DESTINATIONS VERONA | SHORT BREAKS exper expert ASK THE Thomas Morgan,


head of agency sales UK & Ireland, Riviera Travel


“On my first visit to Verona I didn’t really know what to expect, other than Juliet’s balcony, but the city did not disappoint. My experience was as part of our guided tour and I believe that this is the best way to explore a city with so much history and wonderful architecture. If your customers get the chance on a clear day, I would recommend a walk up the Torre dei Lamberti for some great photo opportunities.”


FROM FAR LEFT:


Piazza dei Signori; Madonna Verona fountain; medieval frescoes in Piazza delle Erbe; Juliet’s balcony and bronze statue; Castelvecchio; risotto all’amarone; Via Mazzini; Verona Arena PICTURES: Shutterstock


opened for concerts at around 50% of its usual 15,000 capacity. Tickets are on sale now for this year’s Arena di Verona Opera Festival, running from June 19 to September 4.


17.30: If your earlier window shopping was enough to entice you back, retrace those steps along Via Mazzini, where big brands from Disney to Dolce & Gabbana have found a home behind some rather grand porticoed shopfronts topped with wrought-iron balconies. You can even combine retail therapy with Roman history if you pop into the United Colors of Benetton shop, where ancient ruins were discovered deep in the foundations (though they’re off-limits for now due to coronavirus restrictions).


19.30: Head back to your hotel to freshen up before venturing out again to sample one of Verona’s classic dishes, the risotto


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all’amarone, a local take on the classic risotto that infuses the region’s famously full-bodied red wine to create a vibrant plate that tastes every bit as rich and indulgent as it looks. You’ll find it everywhere from elegant restaurants to traditional trattorias, but Antica Bottega del Vino is one of the best, with a wine menu as sizeable as its reputation.


Day twoI


10.00: Start the day with a mix of art and history at the medieval fortress Castelvecchio, another legacy of the Della Scala family, which now houses a museum mixing statues, sculptures, paintings and historic artefacts and is well worth a few hours’ exploration. It’s attached to the Castelvecchio Bridge which – along with the Ponte Pietra a little farther along the river – was destroyed by German forces retreating from the city in 1945, but


later rebuilt using the original stones retrieved from the riverbed.


12.00: Stroll back through the old town, pausing to admire the Arco dei Gavi – once the start of the Roman road from Verona, later incorporated into its medieval city walls – or ducking inside the imposing red-brick Sant’Anastasia church. Then it’s time to stop for lunch at one of the simple osterias en route to the Ponte Pietra.


13.30: This much-photographed bridge is an ideal vantage point to admire the cypress-lined hillside leading up to the medieval Castel San Pietro and the Roman theatre, built for the emperor Augustus using materials from as far afield as Turkey, Spain and Africa, and yet another example of Verona’s tangle of architectural eras. If you fancy blowing the cobwebs away, the hike up to the castle site offers some pretty spectacular views over


Verona and the Adige River – once the city’s main artery, but tamed to lower its water levels following a devastating flood in 1882 – meandering below.


15.00: Stick with the great outdoors by carrying on to the Giardino Giusti, the manicured Renaissance gardens in the grounds of the palace owned by the family of the same name. It’s a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, ambling past dainty flowerbeds, burbling fountains and neatly planted cypress trees, or even trying to find your way through the twists and turns of its maze. If your clients skipped the hike at Castel San Pietro, the view from the belvedere, up a sweeping pathway to the top of the hill, is just as impressive. Alternatively, head back to the historic centre via the Ponte Nuovo to saunter through its maze of backstreets, soaking up the quiet charm of the city one last time.


TW 21 JANUARY 2021 51


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