How to Spend 1 Day in Verona, Italy

~Carmen

Verona may be best known as the setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, but it is much more than that. One of northern Italy’s most captivating and romantic cities, it is filled with cobblestoned streets and beautiful piazzas. Its city center has many Roman ruins (only Rome has more), and thanks to Caesar Augustus, attractions are easy to find as the streets are laid out in a grid pattern, reducing the risk of getting lost. You can easily spend several days in Verona, but it also is so easy to navigate, a lot of the most famous sites can be explored in just 1 day.

We recently spent several weeks traveling across northeast Italy and used Venice as a home base while we explored the Veneto Region. See how a day trip to Verona fits in a 4-day itinerary in 4 Days in Northeast Italy: Veneto Region.

How to Spend 1 Day in Verona, Italy

Transportation to and in Verona

Verona is a quick train ride (a little over an hour) from Venice, making it a perfect day trip. Verona’s main train station is Verona Porta Nuova. It’s a fairly large station with a baggage-check office, restrooms, and several places to eat. On our recent Northern Italy trip, we traveled to Verona from Milan, then stored our luggage and spent the day in the city before making our way to Venice later that evening.

A large bus station is located just right outside the train station. You can walk from the train station to the Piazza Brà which is the ancient city center. However, if your feet need as much rest as ours did, take the bus instead. The buses are cheap and very easy to use.

Castelvecchio

Buses in Verona don’t announce their stops, but you can’t miss the Castelvecchio stop because it is at a big castle! Built in 1350 on the River Adige, it is worth visiting for a couple of hours. The castle has the city’s main art collection with Medieval and early Renaissance pieces. From the castle ramparts, you can also get fabulous views of the city. The audio guide is a good addition to the informational plaques. Admission and hours are posted as of this writing.

Admission- €6 plus €2 for the audioguide

Hours- Tuesday-Sunday 8:30am-7:30pm, Monday 1:30-7:30pm

Castelvecchio

View of the Adige River from the Ponte de Castelvecchio (castle bridge)

Piazza Brà

From Castelvecchio, it is an easy 7 minute walk to Piazza Brà. Just head north on Piazza Brà street. Then take the first right, staying on Piazza Brà for another 2 blocks.

The name Piazza Brà means “big open spaces” which is a perfect description. You can easily spend an hour just wandering around this huge pedestrian area. We grabbed a bench next to the fountain and just soaked in the atmosphere. The fountain was a gift from the city of Munich and is called “The Alps.” The huge ancient arena that lines one side of the piazza is a constant reminder of the area’s conquest by the Roman Empire.

At Piazza Brà, you can take a fun tour of Verona by a little train. Yes, this is cheesy, but we loved it. It was €5 per adult (less for children and families) for the 25 minute loop. It gave us a great overview of the history and main landmarks of Verona, and well, we were on a little train which made me feel like a kid again!

The Alps Fountain

Piazza Brà

The Roman Arena

Juliet’s House from Romeo and Juliet

Next, continue on Piazza Brà street. It turns into Dietro Anfiteatro. Via Dietro Anfiteatro turns into Via Giuseppe Mazzini. Continue walking straight ahead for around 8 minutes. This is a great street to shop or grab a gellato! Juliet Capulet’s House will be on Via Cappello. If you get lost, just do what we did and ask where to find it. Everyone know’s about Juliet’s House because the story is why Verona is famous for romance.

There isn’t any historical proof that this is the home of the Capulets, but by giving the story an actual setting, Verona has made a mint in tourism. For us, it was an, “Okay, we’ve seen it.” The courtyard, which is free, is continuously crowded with tour groups, like cattle in a small coral! Legend says that if you rub the breast of Juliet’s statue, you’ll find true love. You can also leave a love note in the courtyard gates.

For €6, you can visit the inside of the house and squeeze out on the balcony for a photo op. Based on Trip Advisor reviews, we passed on the house museum and just watched the spectacle from the courtyard!

“Juliet’s” Balcony

Piazza Erbe

Piazza Erbe is only 2 blocks away from Juliet’s House. This piazza was once home to a bustling herb market. Today, it is a great place to pick up some souvenirs, eat a snack, and do some people watching! The fountain in the center is from Roman times. For me, it was a photographer’s heaven. All the pastel colors of the buildings, cobblestoned streets, and vendors made for an overload of visual stimulation!

Piazza Erbe

The fountain in the Piazza Erbe is around 2,000 years old!

Torre dei Lamberit

Here’s a disclaimer. I have a thing for towers— bell towers, cathedral towers, watch towers, and clock towers. You name it, I am entranced with a good view. The Torre dei Lamberit is right next to the Piazza Erbe, so for me, going up the old clock tower was a given on the itinerary. This clock tower was built in 1172. Yes, there’s an elevator, but to get to the best view, you’ll need to climb an additional 79 steps past the elevator. Your €8 ticket includes admission to the modern art museum next door.

View from Torre Lamberti

Complesso della Cattedrale-Duomo

A 7 minute walk from Torre Lamberti, gets you to a spectacular 12th-century cathedral. It is not that impressive from the outside, but inside an extravagant frescoed interior awaits! In the back lefthand corner is Titian’s Assumption of the Virgin. Cost is €2.50, but we were there late in the day, so we didn’t have to pay anything!

Lavish interior of the Duomo

Ponte Pietra

From the Duomo, a great view of Verona is only a 5 minute walk. Head towards the Adige River, and you’ll spot the bridge. Ponte Pietra is the oldest bridge in Verona. Built in 100 BC, it provides the perfect backdrop for some glorious photographs of Verona. Cross the bridge for the best view points. On this side of the river, you can also catch a bus that will take you back to the bus/train station, ending a memory-filled day in Verona!

Cross Ponte Pietra for great sunset pictures of Verona!

Have you been to the Verona in Italy before? We’d love for you to add your thoughts and recommendations. Have any questions? Please ask by commenting below! Keep up with all of our travel, camping, and cycling tips by following us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Leave us your email (blue box at the bottom of the post) to subscribe to our weekly newsletter and never miss a post!