Verona travel guide

Fair Verona was the setting for Shakespeare’s legendary tale between star-crossed lovers Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. As usual, the Bard got it right: romance, drama and fatal family feuds have been Verona’s hallmark for centuries.

But Verona’s attractions are not just for the love struck. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Known as piccolo Roma (little Rome), the city is best known for its superbly preserved Roman amphitheatre, the Arena, which is one of Italy’s largest and the venue for its spectacular annual summer opera festival.

Beyond the amphitheatre, Verona’s narrow streets are a medley of medieval terraces, Renaissance gardens and baroque facades. They include the famous 14th-century balcony of Casa di Giulietta where lovers still graffiti their hopeful pleas on the courtyard walls. Above it all rises the old castle, which overlooks the surrounding Valpolicella and Soave wine districts.