Exploring Verona with Federica

Best known as the city of Romeo and Juliet, Verona is the perfect place to visit in any season. Rich in history, art and culture, in 2000 it was also recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Let’s explore it together with Federica, our Guest Experience Manager, who is taking us on a half- or full-day tour to the city of love. So slip on your shoes and off we go!

Verona is around 40 minutes by car from the ColorHotel: from Bardolino, head in the direction of Lazise and, following the signs to Verona, continue straight on until you reach the city gates. We recommend leaving the car at either the Arena or the Cittadella pay car park, both of which are very large and just a stone’s throw from the historic centre.

We start our Verona discovery tour at the Corso Porta Nuova (the car parks are very close by). At the end of the street, the first thing you’ll catch sight of is the magnificent Piazza Bra, Verona’s largest square, located in the historic centre. The Piazza is overlooked by fabulous architectural works and historic buildings such as the famous Arena di Verona, the Palazzo della Gran Guardia and the Palazzo Barbieri.

Piazza Bra has always been the favourite meeting place of the Veronese: in particular the liston, a Venetian word meaning ‘a place to walk’, which is the pavement around the Piazza where locals do indeed meet for a walk, particularly at the weekend.

The Arena di Verona is an imposing Roman amphitheatre, dating back to the first century, which stages a wide range of internationally acclaimed events, including the opera festival and music concerts featuring world-renowned artists. Don’t forget to have your picture taken in front of the ‘Forever Love’ urban installation, the unique love bench dedicated to Romeo and Juliet.

From the bench, taking Via Mazzini, we emerge in the historic shopping street where boutiques displaying international brands sit side by side with shops selling local and traditional items, bars and ice cream parlours.

At the end of Via Mazzini, we reach another piazza that is both charming and lively: this is Piazza delle Erbe, a corner of Verona in which palazzi, towers, statues and architectural features from different periods have been constructed one after another, creating a kind of unique, layered collage. Take time to look around and explore the individual elements on show: the ancient Palazzo della Ragione, the Casa dei Giudici and the Case Mazzanti, with their beautiful frescoed façades. And then there’s the baroque style of the Palazzo Maffei and the Casa dei Mercanti. A traditional flower, fruit and souvenir market is held here from Monday to Saturday.

If you look up, you’ll see roofs and frescos that are typical of the buildings in Verona’s historic centre, alongside a tall medieval tower which almost seems to brush against the sky. This is the Torre Lamberti, 84 metres high and with 368 steps. Visitors can pay to take a lift from the entrance at the foot of the tower to the panoramic terrace in the belfry for an enchanting view of the whole city.

Following this visual treat, we take Via Capello on the right. Juliet’s iconic balcony is 150m down the road, on the left. You’ll spot it immediately thanks to the huge number of love locks on the gate and the walls swathed in love notes and graffiti left by lovers as a token of their love.

The courtyard houses the iconic bronze statue of Juliet. Today, touching her breast is said to bring luck and prosperity! There is an entrance fee to Juliet’s house, where the interiors have been rebuilt taking inspiration from the Middle Ages. In addition to paintings, there’s a bed and two costumes from the Zeffirelli film of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

Heading back to Piazza delle Erbe, on the opposite side to Via Capello (facing Juliet’s balcony), take Corso Sant’Anastasia until you reach the Adige, the large river that intersects the city.

When you find yourself facing the river, continue to the right until you get to the Ponte Pietra, the most picturesque and traditional of Verona’s bridges across the River Adige. It also happens to be the oldest, and the only one remaining from Roman times. Having survived several floods, it was blasted during World War II by retreating German soldiers and then rebuilt with stones recovered from the river bed.

For those prepared to put in a little physical effort in return for another great view, follow us! At the end of the bridge, at the traffic lights, head towards Castel San Pietro, and after just 5 minutes you’ll get to a panoramic viewpoint where the entire skyline of Verona appears in all its glory. Stop at the bar for a drink: you can’t miss out on an aperitivo in Verona!

The best advice we can offer for your return route is to allow yourself to get lost in the maze of narrow lanes and alleyways, dipping into shops and bars as you go. You may come across the magnificent 14^th century military monument of Castello Scaligero, a red brick edifice with crenelated walls and imposing towers at each of its four corners. Or the Piazza dei Signori, encircled by historic buildings interconnected by porticos and arches. The Piazza is home to the white Carrara marble monument to Dante, erected to celebrate the sixth centenary of the poet’s birth.

Interested in visiting Verona? Just ask at reception for anything you need to know!