Shakespeare in Verona
Of course, there is a lot of Shakespeare-related sites and activities in the city. If you didn't know, Romeo and Juliet is set here; the main attraction is definitely Juliet's balcony (and house). You can visit the courtyard and see the balcony for FREE, but to go inside and stand on the balcony itself you need a ticket. We paid around £25pp for skip the line tickets; at 10.30 on a Wednesday morning there actually was no line, and it was really quiet meaning we got to go on the balcony THREE times! However, as we left at around 11.30am it was significantly busier so it really is the luck of the draw. I loved it here; of course it's a "tourist trap" but it was just so much fun and it's a beautiful setting. There is plenty of artwork, costumes and more to see within the house, too.
Romeo's house is another Shakespeare landmark in Verona, but it's just the outside of a building - you can't go in. There is a plaque with a quote from the play, and you'll see a few of these across the city like at Juliet's house and the Portoni del Bra archway, where there is also a bust of Shakespeare.
We also visited Juliet's tomb - this is located at the Fresco Museum, and we paid to go into the museum for a wander round before visiting the tomb itself. The museum is incredible, with so many frescoes that have been carefully extracted and displayed here. It also had excellent (and much needed) air con. The tomb is just that, a tomb, but of course we had to tick it off the list of Shakespeare locations in Verona!
The tourist train
From the window of our hotel room we saw a little tourist train go past, and I immediately knew I wanted to ride it. Unfortunately information online was severely lacking, but we did manage to find it. The train leaves from the taxi rank at Piazza Bra, and it cost us 5euros per person - it's cash only, and there is a cash machine on the strip of restaurants in the piazza. The tourist train itself was great, we saw a lot of the city and there is a little voiceover sharing information about the churches, bridges, piazzas and more. However, it's a bumpy ride! Verona is a city of cobblestone streets, and we definitely felt them...
Giardino Giusti
I love nature and gardens and generally just being outdoors, so Giardino Giusti was definitely on my list of things to do in Verona. We walked here from Castelvecchio, which was quite a long walk, but it was so worth it; we paid 12euros each to get in, and spent around an hour or so here. It was so peaceful (we went around 10am on a Sunday) with not many other people there, and it was so nice to just wander through the gardens, admire the statues, see the terrapins playing in the fountain and explore the maze. We also walked right up to the top, where you have an amazing panoramic view of Verona. We were the only ones up here and it just felt so special.
Lomberti Tower
From our hotel window, we could see the Lomberti Tower - and I knew the views would be amazing. We paid around 6euros per person, and while they preferred cash you could pay on card. It's over 300 steps to get up to the top, but there is also a lift! I was right that the views were amazing; you don't need long here, but it's definitely worth ticking it off the list of the best things to do in Verona.
Castel San Pietro
We actually went to Castel San Pietro twice; the first time, we went the wrong way and ended up walking up A LOT of steps to get to the top. But it was worth it for the most amazing sunset, cocktails/mocktails, buskers and generally peaceful vibe up here. There is a bar here, as well as quite a nice restaurant. We stayed for a couple of drinks watching the sun go down, and it was stunning.
However, we had actually wanted to get the funicular up here - and we found it the following night. It's super cheap at 3euros per person for a return ride, and you can pay on card at the ticket machine. The funicular only takes a few minutes to get up and down, but it's much easier than the steps...
Castelvecchio area
Another part of Verona we loved was Castelvecchio; the grounds of the castle itself are stunning, and while we didn't go inside it was still nice to explore. The nearby Gavi Arch is lovely (and huge) with a lot of cool history behind it, and the Scaliger Bridge was great too with some brilliant views along the river.
Piazzas and more
Of course, there are also beautiful piazzas to explore - full of things to see too. Piazza Delle Erbe has a daily market (except for Sundays) as well as the mysterious whale bone hanging from Arco della Costa. Piazza Bra is home to the arena - which we didn't visit inside, but is fantastic to see from the outside - as well as multiple restaurants and a small park area. Even just wandering the cobbled streets you'll see so much: the Scaliger Tombs, Porta Bosari (ancient Roman gates) statues, churches and loads more.
So that's pretty much everything we did in Verona - there is so much to see and do in this gorgeous Italian city, and you really don't need to spend a lot to see the highlights.
No comments:
Post a Comment