"O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" - Visiting Verona, Italy
- Anna Nausika
- Mar 1, 2017
- 4 min read
Verona is one of the most beautiful cities of Northern Italy. Embracing both the traditional architecture and the modern culture, Verona is a small treasure of Europe. A romantic city which brings the world together and helps relive the beautiful story of the famous Shakespearean couple Romeo and Juliette. I spent only a few hours in this lovely place but I fell in love with it immediately.
I took the train from Padova, where I spent a few days with work. It took for about an hour and a half to get to Verona from there.
Just few minutes walk form the train station on the main road took me to the heart of the city where I was astonished by the beauty and the incomprehensible atmosphere of the old town of Verona. Just at the entrance of the old town, there is an immensely big arena. The area is loaded with tourists throughout the entire year.
All around the center there are open restaurants, bars and other tourist attractions. Whether you want to sit down to enjoy an aperol spritz, taste good local wine or eat a good pizza at one of the Italian restaurants, the leisure possibilities are endless. Wine tasting stands are open on the streets and if you are lucky you might catch a live performance act next to the arena. The arena also hosts many cultural events throughout the year. If you spend more time and are willing to line up to get tickets, it's something definitely worth checking out. I didn't have the chance unfortunately but will definitely not miss it next time I visit.
I took a few turns around the area of the arena to take few pictures of the Piazza Bra Square, Equestrian Statue. Below is the statue of Vittorio Emanuele II before moving on.
What makes Verona one of the most unique cities in Europe is the chick way to combine the traditional art with modern tourist attractions. Not to mention it is a shopping paradise for everyone. And it all blends in perfectly with the traditional architecture of the city.
Two floor Zara, H&M, Max&Co. and so many other shopping centers attract everyone around the world. I felt stylish and classy just by looking at these stores. Fashion is in the air everywhere you go.
Another interesting observation are the traditional little Italian alleys which transform all Northern Italian cities into a maze. Verona is no different. Even if it is not as "bad" as Venice, it would definitely still cause a little bit of anxiety for claustrophobic people. :) However you never feel you get lost because there are direction signs everywhere, even though you wouldn't even mind getting lost in one of these gorgeous little labyrinths.
I took a turn right from main shopping street and just a few meters there was a small little domed alley, through which you can get to the garden where Juliette's balcony is located. The wall at the entrance of the garden is decorated with messages from visitors all around the world.
"Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo?" - The main tourist attraction in Verona is without a doubt the famous balcony of Juliette. Huge lines and a massive crowd is gathered around to take pictures of this historical place. For a few euros you can actually go upstairs and take selfies on the balcony. But you can just stand downstairs and take your photos if you prefer to choose the free option, as I did.
After visiting Juliette's balcony I took a few turns to get to the city center. As I was walking around I was captivated by the beautiful colorful buildings. Some might think these are for a set for a piece of art or a movie, but no, people actually live in those houses or are owned by hotels, shopping malls or restaurants.
You can see a number of such beautiful colorful buildings right next to each other which give a unique atmosphere to the city center.
Another typical example when modern fashion meets and beautifully complements traditional architecture. The ground floor of this old building was redesigned for a clothing store.
It was getting dark and I had to run to catch my last train so I didn't have the time to spend more time or see the city by night but I would definitely recommend for everyone who loves to visit European cities to spend few days in this lovely place. Hotel Giuletta Romeo is at everyone's service. :) What else?
I read somewhere and heard rumors circulating from certain myth busters who said Verona actually has nothing to do with Juliette nor Romeo and Shakespeare wasn't even anywhere near this place when he got inspired to write his masterpiece, but do we really need any scientific explanation in an area which is filled with so much passion and romance where we can actually fall in love with the place itself just by being there grasping the traditional dynamic and magical Italian atmosphere? I think Verona is a must place to visit and having been to many European cities in the past it is definitely in my top 5 list recommendation, right along Venice and Padova.
-Anna-
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