City Guide

VERONACity guide Add the city of star-crossed lovers onto an Italy cruise for the ideal alternative to Venice, says Katie McGonagle

Verona has a lot to thank William Shakespeare for. Not only did he set two of his most famous plays here, forever associating it with the phrase ‘fair Verona’ despite never setting foot on Italian soil, but he also sparked an obsession that still draws millions of visitors to this underrated city every year.

They fl ock here in search of the ‘real’ Romeo and Juliet, captivated by theories that the story was based on two feuding families from the late Middle Ages, known as the Montecchis and the Cappellos. The names are just similar enough to Montague and Capulet for tourist guides to proudly proclaim Romeo’s House in the centre of the city and to encourage visitors to queue up for their fantasy moment on Juliet’s balcony.

It’s largely wishful thinking, but while some come in search of a tragic love story, they leave having fallen for this seductive city. It’s not in the triumvirate of top-tier cities alongside Rome, Florence and Venice, but has more than enough to entertain for a pre or post-cruise stay without the crowds.

Must-sees

Verona packs layer upon layer of history into a remarkably small square footage, so wherever you turn, there’s bound to be a landmark of some signifi cance. Start with the Roman Arena, an enormous amphitheatre built around 30 AD and, extraordinarily, still in use today for opera, rock and pop concerts. It’s also due to host the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

From there, it’s an easy stroll along Via Mazzini – stopping to window shop at the likes of Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana on this designer store-fi lled street – to the bustling Piazza delle Erbe. Nowhere is Verona’s jumble of architectural eras more apparent than in this market square, where a Roman statue of the Madonna sits atop a 14th-century fountain, overlooked by a baroque palace and a series of fresco-covered facades.

If you want a really good view, try climbing the stairs (or take the lift, if an 84m-high tower sounds a bit of a stretch) of the Torre dei Lamberti, which sits at one corner of the square o ering an ideal vantage point on the busy market stalls below.

Just a few steps away, Piazza dei Signori pays tribute to another of Verona’s literary heroes: Dante Bottom row, from left: Piazza dei Signori; Palazzo Verona Hotel, NH Collection; local transport; Roman Arena; the best street for shopping

Main image: Ponte Pietra Top row, from left: Castelvecchio Bridge; cheese and wine by the river; capturing the sights; Juliet’s balcony wrote part of his Divine Comedy here and is depicted deep in thought in the centre of this enormous square. It sits next to the imposing Scaliger Tombs, a macabre monument to the Della Scala family who once ruled over this region.

It’s worth taking a guided tour just to hear the intricate stories of the power struggles that plagued this dynasty for centuries.

PICTURES: GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCK/GIORGIO FOCHESATO/ NOSYSTEM IMAGES/MARIA VONOTNA/SAMAEL334/FLAVIO VALLENARI/ANZELETTI/NIMU1956/ROSSHELEN/YASONYA; FILIPPO GALLUZZI Eating and sleeping

The must-try dish in Verona is risotto all’amarone, which infuses an ordinary risotto with the rich, bold fl avours of the region’s signature red wine. You’ll fi nd it on menus across the city, from ordinary osterias up to fi ne-dining establishments, but for a truly sumptuous version, Antica Bottega del Vino is one of the best in town.

There are some excellent hotels just outside the centre, but if you want to be in the heart of the action, the NH Collection Palazzo Verona Hotel has the dual benefi t of being modern in design but also centrally located. Rooms start from £275 per night (nh-collection.com).

Explore further

It’s hard to tear yourself away from the maze of medieval streets and tiny, tucked-away alleys in the old town, but there’s more to Verona outside its city walls. Cross the ancient Ponte Pietra over the Adige River – the once-furious torrent that was subdued in the 19th century after fl ooding left the area in ruins – for a superb vantage point on the old city to one side and the cypress tree-dotted slopes of Castel San Pietro on the other. The bridge itself has a fascinating tale to tell, built by the Romans and a key trading route for centuries until several of its pillars were bombed during the Second World War, leaving it impassable. The riverbed was later dredged and the bridge rebuilt using original materials.

If you want to go further still, the balmy shores of Lake Garda are as little as half an hour away. The southern tip around Peschiera del Garda tends to be busier than the north shore, but you’ll fi nd plenty of space to stroll along the waterfront with a gelato in hand.

Getting there

British Airways will fl y to Verona from its new base at Gatwick from March 29 (ba.com). Meanwhile, Jet2.com serves the city from a number of regional UK airports including Manchester, Birmingham, East Midlands, Leeds Bradford, Bristol, Stansted and Belfast International (jet2.com). Cruise lines that o er guided excursions and pre-cruise itineraries in Verona include Seabourn, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Viking and CroisiEurope.

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