We had a 4-hour car trip along the Autostrada to our destination of Lake Como in the Lakes District. We decided that it would be a good chance to stop off and pay Verona a visit on the way.
Verona
Verona is a place that pleasantly surprised us. It was such a pretty city and well worth the detour to stop and wander the streets and take in some history.
The Adige is the second longest river in Italy and flooded the city regularly
The historic city of Verona was founded in the 1st century BC. It certainly contains lots of artifacts representing its 2,000-year history. Many of which are still very much intact. This is after the threats of the bordering river flooding throughout the centuries. During the 19th century, preventative measures were put in place. Today, the town is no longer threatened by rising waters.
As with most towns and cities, we had to do some research and find the best place for us to park the car.
Piazzale Castel San Pietro
We found out that we could get free parking along the roadside behind the Piazzale Castel San Pietro.
From this magnificent vantage point high on the hill, we could enjoy the view of the whole city spreading out. We could clearly see the network of Roman roads, the city walls, tall towers and steeples.
The hill offered an easily defensible position close to the Adige River below. It now houses a 19th-century military barracks built by the Austrians. Prior to this though, we could still see the remains of the defensive structures that have stood on this site for centuries.
Arena Di Verona
We caught the funicular train down the hillside and wandered into the walled city. There are many small lanes and alleyways. It is quite crowded with tourists. The narrow lanes act as a funnel so seems quite congested at times.
All roads seemed to lead to Arena Di Verona, an ancient Roman arena.
The Arena is Verona’s most famous monument and visited by tourist worldwide.
It was built in the 1st century AD and is the 3rd largest amphitheatre in Italy, after the Colosseum and an amphitheatre in Capua.
Even singer Adele performed in Verona as part of her Adele Live 2016 Tour.
Because of its elliptical shape it produces perfect acoustics from every angle. This is why it is still the venue for some amazing large-scale opera concerts today. In ancient times, nearly 30,000 people could pack into the galleries. Nowadays, the maximum number is 15,000.
Ancient Roman performances used to take place in the centre and the area was covered in sand where gladiator combats were held. The sand was used to soak up the blood of the gladiators and animals.
There was a queue to enter the Arena and as we had already visited the Colosseum in Rome, and time was against us, we just admired the structure from the outside only.
The Bridge of Castelvecchio
Also known as the Scala Bridge it spans the Adige river and forms part of the Castelvecchio Fortress.
A large medieval brick castle built in 1354. A high wall surrounds the castle battlements and its 6 towers.
It was to grant a safe way to escape the attached fortress during sieges.
Right after WWII, the bridge was rebuilt identically to the original one. They used original materials as much as possible. Today it is old and new, but still majestic.
In the mid 13th century it took 3 years to complete its construction. Unfortunately, the retreating German troops destroyed the bridge in 1945. Its reconstruction took from 1949 to 1951 and they used all the original materials.
Juliet’s House
We didn’t go out of our way to visit the site of Juliet’s House. When it comes to romance, people prefer fantasy to reality.
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet wasn’t based on real people, and the house doesn’t have any relation to the story. Nonetheless, this doesn’t stop tourists revealing in the make-believe and flock here to live the fantasy.
There are crowds milling around in the tiny space trying to take selfies with the well-rubbed bronze statue of Juliet and the famous balcony.
The actual house is not worth the entrance fee – it’s virtually empty and swamped with visitors who can hardly pass on the narrow stairs. There are only a couple of interesting exhibits inside, including the bed that featured in Zeffirelli’s 1968 film, and few Renaissance costumes. The gift shop opposite reaches heights of heart-shaped kitsch only Italy can achieve. – Lonely Planet
Summary
We both agreed that our short detour to Verona was certainly worth it. Although quite tourist heavy, it has a laid-back vibe. Wandering around the streets and laneways was very enjoyable.
We didn’t quite know what to expect. Verona did, in fact, surprise us. I would not hesitate in recommending a stop-over in Verona, even maybe worth a night’s stay. Be warned, we did find that the prices in the town are weighted towards the tourist dollar. It seemed to be on a par with Venice.
Pasta-to-go…..there are always cheaper options for eating in the most touristy of towns.
Click on the link below to view our video of our highlights in Verona.