Verona is one of Northern Italy’s most alluring cities, there is plenty of history, charm and character everywhere you turn. We were only there for the afternoon so only saw a fraction of this lovely town. There are palaces, cobbled streets and quiet cloisters. It is also regarded as ‘Romeo and Juliet’s city’.

Verona is set on the curves of the river Adige and has been a prosperous and cosmopolitan city since the Roman colonised it in 89BC. It is situated between two important trade routes, the ‘Serenissima’, connecting the great port cities of Venice and Genoa and the ‘Brenner Pass’ used by commercial travellers crossing the Alps from Northern Europe. 

Set among the Roman monuments are lots of stylish shops, restaurants and café’s to appease the visiting tourist. The town is dominated by two major focal points, the ruins of the amphitheatre which can still hold crowds of 20,000 attending plays and concert’s there and secondly the Piazza Erbe with its colourful markets, both separated by a labyrinth of narrow lanes lined with some stunning boutiques.

Since the days of the Roman Empire, the Pizza Erbe has been the centre of the commercial and administrative hub of the town. Built on the site of the ancient Roman forum, it is a hectic, chaotic but enjoyable square, full of life and atmosphere. The market stalls sell some amazing looking vegetables alongside leather goods and tourist gifts and is well worth a visit.

Verona’s Amphitheatre is one of the best preserved ancient Roman structures. Today they produce some massive open air opera performances. Known as the Arena di Verona the amphitheatre was built in AD30 and at the time could hold 30,000 spectators who would come to watch mock battles and gladiator tournaments. Since then the arena has been used for public executions, fairs, theatre performances, bull fighting and of course opera.