We took the 9.45 AM train from Milano Centrale to Verona Porta Nuova which took about 1 hour 50 minutes reaching Verona at 11.35 AM. The journey is quite scenic with vast crop fields and the alps in the distance. The Verona train station is on the outskirts of the city and it’s about a 20-minute walk from the train station to the city center. Once at the main plaza Piazza Bra, the area is filled with people walking around. There are several restaurants/cafes with outdoor seating around the plaza and along the side roads. There is a castle – Castelvecchio – a short 10-minute walk away towards the river. The entrance is free to explore the open areas of the castle and tickets can be purchased for entry to the museum. There is a bridge connected to the castle that crosses the river and is great for pictures.
By the time we were done walking around the castle, it was coming up to 1 PM so we went for lunch around the Verona Arena. After lunch, we continued walking towards the historic city center which is on the peninsula of the river. We found that there are many more restaurant options here. As we walked deeper into the city center, we came across Juliet’s Balcony. There is a very long queue here so we just walked by and continued to Piazza delle Erbe. At this plaza, there were many stalls selling all kinds of products and souvenirs. The surrounding buildings are very historic and there are also several restaurants and cafes. In the center of the plaza, there is a pillar with a chain hoop that people take pics with.
Going further in, there is another plaza Piazza dei Signori and there are several museums in the area. One of the museums is of the catacombs of previous Verona rulers. It was now coming up to 5 PM and our train back to Milan was at 5.45 PM, so we started heading back. On the way back we stopped at the Verona Arena for some pictures. This Roman Amphitheater is huge and still being used for concerts and events. After a quick rest stop here we walked back to the station and got our train back to Milano Centrale, arriving at around 8 PM. Overall, Verona is a beautiful city for a day trip with old architecture and Roman ruins.
