A Day-Long Walking Tour of Verona, Italy

Arriving in Verona, Italy after only a one-hour train ride from Milan, I was pretty stoked. Verona had always been on my top 10 list of cities to visit. How could it not be? After all, I do have something of an obsession with Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

The buildings of Verona have preserved the historic feeling of the city, while the stores balance it out with a sense of modernity. Italy has always been known for being a shopping mecca, but Verona took it to a whole new level for me. The city’s charming streets, history and elegance left me wanting more.

Due to Shakespeare’s “star-crossed lovers,” the city of Verona has become quite popular. Rick Steves, an American author and television personality who focuses on European travel, said it best: Verona is “the city of romance.” It is Italy’s fourth-most-visited city — and understandably so. Read on for a few of the must-see places I experienced in this incredible destination. Each is a 5 to 15 minute walk from the next, and you can see them all in one (very full) day.

Anfiteatro Arena (Roman Amphitheater)

This impressive Roman amphitheater sits in the heart of Piazza Bra and should be everyone’s first stop. It was built in the first half of the 1^st century A.D., which is the period marking the end of Augustus’s empire and the start of Claudius’s.

Walking through the archway and into this incredibly large amphitheater, I was in awe. Not because it was the 3^rd largest amphitheater in Italy after Rome’s Colosseum and amphitheater of Capua, or because it produced flawless acoustics because of its elliptical shape. No, it was because of all the marble. The entire amphitheater was built with squared blocks of marble!

We climbed our way through the rows of seats to the top in order to see the famously beautiful view, but once we turned back around we all wondered the same thing: how the heck were we going to get back down without slipping?? Yes, the marble blocks are wonderful and gorgeous — but also dangerous. Especially when you’re me and have a tendency to trip over your own feet. So, I decided to go down block by block by sliding down with my butt, as did a few others.

If you can, book a visit when there’s a performance taking place. The arena hosts many concerts, however, it is the Arena di Verona Festival (Verona Arena Festival) that you should be looking forward too. It is a summer festival of opera, which started in 1936. Opera and ballet performances run from June to September every year. Here is a list of performances and dates taking place during the festival this year:

June 19th to September 5th: Nabucco is a four-act title much appreciated by Verona’s audience. It is based on the biblical stories from the Book of Jeremiah, the Book of Daniel and the 1836 play by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois. The performance is conducted by Riccardo Frizza and Julian Kovatchev.

June 10th – September 6th: Aida is a four act title based on a scenario which is credited to French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette. Presented by four different conductors: Andrea Battistoni, Julian Kovatchev, Omer Meir Wellber and Daniel Oren.

June 26th – August 14th: Tosca is a three act title about love and loss. It tells the story of the love between Floria Tosca, famous opera singer, and Mario Cavaradossi, a painter and political activist. Conducted by Julian Kovatchev.

July 4th – August 12th: Don Giovanni is a two act title, which is based on the legends of Don Juan, a “fictional libertine.” Conducted by Stefano Montanari.

August 1st – September 4th: Il Barbiere di Siviglia: is a two act title is based on Pierre Beaumarchais’s French comedy Le Barbier de Seville. Conducted by Giacomo Sagripanti.

August 8th – September 3rd: Romeo et Juliette: A five act title based on William Shakespeare’s, star-crossed lovers: The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Conducted by Daniel Oren.

More performance and ticket information.

Via Mazzini Shopping

Heading away from the spectacular arena, and only a six minute walk, awaits Via Mazzini. It is one of the most stunning streets I have ever seen — and also one of the busiest. With so many boutiques lining the road, which is all marble of course (the Italians just love their marble!), you could literally shop until you drop here.

Via Mazzini was lined with warehouses and barracks until the 19^th century. The ground would turn into a mud field when it rained. That was when the city government paved it with marble, and the street rose to such fortune. Modern stores popped up and now on your left you had Burberry and to your right Gucci. Not bad. Nowadays, all the major Italian fashion brands are represented. If you’re looking for the latest in Italian fashion, you’ll find it here.

The shops on Via Mazzini are on the pricier side, but even if you don’t feel like blowing $20k on a new dress, it’s still a great place to window shop. Walking into one of the stores dedicated to baby’s clothes, wondering what I should buy for my cousins, I headed upstairs and found a sofa with Audrey Hepburn’s face on it. It was a great touch to such a chic store. Each shop presented something unique.

Casa di Giulietta

Admit it. After watching ‘Letters to Juliet’ starring Amanda Seyfried you couldn’t wait to go on your own adventure in Verona to find your soulmate. If not, watch the movie. It’s an incredibly cute chick-flick that will have you booking your ticket to Verona immediately.

After having yourself a mini shopping spree take a three minute walk towards Casa di Giulietta. Enter through the archway to visit Juliet’s house, which was owned by the family dell Capello and dates back to the 13^th century. You will see the original family coat of arms on the wall, however, the balcony was added in the 20^th century. Inside the house is a museum, but it’s the bronze sculpture of Juliet in the courtyard that all tourists want to see. Oddly, it’s become ‘a thing’ to rub her right breast for luck. Seriously.

Make sure to check out the little mailbox by the Casa Di Giulietta merchandise store, where you can write your own letter and (hopefully) receive a reply. If you’ve visited with a loved one, you can purchase a lock and key to place on the gates to the house — a sweet and superstitious gesture. Interestingly, the store allows you to stitch your name into almost anything you purchase, which makes for a super thoughtful and unique gift to bring home with you, which is what I did.

Piazza dei Signori

When visiting Verona for just one day, you may not have time to visit museums for a long period of time, however, you can enjoy the views from the outside, as well as hang out on the gorgeous piazzas and take in the history.

Leaving Casa di Giulietta, take a four minute walk towards Piazza dei Signori through Piazza Erbe, which is a beautiful city square filled with sculptures, historic buildings and market stalls selling just about everything. The atmosphere on Piazza Erbe is lively, and you’ll likely find yourself surrounded by hundreds of tourists, as well as locals.

An archway leads Piazza Erbe into Piazza dei Signori. The whale’s rib bone has been hanging for 1000 years under that arch, right behind Dante’s sculpture. According to legend, the bone will fall only when someone walks under it who has never told a lie. Pretty cool stuff, right? But, if you’re not into legends, the piazza does include buildings from the 12th and 17th centuries that surround the four sides. It’s a great place to relax, enjoy some snacks from the market stalls, and just people watch.

Ponte Pietra

This impressive stone bridge was built originally in wood, then later on in white and pink stone. It’s only a seven minute walk away from Piazza dei Signori, and worth the walk for the sweeping panoramic view of Verona. The right bank was built in the middle ages and then destroyed in the second world war, and that side alone was rebuilt shortly thereafter. When I got up close I could see some of the original materials that had been kept even after the rebuild.

The mixture of red brick and white stone is what, in my opinion, makes the bridge such an impressive sight. The coming together of various architectural styles, which highlights the different historical periods that make the bridge memorable.

Castel San Pietro

Once you’ve made it to the Ponte Pietra bridge you will want to walk for six more minutes to get to Castel San Pietro. It is here where Verona was founded. On top of this green hill, crowned by cypresses, is where the remains of the first settlements, which date back to the 7th century B.C., can be found.

At the top of this hill stands the Austrian Fortress created in the 19th century. To head to the top and view the Fortress face to face, you can take the stairway near the Roman Theater. However, you can only see the castle from the outside; it is unfortunately not open to visitors.

Looking down, I took in the incredible view and experienced the feeling of having Verona right beneath my feet. The roads, walls, historic buildings and towers… It’s one place you must make time for.

Gelato Pretto

So, you can’t go anywhere in Italy without trying gelato, right? Plus, after all that walking, and the extra 15 minutes you’ll need to get here, you will want to have something to cool you off. But not all gelato is created equal – believe me! Pretto is absolutely mouth-watering. I found this particular gelato store while in Piazza delle Erbe and I have to say that of all the gelato shops I’ve tried, this by far is my favourite.

Their gelato is smooth and beautifully crafted. The Pretto website states that they make their gelato without preservatives, colourings or artificial flavours. From a chic looking shop, gourmet gelato, to great customer service this is one gelateria you can’t miss. I had the Stracciatella gelato and all I can say is wow. Yes, some say it’s similar to our chocolate chip ice-cream, but I am here to tell you — it’s not even close.

The chocolate pieces included in this gelato are phenomenal: small, yet chunky in the smoothest way. It melts right in your mouth and looks delicious too. As the day slowly came to a close, the Pretto Gelato Arte Italiana shop was the perfect cherry on top to a great few hours in Verona.

Caffé Borsari

If you’re a coffee lover like I am, you will want to try Caffé Borsari’s coffee, which is said to be the best in Verona. It takes only a minute to get there from the Pretto Gelato Arte Italiana shop.

Originally titled Tubino, this café is something you can’t miss. Walking in I instantly felt calm, especially after walking through crowds of tourists. The rustic and homey feel of the café instantly put me at ease… not to mention the coffee was absolutely delicious.

The café is just down the street from Piazza delle Erbe. It is –quite literally– a paradise of coffees, hot chocolates, teas, and pastries. It offers classic blends, caffeine jolts and coffee with a twist with flavors including chestnut, ginseng, and chocolate orange.

The shop only provides a few marble tables inside, however a spot can be easily found outside. It has been a favourite spot for both locals and tourists since it’s opening in 1969 and a definite stop during your day-trip to Verona.

Castelvecchio 

To visit this magnificent sight, right after your in take of the delicious coffee at Caffé Borsari, it would only take you nine minutes to walk to the Castelvecchio Museum. This building was constructed by Cangrande II della Scala on the banks of Adige in 1354. He did this to defend Verona’s people and an to have an escape route where his Austrian relatives lived.

With 29 rooms of paintings, sculptures, weapons and more, it’s a definite must-see on your stop in Verona. The opening hours of the museum are Tuesday to Sunday from 8:30am to 6:30pm and Mondays from 1:30pm to 6:30pm.

Walking out of the Bra Gates, a bronze statue of William Shakespeare bid us farewell and the words written beside Shakespeare said:

“There is no world without Verona walls,
But purgatory, torture, hell itself.
Hence-banished is banish’d from the world,
And the world’s exile is death.”

These were the words said by Romeo when he left Verona after being exiled. He was supposed to have left the city through the Bra Gate. Farewell for now, until we meet again, my sweet Verona.