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Verona, Italy

The setting for Shakespeare’s famous ‘Romeo & Juliet,’ Verona offers many more sights and activities than those related to the ill-fated couple. The impressive 2,000 year old Roman arena is a must-see sight year-round, and especially so during the summer when the city’s opera performances take place inside. Verona is a beautiful and walkable city with a scattering of interesting churches to visit, and along the way there are marble-paved streets linking several lovely piazzas that almost beg you to stop and have a coffee.

Shakespeare aficionados think first of Romeo and Juliet’s ill-fated love affair when they think of Verona, and the city definitely doesn’t shy away from this affiliation. But as is the case with most places, however, Verona is far from a one-horse town and the best things to do in Verona have absolutely nothing to do with Romeo and Juliet.

Verona can be an excellent day trip from nearby cities like Venice, Milan, and Padua, but it’s also a destination in and of itself and makes as good a good homebase to explore Italy’s north as Milan. It’s also well-loved by Italian wine enthusiasts, since the famous Valpolicella region lies just to the north.

Three of Shakespeare’s plays are set in Verona: Romeo and Juliet, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and The Taming of the Shrew. It is unknown if Shakespeare ever visited Verona or Italy at all, but his plays have lured many visitors to Verona and surrounding cities many times over. Because of the value and importance of its many historical buildings, Verona has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Verona preserved many ancient Roman monuments, no longer in use, in the early Middle Ages, but much of this and much of its early medieval edifices were destroyed or heavily damaged by the earthquake of 3 January 1117, which led to a massive Romanesque rebuilding.





Rail Travel Times:

Paris to Milan: 10 hrs 39 mins
Milan to Verona: 1 hr 23 mins (booking required): 2 hrs 4 mins
Venice to Verona: 1 hr
Innsbruck to Verona: 3 hrs 8 mins (booking required); 4 hrs 55 mins



Plan and Book:





Verona: See and Do

Verona is not large, and the historic central area is even smaller, so it’s easy to explore on foot, which is a huge bonus, but that also tends to lead to higher prices on accommodation that’s right in the middle of everything. If you visit Verona from another city, either for a few hours or a full day, and you are arriving by train, you’ll have a 20 minute walk from the railway station to the entrance to the Old Town where most things of interest to tourists are located. On the way you will pass the remnants of ancient fortifications and the original city wall and part of the modern city’s business district. If you’d rather save your feet, there are also buses which run regularly from the station to the Old Town.

The Arena

Verona is famous for its Roman amphitheatre, the Arena, found in the city’s largest piazza, the Piazza Bra. Completed around 30 AD, it is the third largest in Italy after Rome’s Colosseum and the arena at Capua. It measures 139 metres long and 110 metres wide, and could seat some 25,000 spectators in its 44 tiers of marble seats. The ludi (shows and gladiator games) performed within its walls were so famous that they attracted spectators from far beyond the city. The current two-story facade is actually the internal support for the tiers; only a fragment of the original outer perimeter wall in white and pink limestone from Valpolicella, with three stories remains.

Far from being a roped-off museum piece, the arena is still in use today – the interior is very impressive and is virtually intact, and is used for public events, fairs, theatre and open-aired opera during warm summer nights. So while it is a tourist attraction for its historic value by day, it turns into a concert venue (among other things) most nights. Opera fans in particular should make note of the annual Verona Opera schedule – every summer, the arena is the place to be to see great opera.


Piazza delle Erbe

Roman Ruins

Verona became a Roman colonia in 89 BC, and then a municipium in 49 BC when its citizens were ascribed to the Roman tribe Poblilia or Publicia. The city became important because it was at the intersection of several roads. The Roman military settlement in what is now the centre of the city was to expand through the cardines and decumani that intersect at right angles. This structure has been kept to the present day and is clearly visible from the air. Further development has not reshaped the original map. Though the Roman city with its basalt-paved roads is mostly hidden from view – it remains virtually intact about 6 m below the surface. Most palazzi and houses have cellars built on Roman artifacts that are rarely accessible to visitors. Piazza delle Erbe, near the Roman forum was rebuilt by Cangrande I and Cansignorio della Scala I, lords of Verona, using material (such as marble blocks and statues) from Roman spas and villas. The Piazza has been a markplace since the 13th century.


Ponte di Pietra

There is also a variety of other Roman monuments to be found in the town, such as the Roman theatre of Verona. This theatre was built in the 1st century BC, but through the ages had fallen in disuse and had been built upon to provide housing. In the 18th century Andrea Monga, a wealthy Veronese, bought all the houses that in time had been built over the theatre, demolished them, and saved the monument. Not far from it is the Ponte di Pietra (“Stone Wall Bridge”), another Roman landmark that has survived to this day. The bridge was completed in 100 BC, and the Via Postumia from Genoa to Aquileia passed over it. It is the oldest bridge in Verona. It was originally flanked another Roman bridge, the Pons Postumius; both structures provided the city (on the right bank) with access to the Roman theatre on the east bank. The arch nearest to the right bank of the Adige was rebuilt in 1298 by Alberto I della Scala. Four arches of the bridge were blown up by retreating German troops in World War II, but rebuilt in 1957 with original materials.


Arco dei Gavi

The Arco dei Gavi (Gavi Arch) was built in the 1st century AD, and is famous for having the name of the builder (architect Lucius Vitruvius Cordone) engraved on it, a rare case in the architecture of the epoque. It originally straddled the main Roman road into the city, now the Corso Cavour. Situated to mark the beginning of the Via Sacra, the arch once had family statues in its niches, the inscriptions of which still remain. Beneath the arch is a well-preserved stretch of Roman road with typical polygonal slabs which show the tell-tale parallel grooves of wheeled traffic. It was demolished by French troops in 1805 and rebuilt in 1932.


Porta Borsari

Nearby is the Porta Borsari, an archway at the end of Corso Porta Borsari. This is the facade of a 3rd-century gate in the original Roman city walls. The inscription is dated 245 AD and gives the city name as Colonia Verona Augusta. Corso Porta Borsari, the road passing through the gate is the original Via Sacra of the Roman city. Today, it is lined with several Renaissance palazzi and the ancient Church of Santi Apostoli, a few metres from Piazza delle Erbe.


Ruins near Porta Leoni

Porta Leoni is the 1st century BC ruin of what was once part of the Roman city gate. A substantial portion is still standing as part of the wall of a medieval building. The street itself is an open archaeological site, and the remains of the original Roman street and gateway foundations can be seen a few feet below the present street level. The gate contains a small court guarded by towers. Here, carriages and travelers were inspected before entering or leaving the city.


Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore

The Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore is Romanesque style church, the third such structure on its site, built from 1123–1135, over the 4th-century shrine to Verona’s patron saint, St. Zeno (died 380). The facade dominates the large square, and is flanked with a beautiful 72 metres tall bell tower, which is mentioned by Dante in Canto 18 of Purgatory in the Divine Comedy. The weathered Veronese stone gives a warm golden glow, and the restrained lines of the pillars, columns, and cornices, and the gallery with its double windows, give the facade an air of harmonious elegance. The huge rose window is decorated as a Wheel of Fortune. The lintels above the portal have carvings of the months of the year. Each side of the doorway is embellished with 18 bas-relief panels of biblical scenes, and the inner bronze door panels have 48 primitive but forceful depictions of Biblical scenes and episodes from the life of St Zeno. The interior walls are covered with 12th and 14th century frescos and the ceiling of the nave is a magnificent example of a ship’s keel ceiling. The vaulted crypt contains the tomb of St. Zeno, the first Bishop of Verona, as well as the tombs of several other saints. North of the church is a pleasant cloister. The church also houses the tomb of King Pippin of Italy (777–810).


Basilica of San Lorenzo

The Basilica of San Lorenzo is another Romanesque church, albeit smaller. It dates from around 1177, but was built on the site of a Paleochristian church, fragments of which remain. The church is built of alternating tracks of brick and stone, and has two cylindrical towers, housing spiral staircases to the women’s galleries. The interior is sober, but still quiet. The striped bands of stone and brick and the graceful arches complement the setting.

Sant’Anastasia Church

Sant’Anastasia is a huge and lofty church built from 1290–1481 by the Dominicans to hold the massive congregations attracted by their sermons. The Pellegrini chapel houses the famous fresco St. George and the Princess of Trebizond by Pisanello as well as the grave of Wilhelm von Bibra. An art festival is held in the square each may.

Ponte Scaligero and Castelvecchio

With a span length of 48.70 m, the segmental arch bridge Ponte Scaligero featured, at the time of its completion in 1356, the world’s largest bridger span. The fortified bridge was built by Cangrande II della Scala, to grant him a safe way of escape from the annexed eponymous castle in the event of a rebellion of the population against his tyrannic rule. The solidity of the construction allowed it to resist untouched until, in the late 18th century, the French troops destroyed the tower on the left bank (although it probably dated from the occupation of Verona by the Visconti or the Republic of Venice). The bridge was however totally destroyed, along with the Ponte Pietra, by the retreating German troops on April 24, 1945. A faithful reconstruction begun in 1949 and was finished in 1951, with the exception of the left tower.


Castelvecchio

Alongside the bridge is the famous and old brick Castle Fortress Castelvecchio, built by Cangrande II (“big dog”) of the Della Scala family in 1354–1356. While the castle itself has very little ornamental decoration it is an important structure and also offers the opportunity to tour some beautiful art as today it is home to the Castelvecchio Museum. The museum can be accessed through the left door located on Via Cavour. The museum has a large collection of gold works, ceramics, ancient weapons, paintings, statues, sculptures and even old bells. Most of the sculptures date back to the Romanesque period and include works by Tintoretto, Veronese, Andrea Mantegna, and Pisanello.

The castle building is a large square compound made out of red bricks and is an impressive example of Gothic architecture. One of the most noteworthy features of the castle is its imposing M-shaped merlons which run along the walls of the bridge and the castle itself. There are seven towers in the castle along with a maschio or a super elevated keep.

Porta Nuova

When you approach the old town from the Verona Porta Nuova railway station via Corso Porto Nuova, you pass the Porta Nuova gate, a stone defence gate built into the city wall in the early 16th century once forming a southern entrance to the city. In a nearby park opposite the railway station are remnants of buildings that were attached to the original city walls. These are actually not part of the the city walls, but of the internal walls that form a second barrier from the walls themselves, which seem to extend the natural terrain of steep hillsides along this section of the wall.



There is a rampart built so that guns could both point outwards and defend the walls themselves. You can see the walls climbing up the steep hillside in the distance. Surprisingly, little mention is made of these ruins in the tourist brochures nor are they well signposted.

Palazzo della Ragione

Palazzo della Ragione, located between the fascinating Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza dei Signori, has always been the beating heart of Verona. Over the centuries the building has hosted various political and administrative institutions which have determined the city’s fate. The present Palazzo della Ragione was at first a private building constructed next to the Roman forum, today’s Piazza delle Erbe, on one of the sites created in the intersections of the network of Roman Verona’s streets. Its rooms were used for the meetings of the city council, for a salt storehouse, a silk-tax house, a pawnshop and, during the reign of the Scaligera family, the courts of justice. The first floor of the Palazzo is today the venue for the Achille Forti Gallery of Modern Art.


Arche scaligere

Close by are the Arche scaligere (Scaliger Tombs), a group of five Gothic funerary monuments celebrating the Scaliger family, who ruled in Verona from the 13th to the late 14th century. The tombs are located in a court outside the church of Santa Maria Antica, separated from the street by a wall with iron grilles. Built in Gothic style, they are a series of tombs, mostly freestanding open tabernacle-like structures rising high above the ground, with a sarcophagus surmounted by an elaborate baldachin, topped by a statue of the deceased, mounted and wearing armour. According to the French historian Georges Duby, they are one of the most outstanding examples of Gothic art.

Juliet’s Balcony

William Shakespeare wrote three plays based in Verona: The Gentlemen of Verona, The Taming of the Shrew, and of course, Romeo and Juliet, with Juliet’s balcony a popular destination lying in the heart of the city. As testified by the coat of arms on the internal archway of the courtyard, this house belonged to the ‘Dal Cappello’ or ‘Cappelletti’. Juliet was the only daughter of Capulet, the patriarch of the Capulet family – her story has a long history that precedes Shakespeare himself. In fact there is no evidence that Shakespeare actually visited Verona in his lifetime and it is thought he got the story third hand from a friend of a friend who had been there. The building may well be the Cappelletti’s house – it dates back to the 13th and was renovated in the last century. The interior of the house can be visited and you can stand on Juliet’s balcony and re-live the ‘highlight’ of the earthly life, as well as admire the furniture and the beautiful velvet costumes worn by the actors in the Metro Goldwyn Meyer’s 1936 movie, Romeo and Juliet.

Whilst it is a known fact that there was an actual Juila (Giulietta Cappelletti), whether or not there was a balcony (this one was added in 1936 by the Italian government to attract tourists) and whether or not there was even a Romeo has often been questioned, but that has never deterred the locals or visitors who flock here from believing what they want to believe. A statue of Juliet in the courtyard below the balcony is thought to bring good luck to your romance if you rub her right breast, its surface rubbed smooth by thousands of hands bearing witness to either the ongoing and powerful appeal of Shakspeare’s star-crossed lovers, or the number of young men out there who want to grope a famous young woman without fear of reprecussions.



Many people write their names and the names of their beloved ones on the walls of the entrance, known as Juliet’s wall. Many believe that writing on that place will make their love everlasting. After a restoration and cleaning of the building, it was intended that further writing should be on replaceable panels or white sheets placed outside the wall. It is also a tradition to put small love letters on the walls (which is done by the thousands each year), which are regularly taken down by employees to keep the courtyard clean. Another tradition that occurs in Juliet’s courtyard is writing your name and that of your loved one on a lock and attaching it to a large ornamental gate in the back left. The gate is overwhelmed with locks that hold hope for lasting love. This tradition is seen throughout Europe on bridges and gates all over cities. Since the 1930s, letters addressed to Juliet keep arriving in Verona. As of 2010, more than 5,000 letters are received annually, three quarters of which are from women.



Casa di Giulietta, or Juliet’s House, is located in the centre of Verona at via Cappello 23 (near Piazza delle Erbe), it is a little difficult to find. Follow the directions to Piazza delle Erbe and once you see the graffiti covered sign post and the plaque above the archway, you will recognise it by the number of people inside the courtyard.

Tip: If you want to leave a note for Juliet, bring a pen, paper and some sticky tape to affix your note on the wall. Avoid using somebody’s chewed up gum as this will surely take the romance out of the moment. If you’re visiting with your beloved, remember to share a kiss in the courtyard. And if you find the whole thing a bit over the top, leave your cynicism at the entrance.


Lesser known and less visited is the tomb of Juliet which is located in the Convento di San Francesco al Corso (Convent of St Francis at Corso). The site is also home to the Museo degli Affreschi (Museum of Frescoes). In a small, dark crypt beneath the farmer convent is a red sarcophagus in which Juliet is said to have been buried. This spot, linked to the tragic story of the two lovers, is indeed highly suggestive. Inside the convent bronze reliefs recall the story of Romeo and Juliet. The museums hosts wonderful frescos of Verona, which was, in the 16th century (and not surprisingly) called the ‘Urbs Picta’ or ‘Painted city’.
Address: Via del Pontiere, 35 – 37121 Verona. Ph: 045 8000361
Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday 8.30am – 7.30pm. Monday 1.45pm – 7.30pm

Surrounding Area

Trento

From its 13th-century castle to a collection of rare aircraft and the state-of-the-art MUSE science museum – a landmark of contemporary Italian architecture – Trento is full of surprises. Although its location at the junction of the trading route from Venice up the Val Sugana with the road over the Brenner Pass made it an important city since Roman times, its place in history was assured when the Council of Trent met and deliberated here from 1545 to 1563. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation, the council laid down the rules and forms of the Counter-Reformation that shaped subsequent Roman Catholic doctrine into modern times.

Modern-day Trento is a cosmopolitan city that often ranks highly out of all 103 Italian cities for quality of life, standard of living, and business and job opportunities, coming 1st, 6th and 2nd respectively. The city of around 120,000 is located in the Adige River valley in the very north of Italy bordering Austria and Switzerland. The landscape abounds with singular natural treasures, among which are the famous Segonzano Pyramids, bizarre columns formed by high peaks that are in turn surmounted by boulders; and the spectacular Nardis Cascades in Val di Genova, white waterfalls that rush over contrasting black rocks. Trento is 1 hr by train from Verona.





Ferrara

For those with the time and energy to travel outside the accepted tourist trail of Florence, Venice and Milan, there are plenty of lesser visited gems in northern Italy. Padua, Verona and Mantua are each treasures in their way, but for many the somewhat out-of-the-way Ferrara is the best of them all. An energetic, aggressive city state until the Papal States gobbled it up in 1597, it was run for centuries by the d’Este clan, who started out as barely concealed thugs but morphed into sophisticated Renaissance patrons, with an eye for town planning and an ear for fabulous music. The buildings you can still see; the music takes a bit more imagining.

A great boulevard divides the medieval quarter from the Renaissance side, conceived and built in the early 16th century by Duke Ercole d’Este. In the Renaissance city all is space and dignity: parks, palazzi and grand houses. In the medieval quarter there’s a criss-cross of tiny jumbled roads, packed with churches, cloisters, old palaces and ordinary houses. In the middle of the divide stands the outrageous d’Este castle: half palace, half fortress, even down to its surrounding moat. Ferrara is 2 hrs 11 mins by train from Verona.





Comacchio

About 56 kilometers southeast of Ferrara, the small town of Comacchio is set on 13 islands connected by bridges that span the channels between them. Comacchio, the “little Venice”, is an enchanting lagoon town: it’s neat and unfeigned, endowed with a vitality that comes from a strong respect for its own history and for the environment that surrounds it. The boats, bridges, and waterways between its buildings make it a great place for photographers. A treasure chest of particular natural beauty and reminders of its history, Comacchio, now known as the capital of the Po Delta Park, is a little town that was born and still lives between the land and the water. North of the town is the Abbazia Santa Maria di Pomposa, an abbey founded in the 7th century and abandoned by the 17th century. The complex includes a 9th-century church with frescoes and a mosaic floor, a 48-metre campanile tower, and a chapter house with more well-preserved frescoes.




Modena

It has been said that, if Italy were a meal, Modena would be the main course. Here, on the flat plains of the slow-flowing Po, lies one of the nation’s great gastronomic centres. The town was the creative force behind real balsamic vinegar, giant tortellini stuffed with tantalising fillings, Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese and sparkling Lambrusco wine, all of which can be savoured in its backstreets crammed with some of the best restaurants no one’s ever heard of.

Tourists from all over the world are also attracted to visit the art treasures in Modena: the 12th century Cathedral, masterpieces of Italian Romanesque art, that, together with Piazza Grande and the Ghirlandina tower, creates a complex of unique beauty, included by UNESCO among the “Wealth of Mankind”. And if all that is not enough to draw you like a magnet, over the last 40 years, the town that gave us Enzo Ferrari and Luciano Pavarotti has become one of the richest and most socially advanced in Italy: 80 km of cycling paths, 16 cinemas, 25 libraries, and one of the oldest universities in Europe. Modena is 1 hr 30 mins by train from Verona.


The heartbeat of anyone with a passion for high performance sports cars goes faster whenever the town of Modena is mentioned, as the factories of the famous Italian sports car makers Ferrari, De Tomaso, Lamborghini, Pagani and Maserati are, or were, located here and all, except Lamborghini, have headquarters in the city or nearby. Near the centre of town is Museum Enzo Ferrari, a complex devoted to the Italan sport car marque and its founder, which includes Enzo Ferrari’s birthplace and a futuristic automotive exhibition gallery, painted in the yellow that Enzo Ferrari chose as the background for the Prancing horse on his logo. The exhibition gallery was designed by the famous architect Jan Kaplicky.




Parma

Parma is another sensational city that is a feast for the senses, from the golden hues to the aromas of the cheese, to the decadent tastes of the delicacies produced here. It is a city to see and experience, with a buzzing life thanks to its university, one of Europe’s oldest, and the pride of place that its residents hold. But Parma is also a cultural city with monuments and palaces, elaborately-decorated churches and world-class museums. Start with the Duomo, the city’s Romanesque cathedral built in 1106 with a Baroque interior. But its the dome you’ll want to gaze upon for hours with its fresco by hometown hero Coreggio who rendered a celestial masterpiece of the Assumption of the Virgin in the 1520s. His work can also be seen in the nearby Mannerist-styled church of San Giovanni Evangelista. The Duomo’s accompanying marble pink baptistry is an octagonal gem. Palma is 2 hrs 31 mins by train from Verona.




Bologna

Bologna is a major draw for foodies, and since it’s a major rail and highway hub the chances are good you’d pass close by even if you’re headed somewhere else – so why not stop for awhile and eat some of the best food you’ll eat anywhere on the planet? In addition to its famous food traditions, Bologna is also home to the world’s oldest university, and car-makers Ferrari and Lamborghini have their factories nearby. In other words, there are plenty of reasons to find Bologna appealing well beyond your taste buds. It lacks the gondolas of Venice, the ruins of Rome and the acres of galleries of Florence, so Bologna has managed to stay off Italy’s well-beaten tourist track. Even though it has own Leaning Tower, the hordes that flock to Pisa to see theirs. But in spite of what it hasn’t got, the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, which many claim is Italy’s gastronomic capital, has got more than enough to deliver an enjoyable day, or even a full weekend visit. Bologna is 50 mins by train from Verona.




Cremona

Cremona is a small, pretty, well-kept, bourgeois, mercantile city in the fertile Po Valley of Italy. There is no local wine region. There is no city university. There are no grandiose must-see sights. But what there is is just as appealing: music. The history of this sleepy city of 70,000 on the Po River is inexorably intertwined with violins and other stringed instruments. This city is the birthplace of the famous violin maker Stradivarius; there were dozens of luthiers — makers of stringed instruments — just like him working in the city centre back then, and that tradition is still carried on today. More than 140 currently ply their trade in the city.


Wandering the narrow streets around the Piazza del Comune, you can watch dozens of violinmakers at their workbenches through their storefront windows. If they’re not busy or if they’re in the right mood, some of them may wave you inside to have a look. That makes Cremona a must-visit for music lovers. But even those without a passion for stringed instruments can look forward to some of the best food in northern Italy, impressive architecture and a city that’s almost completely off the tourism radar. Cremona is 1 hr 52 mins by train from Verona via Brescia.




Padova

Padova (Padua) is a city in North Eastern Italy, and the capital of the province of the same name. Padova may be the oldest city in northern Italy, if you believe the claims of its 12th-century BC founding by Trojans. It certainly has history, including its famous university (one of Europe’s oldest, from 1222). Discovering the city on foot is very easy. The historic centre is not very big, so it is easy to get around its narrow streets. The town has a few roman bridges.

In the city centre, most of the streets are narrow and quiet and in places cobblestoned. Here you’ll find a vast array of churches, public buildings, piazzas and museums to keep you occupied. A pleasant local tradition is to partake in a spritz or aperitif in one of the central piazzas (Piazza delle Erbe, Piazza della Frutta or Piazza dei Signori), starting between 7 and 8 in the evening.

Sherwood Festival usually take place for a month, between mid-june and mid-july in the outside garden of the main soccer stadium of Padova. It hosts Italian and international bands every weekend.


Arqua Petrarca

Near Padova is Arqua Petrarca, a beautifully preserved medieval town nestled in the hills, which is probably best known for being the final resting place of the Italian poet Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch). The village is famous for the cherries and the loquats from which the liqueur Brodo di giuggiole is made. Venice is also close by – a short 26 minutes away by train. Padova is 43 mins by train from Verona.




Sirmione

Sirmione is one of the most popular holiday resorts on the shores of Lake Garda in the Lombardy region of Italy. The small historic town is located on the tip of a long peninsula protruding from the southern shore of the lake between Desenzano del Garda and Peschiera. As Sirmione has thermal springs, it was a spa destination even in Roman times – you can visit some impressive Roman ruins at the end of the promontory.

The 13th century Scaliger Castle and its drawbridge form the only entrance to the town, the magnificently restored castle is very popular with day trippers and in high season can be very overcrowded. The historical centre of Sirmione is pedestrianised; its narrow winding lanes busy with tourists especially in summer. Orienting yourself can be confusing, but the town is so small that you can’t get lost for long. Sirmione is picturesque throughout, but its two main tourist attractions are the castle and the Roman ruins.


A panoramic walk (signposted) leads out around the the promontory, and on a clear day you can enjoy great views over the lake and towards the mountains in the north. Sirmione is well served by the lake ferry service which connects the town to almost all the other resorts on Lake Garda. Lake Garda measures 52km from north to south and an excursion from Sirmione by ferry to a northern town on the lake such as Riva will take a full day. Sirmione is 43 mins by bus or 1 hr 6 mins by train and bus from Verona.




Mantova

40km south of the popular destinations of Lake Garda and Verona, the historic city of Mantua (Mantua) is often overlooked by foreign visitors but Italians know it as “La Bella Addormentata” (Sleeping Beauty). It offers sumptuous cuisine, and one surprising ingredient – the lakes, which are a remarkable artificial fortification created nearly 1,000 years ago around Mantua that effectively closed it from the world. And these encircling wetlands mean the size of Mantua has scarcely altered – even today it takes only 20 minutes to walk across town. The place has been untouched by urban development, and even the present population of around 48,000 is pretty much the same as centuries ago.

Italian ecology movement Legambiente voted Mantua as Italy’s most livable city a few years ago, hardly surprising given that it is a place where time seems to have stood still. There are no crowds of tourists or tacky souvenir stores, no long list of museums and churches to trudge around. Instead there are hidden jewels: the intimate 11th-century Rotonda di San Lorenzo, inspired by Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre church, and the fabulous rococo Teatro Bibiena, where the 13-year-old Mozart once performed. There’s a cooking school in a 14th-century palazzo – which even has frescoes in the loo! Mantova is 46 mins by train from Verona.





Brenner Pass

One of the most visually stunning sections of railway in Austria is through Brenner Pass (1371 metres), a mountain pass through the Alps which forms the border between Italy and Austria. Passenger trains travelling between Verona and Innsbruck, Austria, traverse the pass. From Innsbruck up to Brenner, trains climb over 1,000 metres as it twists and turns, along with the motorway that links Innsbruck with Italy. Brenner Pass is one of the principal passes of the Eastern Alpine range and has the lowest altitude among Alpine passes of the area. Dairy cattle graze in alpine pastures throughout the summer in valleys beneath the pass and on the mountains above it. Many of the high pastures are at an altitude of over 1,500 metres; a small number of them stands high in the mountains at around 2,000 metres.

A four-lane motorway and railway tracks connecting Bozen/Bolzano in the south and Innsbruck to the north traverse the central section of Brenner Pass. Brenner station is situated at the border between Italy and Austria on the Brenner Railway. It is the major line connecting the Austrian and Italian railways from Innsbruck to Verona, climbing up the Wipptal (German for Wipp Valley), passing over the Brenner Pass, descending down the Eisacktal (German for Eisack Valley) to Bolzano/Bozen, then further down the Adige Valley to Roverto/Rofreit, and along the section of the Adige Valley (Vallagarina in Italian) to Verona.


If you travel the pass by road, be sure to stop at the McDonald’s at the village of Brenner. It has what must be the most spectacular view from any McDonald’s restaurant in the world.

Tip: If travelling by train, make your way to the very back of the train, behind the cycle storage area, for spectacular views out of the rear window of the train as it climbs from up to the summit.

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