Verona

Verona, Italy

Verona, "the city of love," is world famous for its magnificent Arena and its association with Shakespeare’s love story, "Romeo and Juliet." It is Italy's fourth-most-visited city making it one of the most important tourist destinations in Italy, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A city that will charm you with its elegance, warmth and easy-going atmosphere.

Population:

257,353

Currency:

1 Euro = 100 cents

Emergency Numbers:

Carabinieri: 112
Police: 113
Fire brigade: 115
Medical Emergency Service: 118

Opening Hours:

Shops are usually open from 09.00-12.30 and 15.30-19.30 (closed on Sundays).

Newspapers:

L’Arena - www.larena.it
Corriere della Sera (Corriere Veneto) - www.corriere.it
La Repubblica - www.repubblica.it
La Stampa - www.lastampa.it
Il Sole24ore - www.ilsole24ore.com

The City

Close to Garda Lake, Verona is a city of rare beauty, set back against the hills to the north and laid out harmoniously along the smooth curves of the Adige river. Founded as a commercial and political town in Roman times, traces of this period remain with the massive Arena, the Roman theatre, the Gavi Arch and the Borsari gate, as well as the archaeological area of Porta Leoni and that of the Scaligeri excavations. Large sections of the ancient walls are still standing and they bear witness – along with the monumental gates and other fortifications – to the strategic importance of the city.

Verona is also full of prestigious cultural institutions, from the ancient Civic Capitolare Library to the university and the oldest Music academy in the world. The Fondazione Arena has been producing stunning opera productions for its 15.000 capacity audience for over a hundred years, and every summer an international crowd packs the open-air theatre to cheer each performance.

Do & See

The whole centre of Verona is well worth visiting, and brimming with its rich collections of churches and palaces. Crowds flock to the house and tomb of Juliet, whose tragic love-story with Romeo was immortalised by William Shakespeare.

Dining

Veronese cuisine is extremely tasty. Many dishes are meat-based and you should, at the very least, try the pastissada de caval—a horse-meat stew cooked in red wine with polenta (a sort of thick porridge made with maize flour). There are many different kinds of risotto available, such as risi e bisi—with peas, or coi bruscandoli—with herbs, and rich homemade pasta, especially gnocchi. Don’t miss the soppressa all’aglio (salami with garlic).

Cafes

Coffee is as important as pasta for the Italians. If you want to act like a local, there are some unwritten rules you should keep in mind when ordering your coffee.

- Capuccino, Caffe latte or any other kind of coffee based on milk should only be drunk in the morning.
- When you order an espresso, don't use the word espresso which actually just is a technical phrase. Ask the barista for simply "un caffe".
- And last but not least, when ordering "un caffe" you don't sit down. Stand at the bar and drink your coffee on foot.

Either you feel like blending in or acting like a true tourist, sitting down at a table, there are plenty of cafes to choose from in Verona.