Verona

Verona, the rose-coloured city of the Veneto plain, lies just an hour south of Trento by direct train down the Adige valley, and offers visitors to Trentino-Alto Adige a complete change of register from the high mountains, swapping alpine meadows for Roman monuments, marble piazzas and Mediterranean warmth. The train is the easiest way to arrive, dropping passengers a short walk or bus ride from the centre and avoiding the city's restricted-traffic zone and parking. The city's crown is its Roman Arena, a vast first-century amphitheatre on the grand Piazza Bra that is among the best preserved in the world and still in use, famously hosting an open-air opera festival across the summer; daytime entry to walk its tiers costs around 12 euro. From there a day unfolds easily on foot through the UNESCO-listed centre: the bustling market square of Piazza delle Erbe, the elegant Piazza dei Signori with its statue of Dante, the Scaliger tombs, and the much-visited Casa di Giulietta, where crowds gather beneath the balcony associated with Shakespeare's Juliet, whose courtyard is free to enter. Along the Adige river stand the crenellated Castelvecchio, now an art museum, and its photogenic fortified bridge, while a climb or funicular up to Castel San Pietro rewards with a sweeping view over the rooftops and river bends. Verona is also a celebrated food and wine city, the gateway to Valpolicella and Soave, and its restaurants and wine bars serve risotto all'Amarone, bollito and local reds. A full day allows the main sights at an unhurried pace with time for a long lunch and an aperitivo on a sunny piazza. The city rewards a visit year-round, mild and quieter in spring and autumn, lively in the summer opera season, and atmospheric at Christmas; summer days can be hot on the plain, in contrast to the mountains, so lighter clothing and sun protection suit the season. Those wanting an opera night in the Arena should book tickets well ahead, as performances sell out across the summer.