A Love Story and a Day-Trip to Verona

Many think of Paris, France as being the city of love, but in fact, it is the city of Verona, Italy where true love was born.

A Brief History of Verona

Verona is a small city in northeastern Italy located about 2 hours west of Milan and 1.25 hours east of Venice.

As a former municipality of Rome,  Verona became an independent and autonomous municipality in the 12th century before having to surrender and come under the power of Venice in 1405. Later in its history, it fell under the power of Napoleon before being split into two sections and divided between France and Austria in the early 19th century. Verona became fully a part of the Austrian Empire before finally coming under the rule of the Italian kingdom in the late 19th century.

Present Day Verona

Today, Verona has a population of about 265, 000 people. The city is probably most well-known for being the city from which Juliet (of the famous ‘Romeo and Juliet’) lived.

Although small, the city is very charming and has some really wonderful points of interest outside of Juliet’s house such as the famous Verona Arena and the equally popular Lamberti Tower from which you can overlook the entire city.

What to Do in Verona

I was growing restless while I was staying in Milan and I was itching to get out of the city and see some of the nearby towns. I decided that I would take a day-trip to the city of Verona. Luckily due to its relatively small size, Verona was easy to navigate and I was able to see a lot in a short time period.

The Arena

The Arena di Verona is a famous Roman theater built in 30 AD that holds opera concerts throughout the summer. During the day, you can take a tour of one of the best-maintained Roman arenas in the world.

Shopping on Via Mazzini

If you want to see what shopping in Verona is like, head over to Via Mazzini, where you can find both expensive large brand names and affordable local Italian shops!

Casa di Giulietta 

A trip to Verona would be incomplete without visiting Juliet’s House (Casa di Giulietta). Some people fancy grabbing Juliet’s left breast (which is why it is now gold), leaving love locks throughout the property, or leaving a note (or a band-aid) on Juliet’s wall.

If you enter the museum at Juliet’s house, you can take the opportunity to stand on her balcony and snap a few photographs.

If this wall or the balcony look familiar to you (like maybe you have seen it in a movie?), it was featured in a movie that I love called ‘Letters to Juliet‘, where a girl who dreams of becoming a writer travels to Verona on her honeymoon and discovers an unanswered letter written to Juliet while visiting Casa di Giulietta. She then decides to not only answer the letter, but she also chooses to help the woman in the letter find her long lost love.

Torre dei Lamberti & Galeria d’Arte Moderna Achille Forti

There are stunning 360-degree views of Verona from the top of Torre di Lamberti( Lamberti Tower), the tallest lookout point in the city.

Included with the very affordable admission, you can also visit Verona’s Gallery of Modern Art.

Castelvecchio Bridge 

Stroll across the Castelvecchio Bridge (Ponte di Castel Vecchio or Ponte Scaligero) which overlooks the Adige River. From this vaulted arch bridge, you can see both the west and east sides of the winding river which passes through the city.

Juliet’s Tomb

Visit the tomb of Juliet (Tomba di Giulietta), where she is said to have been buried.

Directly outside of the tomb, there are 10 bronze panels by artist Sergio Pasetto that depict the life and death of Romeo and Juliet.

Eat: Cheese, Gelato, and Risotto

There is no doubt that if you spend a day in Verona, you will need to eat.

Lunch: While I was in the city, I started with a quick lunch of locally-sourced risotto at Osteria Mondodoro.

Snack: I ate a quick bite of cheese from the only cheese shop in Verona called La Salumeria Gironda,

Dessert: I always love a good gelato, and I ate some really delicious gelato at Dolcezze Al Pompiere.

Further Reading

If you are heading to Verona and want to make it more than just a quick day trip, consider checking out Girl in Florence’s guide to spending 36 Hours in Verona!

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Have you ever been to Verona? What did you do while visiting?