Verona – Italy’s Iconic Cities
August 24, 2025
Verona is in Northern Italy in the Lombardy region and is an absolutely stunning city with tons of history. But to add some “grappa to the caffè” of this amazing city, it sits very linearly, with Lake Garda a mere 20 minutes to its west and Venice a train ride away on the coast to its East. This is the reason we chose Verona as a base for a bit of an explore of the region.
What to expect in Verona
It’s famously known as the city of Giulietta (Juliet, as in Romeo and..), and has the house of Juliet (I know, it’s fictional, so therefore not possible). 
However, on our first evening we strolled to the biggest of its piazzas…Piazza Bra, which has the most amazing and striking building in the city, the Arena of Verona. Honestly, walking into this square it felt like we’d stepped back in time; the atmosphere, the dominance of the Arena and as it was the evening everything was lit up, which just added to the wow-ness of it all. So, what is this amazing building? It’s an amphitheatre that would have originally had gladiator style games and tournaments. Better than the Colosseum in Rome? It’s smaller, but it’s older, and in fact was a blueprint for the Colosseum. In its setting though, it looks even more striking. The arena in Verona is not just a tourist attraction, it is also a theatre that has an annual Opera season. Could it get more Italian? It would have been very uncultured of us not to take advantage of the fact we were there during the opera season. Off we go then…and as luck would have it, Carmen was the opera de jour (I should say “del giorno”…it being Italy and all).
What to see in Verona
This is a fantastic city to wander around, there’s so much to see and it just feels as though you’re in a different world. I know England has amazing castles that are a thousand years old. But can you imagine, some of the buildings in Verona are from a thousand years before those English castles! Here are a few things I would say do NOT miss:
The piazzas of Verona
There are several main piazzas and each has its own personality.
Piazza Bra is wide open with the Arena at one end, at the other a part of the original city walls and the city gate (portoni delle bra). There’s a long line of restaurants down one side called The Listone and in the middle a large garden with a fountain. It’s a great place to grab a drink and people watch. It feels as though the whole city walks past The Listone heading toward the Arena. 
Piazza Erbe – I think one of the prettiest piazzas in Verona. It is long and not too wide, surrounded by beautiful buildings and watched over by the tower of Lamberti. Like Piazza Bra it’s busy with people, but due to its smaller area it feels really hectic, but still good fun to people watch. In the middle sits the Fontana di Madonna Verona (fountain). It’s surrounded by market stalls selling all sorts, from glass “Merano” jewellery, clothes and leather bags to local produce and herbs (the original market sold herbs, hence the name Erbe….herb in Italian). On one side there are a line of café’s, bars and restaurants and this is a great place to grab a glass of wine, or an Aperol Spritz anyone?
Piazza dei Signori has a completely different feel. It’s squarer, much quieter and without the busyness of the other piazzas (in fact, it was pretty empty when we visited). It was the piazza for the upper classes back in the day (Signori meaning gentlemen)…a bit different to a piazza selling herbs, but it gave us a quiet moment to admire the architecture.
Arena di Verona
The sets are spectacular, the cast is numerous and our view from the top of the Arena was probably the best you could get. However, it was really hard to hear the singers. This was not a problem I experienced before from a similar seat. I’ve read since that the Arena is not known for its great acoustics. However, I wouldn’t change the experience of being inside that Arena on a warm July evening with those amazing views. 
If you do want to hear some amazing opera singing though, we smugly booked a pre-opera table at Trattoria Tre Marchetti. Owned and run by Matteo Barca, chef and opera singer who, at various moments during dinner, delights with an operatic duet.
The perfect opera performance is not a cover up for average food though. Oh no, the food is also a fantastic and artistic spectacle. Just look at the Scallop carpaccio with red shrimp, burrata, balsamic vinegar and basil oil. That’s art on a plate right there. And being only a stone’s throw from the Arena, it really did set the scene for our evening.
Ponte Scaligero di Castelvecchio
This one was a bit of a surprise. OK, there’s a bridge, great, and there’s a castle-y thing at one end, fab. But the actual experience was something else. We arrived at the castle, a very old 14th century medieval defensive castle which is really quite impressive. We made our way to the bridge. I was expecting a drawbridge type deal, lovely views down the river, maybe a few turrets in the middle. Our first experience was….opera singing. Ok, is that real? In one of the rooms at the entrance to the bridge a lady was singing solo opera accompanied by a piano. It was spectacular. Such an amazing voice; loud, clear, spine tingling, emotional. We then passed a huge turret before walking under an arch, wow moment. The bridge is, from beginning to end, fish-tailed battlements in a multitude of orange-hued bricks, broken up by two turreted supports. The views on, off and of the bridge are all spectacular. To make the experience even better, there was a violinist playing music on the bridge. I’ve never heard anything that sounded so emotional and so sad, but so completely beautiful. There may have been a few tears….or did I have dust in my eyes too Nicky?
The Duomo
We’re in an Italian city, so there’s going to be a big cathedral. The duomo does not disappoint. It’s vast, with a very tall tower and inside it’s very extravagantly and ornately frescoed and “decorated”. Catholic churches are always splendid and overly opulent. It’s impossible to take-in all the detail that covers every wall, ceiling, window and alcove…. Fabulous, but not forgetting it is also a place of peace and respect…Clark, do NOT ring that bell! Honestly, some people…
Ponte Pietra and the other side of the river
Ponte Pietra is a Roman bridge and the oldest in Verona. Apparently, it was blown up by Germans in WWII, but was reconstructed by retrieving the old stones from the river. Now pedestrianised, it is another beautiful bridge to wander over and admire the river Adige. On the other side, there is the:
- Teatro Romano – dating back to the 1st century (see what I mean, properly old!), the theatre is still used for its original purpose and hosts plays in the summer. We visited just for a viewing, but it’s also possible to go to the monastery above which houses the archaeological museum. We loved this as it has loads of history about the buildings in Verona and old models, paintings and sketches (and amazing air-conditioning….what can I say, it was 36 degrees outside!).
- The funicular – While we were on the other side of the Adige river we also took a ride on the funicular which takes you way above the Teatro Romano for amazing views of the Ponte Pietra and the city of Verona.
Wandering the streets of Verona
In a town which dates back as far as Verona does, wandering the streets you find old piazza’s, rickety buildings, grand palazzos, narrow alleyways and amazing arches and gates to the ancient city (and the occasional teeny car). It was easy to lose oneself and just let the look of the next corner decide in which direction to head.
Spritz O'clock!
The first time I experienced an Aperol Spritz I was sitting in Piazza Erbe. The year was 2008. I sat at one of the cafes in the piazza and looked around me….what is this bright orange drink everyone seems to have? I’ll have one of those please. Many years later and it is still a favourite summer cocktail, although I now prefer the slightly more bitter Campari Spritz. But what’s this now? Other Spritzes? We had to try them all…and joining in our mission two willing participants, Jo and Paul. What did we discover?
- Aperol, the original.There’s something called the 3-2-1 method. 3 parts (75ml) Prosecco, 2 parts (50ml) Aperol, 1 part (25ml) Soda water…slice of orange and ice.
- Campari, the bitterer version and unexpectedly, more alcoholic (25% compared to Aperol’s 11%….ok, that’s why I feel tipsier after one of those)
- Hugo Spritz – made with Prosecco, elderflower liquor and soda water. Garnished with mint and a citrus slice. Very refreshing but a little sweeter.
- Limoncello Spritz – as it sounds, if you like limoncello (I do) what’s not to like. I think Paul quite liked this one.
- A Venetian spritz – 1/3 Prosecco, 1/3 Campari, 1/3 Aperol…slice of orange. I think this is my new favourite.
A Day trip to Lake Garda and the wine regions
As I mentioned we were only a twenty minute drive away from Lake Garda. It’s the largest of the Italian lakes, and we were only visiting for a day. So we decided on the East side of the lake and the medieval town of Lazise and then we went slightly north to the smaller town of Bardolino. Isn’t there a red wine called Bardolino? What a coincidence. More on that in a bit.
What to see in Lazise
This is a fortified town and its castle turrets and walls can be seen all around. It isn’t possible to visit the castle itself, but the medieval feelings abound throughout.
- Lakeside promenade – there is a great walk along the lake edge going past the small harbour. It’s a proper promenade and the lake is spectacular, the perfect hues of turqoise and sky-blue, a real jaw-dropper. Many moments were taken to sit and admire.
- Wandering the small streets and pokey shops. As always cobbles underfoot and surrounded by quirky and colourful Italian buildings.
- A lunch stop with a view….amazing food (fish from the lake, yummy) and being so close to Bardolino, it would have been remiss not to have partaken in a glass of the local wine.
Bardolino...
A smaller but equally as charming lake-side town. Again, there were small independent shops, cobbled alleys, a harbour (the boys were eyeing-up a very expensive looking boat) and a lakeside promenade….with a wine barrel at the end for photo opportunities, just to remind us that we were in a wine region. Did we? Again, it would be rude not to.
...and the wine
To the real point of Bardolino though….the wine. I think we would all agree we knew nothing before we went other than…it’s red. We went to the vineyard Guerrieri Rizzardi for an education and of course, some tasting.
The Bardolino estate produces Red, Rose, spumante and white wines. The reds are lighter wines, not overly complex but easy drinkers (one might say, quaffable). We also discovered some grapes we were unfamiliar with…
Bardolino Classico DOC – Made from majority Corvina grape (60-70%), with additions of Rondinella, Sangiovese, Merlot and Ancellotta. Aged in stainless steel vats for 3-12 months.
There's more wine!
The other surprise for us on this tasting is that we are also in the Valpolicella area of Italy. It’s mainly produced in the hills between Verona and Lake Garda. More education required and a trip to Fratelli Vogadori (the Vogadori brothers) at their vineyard in the hills with the most spectacular scenery.
Valpolicella Classico DOC – made from 60-80% Corvina and Corvinone, with Rondanella, Merlot and Croatina. Honestly, we are in the land of unknown grape names, but at least we are seeing the Corvina and Rondinella that we were introduced to in Bardolino. Aged in Stainless steel for 3-12 months.
Valpolicella Ripasso (also Superiore) DOC – made from 60-85% Corvina and Corvinone with Rondinella, Merlot and Molinara (another new grape name – apparently a tart and inferior grape, whereas Rondinella is a neutral grape, let’s call it a filler). This is aged in large oak barrels for at least 12 months. Ripasso in Italian means “twice pressed”, meaning it strengthens the wine by refermenting on the pressed grape skins. This is now a firm favourite of Clark and Paul. Much more intense and full flavoured.
Amarone della Valpolicella Classico and Classico Riserva DOCG – now we’re getting the heavy guns out (and a mortgage). Corvina is still the main grape but in higher percentages. The other grapes still appear in varying percentages, but now there is the addition of the Barbera grape….this is one I am familiar with and a regular pick when buying Italian wine. Aged for at least 36 months in large oak barrels and then 6 months in the bottle (Classico) and 12 months in the bottle (Riserva). The process is so much longer which explains its very intense flavour and indeed the price tag….perhaps special occasions only. Sad face.
Another alcohol education, my apologies. However, it seems in Italy we are not only surrounded by amazing food, but also fantastic wines and beverages. I’ll drink to that. Cheers!
We had an amazing time helping you sample all the ‘spritz’ choices and regional wines, Verona really was a wonderful place to explore xx