Verona has it all

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. R.J. Biermann
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  What do you want to see from a centuries-old Italian city? Roman Catholic churches, sculptures, amphitheaters, castles or art - Verona has it all. The town even has several modern-day attractions, like a zoo, water park and amusement park.

Getting to each of the city's many attractions on foot is no challenge. As an added bonus many hotels will lend you a bicycle, free of charge. 

One of the first sights you're likely to see is Castelvecchio. Once built as a Roman fortress to protect its occupants, the castle now welcomes tourists to its museum. The castle's bridge once served as a way of escape, but now connects visitors from one side of the Adige River to the other.

If you cross the bridge and follow the street further into the city, you'll reach Piazza Bra, and the Verona amphitheater. The amphitheater was built in the first century to host public shows. Thousands would travel from all around the country to witness the events. Today, thousands come to enjoy opera performances, plays and more. The streets are packed before performances, but soon clear out when the show is underway.

From Piazza Bra you can walk deeper into the city to Piazza Erbe. The square hosts a market with dozens of food, clothing and souvenir stands that quadruples in size during the winter months. The third century Madonna Verona statue sits in the middle of the square atop a fountain.

From the square there are a number of places to stop. Our journey took us to Juliet's home. Of course Juliet Capulet is a fictional character of William Shakespeare's, but people visit daily to secure locks on walls, write letters to Juliet, or touch her statue - all for good luck in love.

The letters are removed from the courtyard walls at the end of each day and taken to the Club di Guilietta to receive their reply. You can visit there to reply to letters yourself.

If you're hungry or hot, there are several restaurants, pizzerias, gellaterias and more at every turn.

As soon as you're replenished and ready to go, take a walk along the streets which follow along the Adige River. Follow these roads north until you reach Ponte Pietra Bridge. Once you cross the bridge and the neighboring street, you'll come to a series of steps that will take you up to St. Peter's castle for a bird's eye view of the city.

Once you've soaked in the city's beauty and filled your smartphone with selfies, make sure to set aside some time to visit San Zeno Basilica, the Roman gates or the Scalinger Tombs. Enjoy your stay in Verona.