City Trip – A Guide to Verona, Italy…

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Oh Verona you are one little Italian city with so much charme and flair. I just don´t know what it is with all of the Italian cities. With the old buildings, the croocket pathways and small alleys. Maybe it is La Dolce Vita or just the delight of being on vacation that everything seems so dreamy and perfect.

How to get there / where to park

This depends on where you are coming from. You can go directly and stay in the city if you are planning on staying more than one day but we are always visiting when we stay at Lake Garda. It is a 35 minute drive from there and costs about 2 Euros of toll.

We like to park as close as possible so we always go to Parcheggia Arena di Verona or Parcheggio Saba Arena. Both are about 2 minutes by foot from the Il Portoni della Brá away – the huge stone gate you will enter to get to the biggest piazza with all the restaurants and the Arena di Verona.

What to see

After you pass through the beautiful Il Portoni della Brá you are in middle of Piazza Brá, the biggest piazza in Verona. To your left is a very long row of cafe´s and restaurants who sell authentic and delicious Italian food. It is a little pricier than in other streets cause you pay for the front row, but in my opinion it is worth it to take in the Italian flair and the hustle and bustle of the city.

To your right is a huge garden area – the Giardini Vittorio Emanule II and right behind it the biggest sight of all. The Arena di Verona.

The Arena di Verona was built 30 after Christ and mainly used to amuse the people with animal or slave fights. It is used until today but of course not for fights anymore. In the Summertime there are many operas and concerts.

Of course you can visit during the day as well and have a look back in time. You can check out the cells where the slaves and the animals had to wait to enter the arena as well as the steps inside and the viewing platforms high above. The entrance fee is about 10 Euro but you can stay and explore the whole day.

Now you can choose between two directions. You can go shopping at the longest and most exclusive street in Verona – the Via Giuseppe Mazzini. It has everything the heart could long for. From Luis Vuitton to Pinko and Sephora. 

At the end of the street is another piazza to your left, the Pizza della Erbe. Here you can have lunch or enjoy a cool Spritz Bianco. The beautiful Fontanella Storica can also be found on this piazza as well as a weekly market.

From here you could go back or follow the street down to Casa di Giulietta. Crowds here are always huge so I would suggest to go there right in the morning when the city is still empty. You can get a lot done before 10´o clock. The ticket to Guilietta´s balcony costs 1,10 Euro but therefore you can stand upon there all by yourself and get a cute pic without any strangers. Of  course you can still have a look at the balcony without going up and buying a ticket.

 

After we have checked all the boxes from the sights above there is one thing left. Leaving downtown and taking the scenic route along the river Adige (about 20 minutes by foot) with the goal to visit the Basilica san Zeno di Maggiore. It is one of the most important and biggest churches in Verona and was built hundreds of years back in the 12th century. I personally love the big round window on the front the most. 

You take a left before the first coffee shop of Piazza Erbe and go down Via Roma until you see the river. Then you follow the river Adige and the signs to the Basilica.

If you decide to do everything at once you take up a few others of the day but it will surely be a great expericence and so many interesting things to see and learn.

Food to try

This is a whole other category and a very delicious one I might add. There are tons of Italian foods you could or should try but I am sharing three of the best things I have eaten there in quite a while.

Minuto di Bauli – These have been the most amazing little cakes I have ever had. They where soft and moist and filled with so much cream of your choice. We had lemon and pistacchio in the picture above but they also have chocolate of course as well as jam and hazelnut.

Forneria Mazzini – We got slices of pizza and paninis for take-away to eat at our apartment. It was very very soft, tasty and overall delicious but it is expensive. I think I paid about 30 Euro for 5 things.

Grom Gelateria – Our girls got a strawberry gelato from here and it was fair to say that this was the best one I have eaten ever.

Where to shop

Via Mazzini is your first stop for high fashion and affordable pieces as well as food and drug store products. Souvenirs are also available at every corner and the piazzas. 

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Regensburg Guide – Lunch at the Brauhaus, Thurn & Taxis Castle, Basilika, Church St. Emmeram and the BEST Carrot Cake…

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It is getting royal in this post with lots of majestic buildings and even better food. We have explored the grounds of the castle Thurn & Taxis which is still owned and operated by the royal family. They also still life there. Gloria von Thurn and Taxis is the head of the family and a very colorful person.

The castle grounds are huge with lots of beautiful gardens but most of it isn´t open to the public. 

 

Yearly dates of festivities at the castle:

Musical and Open Air Festival with international artist (Schlossfestspiele) – July

Christmas Market – December

 

Brauhaus 

This really is a family favorite. We have been going there for years mostly around Christmas cause the decoration is really pretty then. But you visit at any time of the year and even sit ouside in the Summer months. A classic roast is a dish you can never go wrong with but anything BBQ is also always a hit. 

 

Thurn & Taxis Castle

The castle is super beautiful inside. So so pretty. I love taking tours of castles and I just can´t believe that real people have lived there hundreds of years ago. It was not allowed to take pictures inside the castle so I only have outside shots but it is definitely worth to take a tour. It takes 1 1/2 hours and you can really see so much. If you speak another language than German you can get an audio guide and listen to it. 

If you are visiting in April or the beginning of May you will see the magnolia trees in front of the castle in full bloom. A real highlight itself.

This is the site you can learn more about the tours and the museum. You can book it online or buy a ticket right at the museum shop.

 

Basilika / Church St. Emmeram 

Church St. Emmeram is the family owned little cathedral. It is mostly open and you can also go inside (no entrance fee) and take a look around but only if there isn´t a mass at the moment. 

Schlosscafé

I have had the BEST carrot cake ever in this cute little café. This might be the smallest coffee shop I have ever visited. There are lots of plants hanging from the ceiling and the chairs are the most colorful ever. If you are visiting with small children you should be aware that there won´t be any space to take your stroller inside but you can park it at the back plus everything is made of glass so you can look outside. On warm summer days you can also eat outside. Breakfast is also available. 

 

Other Regensburg Guides:

Regensburg Brunch and Breakfast Spots

Stadtamhof, Old Town Bridge, Salzstadl and Wurstkuchl

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