Verona

Verona is done on foot in one packed day or two easy ones, from the Arena to Castelvecchio, along the loop the Adige cuts around the old town. A third day opens up Lake Garda and Sirmione, under an hour by train and bus, or the Valpolicella wine road north of the city.

The walk starts on Piazza Bra, the city's widest square, where the Arena stands. The Roman amphitheatre, built around 30 AD, is the third largest to survive anywhere, and in summer it still fills with an audience — opera now, not gladiators. Outside performance days entry is €12, it opens Tuesday–Sunday 9–19, except on performance days, and it's closed Monday; a separate rate applies during the festival.

Pedestrian Via Mazzini runs straight from the square to Piazza delle Erbe, a former Roman forum that is still a daily market under old façade frescoes; entry to the square is free. Right next to it, on Piazza dei Signori, stands Torre dei Lamberti, begun in 1172 and only raised to its current height in the 15th century. The climb is €6, it opens weekdays 10–18 (last entry 17.15), weekends and holidays 11–19 (last entry 18.15), and from the top the whole centre shows inside the river's loop.

A couple of lanes further, on Via Cappello, is the courtyard of Juliet's House. The balcony and statue come from Shakespeare's tragedy and have no basis in documented city history. The courtyard is still one of the most visited spots in the centre. Since 1 April 2026, entry — even to the courtyard alone — needs an online booking in advance; the full ticket, with the house and the Teatro Nuovo, is €12, and it opens Monday 14–19, Tuesday–Sunday 9–19.

From Erbe it's a few minutes to Ponte Pietra, the oldest bridge in the city — it still carries Roman arches, because after it was blown up in 1945 it was rebuilt from the same stone pulled back out of the river. Across the bridge, on the far bank, is the Roman Theatre from the 1st century BC, and right above it a funicular runs up to Castel San Pietro and its view over the whole city. Both, along with the Giardino Giusti a little further along the river, get their own story on the Verona hidden-gems page.

Back on the left bank and heading west along the river, the route reaches Castelvecchio, a fortress built by the Della Scala family in the second half of the 14th century, with its own bridge over the Adige. Today it's a museum with a collection of paintings and weapons; entry is €6, it opens Tuesday–Sunday 10–18 (last entry 17.15), and it's closed Monday.

The last stop, another ten minutes' walk, is the Basilica of San Zeno, with bronze doors carrying reliefs close to a thousand years old. A single ticket is €2.50, and opening hours shift with the season. That closes the centre into one loop you can walk in a day; a second day is left for the theatre, viewpoint and garden across the river, and a third for Lake Garda. Arriving by air, you land at the city's own airport, and the Aerobus 199 runs to Porta Nuova station in 15 min.