Visiting the Medieval City of Verona in Italy
Visiting the Medieval City of Verona in Italy
Visiting the Medieval City of Verona in Italy
WJ Tested: Insight Vacations Italian Escapade – Day 7: A quick walking tour of Verona and time for lunch before driving to Venice where we spend two nights.
Roman Buildings in Verona, Italy
Our drive from Lake Maggiore to Verona passed by the sprawling city of Milan, and even though the weather was grey and raining the route was still incredibly scenic. The first stop of the day during our Insight Vacations Italian Escapade tour was an included excursion to the Fratelli Berlucchi vineyards to learn all about Italy’s sparkling wine, prosecco. Then we carried on to Verona, arriving in the city by 1 pm.
Roman Amphitheater in Verona
Verona is well-known for Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet. But not many are not quite as familiar with how picturesque the old town’s city center is. This is a city with many well-preserved Roman and medieval buildings – so just wandering the tiny cobblestone streets is an experience all to itself.
Piazza delle Erbe in Verona
Verona – Did You Know?
- Verona is in the Veneto region of Italy
- The River Adige runs through the town
- Montecchi = Montague (from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet)
- The house where you can see Juliet’s balcony is 13th century Gothic architecture
- Rub the right breast of the bronze statue of Juliet (for free) to (supposedly) bring good luck
- The amphitheater (arena) dates from the 1st century
- The amphitheater is one of the most well-preserved in Europe – almost completely intact
- Piazza dell Erbe is full of market stalls – many sell tacky souvenirs
- You can view Dante’s statue in Piazza dei Signori
Juliet’s Balcony in Verona
Bronze Statue of Juliet in Verona, Italy
We spent about 30 minutes walking into the heart of the old town with Tour Director Mark, listening to his commentary on our Vox headsets regarding what we were seeing as we passed by. Once we finished viewing Juliet’s balcony we had free time for just over an hour – just enough time to grab a quick lunch and wander a little more by ourselves.
Lamberti Tower (Torre dei Lamberti) in Verona
Statue of Dante in Piazza dei Signori
Tip: We found a small bar across from Basilica di Sant’Anastasia where we enjoyed a wonderful panini with grilled eggplant, prosciutto and parmigiana for only €3.30.
Basilica di Sant’Anastasia in Verona
By 3 pm we were back on the coach for the 90-minute drive to Venice, our final stop for the day and where we would spend two nights.
Next… Arriving in Venice and Hotel Carlton on the Grand Canal
Previous: Insight Vacations Italian Escapade – | Tour Overview | Meet and Greet in Rome! | Rome with Local Historian | Skip the Lines – Vatican Museums | Siena | Florence & Michelangelo’s David | Florence to Pisa | Exploring Baveno and Stresa on Lake Maggiore | Prosecco at Fratelli Berlucchi Vineyard |
If You Go:
Note: WAVEJourney were guests of Insight Vacations for their April 30 – May 12, 2013 Italian Escapade tour. Read our full disclosure statement to see that this has no effect on our reviews.
