corso Cavour, which has plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. La Tradision on Via Guglielmo Oberdan is a typical spot for aperitifs with cicchetti and cold meats, and Trattoria Trota da Luciano on Via Trota serves generous portions of traditional homemade cooking. Ristorante Cinese La Pagoda on Via Fama is one of the city's first Chinese restaurants. Mid-range options include Osteria Trattoria Al Duomo, a family-run place next to the cathedral with a menu of local specialities and a mandolin ensemble on Wednesdays; Osteria Al Carroarmato, an atmospheric wine bar in ancient-canteen style with shared tables and a large wine list; Signorvino, a restaurant and wine shop south of Piazza Bra where you pay the same for wine at the table as in the shop; and Ristorante Flora on Stradone Maffei, a vegan restaurant. For something sweet, eat gelato at the bars of Piazza Bra.
To drink, head for Piazza delle Erbe rather than the tourist crowds of Piazza Bra. The piazza has a number of good bars where you can sit over a morning coffee or an evening aperitivo. Caffè delle Erbe is known for its coffee and brioche, and Rain on Via Stella is a wine bar and jazz club run by the Zambelli Rain brothers.
What to see and do
Verona rewards time spent on foot. The city was Roman, and its ruins survive – most famously the Arena, an enormous elliptical amphitheatre raised in the 1st century AD, whose outer wall largely collapsed in the earthquake of 1117; the surviving section is known locally as the "Ala". Enterprising citizens built houses against the rubble, and what remains today is the masonry supporting the tiered interior. Opera is staged here, so if a performance falls during your stay the whole city, not just the Arena, will be booked solid – reserve months ahead. The same earthquake prompted a wave of rebuilding, which is why most of the historic sights you see above ground date from the past 800 years, while the Roman city lies several metres beneath you. Look for the ladder emblem of the Scaligeri, who ruled from the 12th to 14th century – scala is Italian for ladder. Begin with the medieval centre, which is at its best in the evening once the day-trippers have gone. Piazza delle Erbe, the Roman forum, still anchors the city, with its market, fountain and the Gardello Tower; the Lamberti Tower, finished in 1463, rises above it and can be climbed by steps or lift for wide views. Nearby are the cathedral, with its Romanesque façade by Nicolò and a Titian Assumption among the side chapels, and the Gothic Sant'Anastasia, where you should find the Pelligrini Chapel and Pisanello's St George. Across the river stand Castelvecchio, a red-brick fortified castle holding the city art museum and ringed by ramparts and a bridge, and the churches of St Zeno and San Lorenzo. San Zeno, dedicated to the city's patron, drew pilgrims for centuries; its façade is also by Nicolò, and its frescoes carry graffiti left by visitors, some dating from 1390. A short walk away is the tiny San Giorgietto, frescoed with the walled garden of the Virgin Mary. Further out you'll find Castel San Pietro, the Giusti gardens with their grottoes and carved masks, and a second, smaller Roman theatre. The Verona Card covers several of these venues.When to go
Verona has a humid subtropical climate, with high humidity year-round. Summers are hot, and the humidity keeps the heat feeling muggy during the day. This is the peak visitor season, when the city's opera performances draw crowds and prices rise.
Winters are cool and humid, and the humidity causes fog, mainly from dusk until late morning. The fog has become less frequent in recent years, but when it settles in it can obscure views and make the days feel damp and grey.
Three days in Verona
Day one: Start in Piazza Bra, where the Arena anchors the city's daily life. From there, follow the character of Verona on foot, letting the Roman street plan lead you between squares and along the river. If you arrive by air, Aeroporto Valerio Catullo at Verona Villafranca serves the city, with VeronaAirLink and bus connections into Verona Porta Nuova, the main rail station. Trains reach Verona Porta Nuova from Padova, Venice, Bologna, Milan, Rome and beyond, while the Brenner route brings you south from Innsbruck.
Day two: Give the day to the Arena and the streets around it, then cross the river to explore Verona's quieter quarters. The city rewards slow wandering rather than a checklist, so pick a direction and let the lanes decide the rest. For information and maps, IAT Verona on Via Degli Alpini is the place to ask.
Day three: Use Verona as a base for the wider Veneto. Padova and Venice are short train rides from Verona Porta Nuova, and Venice Marco Polo Airport, reached via Mestre, opens the rest of northern Italy. If you are flying out, allow time for the run to Aeroporto Valerio Catullo, with direct links to Brussels, Dublin, London, Paris Beauvais, Madrid, Alghero, Palermo, Trapani and Brindisi.