A perfect blend of old and new, Verona has been inhabited from prehistoric times right through to today. Romans administered it from the 1st century BC and this World Heritage Site is a shining example of how to preserve the old while take into consideration the needs of the new …
Where are we on our road trip through Northern Italy?
Milan ➔ Como ➔ Sirmione ➔ VERONA ➔ Venice ➔ Murano ➔ Burano ➔ Modena ➔ Vernazza ➔ Pisa ➔ Florence ➔ San Gimignano ➔ Volterra ➔ Siena ➔ Assisi ➔ Civita di Bagnoregio ➔ Orvieto ➔ Mostri Park ➔ Sorrento ➔ Pompeii ➔ Herculaneum ➔ Amalfi ➔ Rome ➔ Malpensa
There is a lot to see and so in Verona, but MOST of the interesting stuff must be done on foot due to the dreaded dada-da-da .. ‘ZTL’. The ZTL translates to ‘Zona Traffico Limitato’ or limited traffic zones to you and me. Trust me on this … every time you see a ZTL sign while driving, dont play the dumb tourist and act like you didn’t know. The ZTL zones in various cities are created in historic districts to;
- Allow people to walk the generally ancient and narrow streets without worrying about being hit by a car
- Cut down on noise and pollution in these sensitive areas
- Allow valuable real estate as well as curbs and sidewalks to be kept to pedestrian traffic.
The signs are everywhere, so look out for them, the consequence of not doing so will result in hefty fines.
ZTL map for Verona showing parking.
Click here to search for MAPS of ALL CITIES in Italy having a ZTL.
You are likely to try and stay in the ZTL area as that area has the most to see with the least amount of walking to see it. The trouble is, you will need to park outside the ZTL and then schlep your luggage to where you are staying. Also, if you wanted to drive somewhere outside the ZTL, it is best to get all of this driving and sightseeing done BEFORE you park your car for the day and then find your place to stay.
TIP: If you are staying in a location for three or more days, I would suggest turning in your rental car to save expensive parking fees, and then picking up a new car hire when you need it when travelling to your next destination. If you are only staying one or two days, usually the time spent checking in your old car and checking out a new car is not worth the hassle for the money saved.
When you book a place to stay, pay attention to whether parking is included in the price or not. We luckily had parking included at a private lot owned by the property company that managed our accommodation so we were ‘golden’.
Leaving our car, finding our apartment in the ZTL, and dropping off our luggage, we had the afternoon and evening to explore. Most importantly as we were in Italy in Summer, we decided first to check our restaurant reservation to remind them that we were coming. How do we chose a restaurant? Firstly good reviews, second make a time when the sun goes down, this gives you beautiful sunset shots as well as it starting to cool off without being too late in the day, thirdly as it is always hot in Europe in summer we always like to find a place outside preferably near water so that the evaporation effect cools the area down. Sure you can sit in an indoor air conditioned restaurant, BUT, that means that you dont have something interesting in the city to look over while you dine, as well as your opportunities to people watch are a lot more limited. Check that off the list, restaurant knew we were coming and we requested a table closest to the river.
If you are in a ZTL then you are walking, so we put on our shoes and walked. Everything was so accessible and we had a few things we wanted to try to see without being too scheduled.
Here’s are some of the good and not-so-good places we visited;
Verona Arena
Well worth it. Beautiful restoration with plenty of room around it. A lot of great camera angles down streets so its easy to find.
Torre dei Lamberti
A great way to get out of the heat as it has a nice chilled lobby to rest as well as an easy elevator ride to the top of the tower. A huge bell along with stunning views of the city and a cool breeze. Well worth it!
Piazza delle Erbe
At the base of the Torre you have Piazza delle Erbe, a great place to have a cold beer, wait for everyone to regroup, and people watch under the huge cafe umbrellas that grace the edges of the square.
Whale Bone of Arco della Costa
Yep, that’s right, a rib of whale that’s been hoisted up below the arch and has looked down on everyone since the mid 1700’s. It was possibly just an advertising sign for a pharmacy that existed there so long ago people have forgotten about it. The only reason to visit it is that it is close by and might be interesting for the curious.
Ponte Pietra (Italian for “Stone Bridge”)
A beautifully restored and maintained old bridge over the river Adige completed in 100 BC. A good place to people watch and a good area to find a restaurant to dine over the Adige.
Juliette’s Balcony
Yep, that’s the Juliette in Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo & Juliette’. Why this is such an attraction is beyond me. Well, actually the reason is obvious. Commercialism by merchants in the immediate vicinity that sell the stuff you wish you never bought when you got it back home. Romeo & Juliette has been dated to be written in 1595, however this balcony was added to the house sometime after 1901, a minimum of 400 years later! So its definitely fake, yet the viewing courtyard under the balcony attracted 3 million visitors a year before the pandemic, yet, not even 300,000 visited the museum for it next door” .. arghh! … go near closing when the crowds have left (if you have to).
