7 Top Attractions For A Day Trip To Verona: Castelvecchio, Basilica of San Zeno & More

Although it’s most famous as the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Verona has much more to offer than its connections to the star-crossed lovers. The city’s rich culture and history, in fact, even have landed it on the World Heritage list! Suffice it to say, there are plenty of great things to do during a day trip to Verona.

Why take a day trip to Verona?

Northern Italy is full of beautiful towns and UNESCO World Heritage sites,  and Verona is definitely on the top of the list of places to visit in Northern Italy. Located just a half hour away from Venice by train, it makes an excellent day trip! And there’s more than Romeo and Juliet – In fact, there’s little evidence that anything like the romance actually took place here! However, it is indisputable that you won’t be short of sights in this beautiful city, even if you ignore Juliet’s “balcony” and “tomb.”

Still not convinced? Here are 7 of our favorite sights in Verona.

Top sites to see in Verona

Piazza delle Erbe

Piazza delle Erbe, one of Italy’s loveliest piazzas

By day, Piazza delle Erbe is home to a market (if one that sells mostly souvenirs and trinkets); in the evening, it fills with locals and tourists sipping Campari and enjoying aperitivi at the outdoor cafes. But no matter when you’re passing through the square, look around you! With its Renaissance-era palaces and lovely central fountain, this might just be the prettiest piazza in all of Italy.

Arena of Verona

Verona’s ancient arena, site of its world-famous opera

Built in the 1st century A.D., this amphitheater at the Verona Arena was the city’s answer to Rome’s Colosseum (although actually, it predates the Colosseum by almost 50 years!). Still remarkably well preserved, today it’s home to Verona’s summer opera festival. (Check out our earlier post on attending opera in the arena of Verona!).

Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore

The Basilica of San Zeno, a sight not to be missed in Verona

This beautiful church dates back to the 4th century, although most of the current building was constructed between the 10th and 12th centuries. Other churches in Verona drew much of their inspiration from its early Romanesque style. Don’t miss the bronze door, with 48 elaborately-carved panels of scenes from the Bible, dating back to the 11th century.

Castelvecchio

The battlements of Castelvecchio, a medieval fortress and art museum in Verona

With seven towers, a castle keep, and four separate buildings, Verona’s 14th-century fortress, Castelvecchio, is the city’s most imposing building. Today, it’s also home to a museum of art, sculpture, coins, and other artifacts, with a collection of paintings that includes pieces by northern Italian masters Mantegna, Bellini, and Pisanello.

Porta Borsari

Just another ancient ruin in Verona: Porta Borsari

This ancient Roman gate, which once marked the southern entrance into Verona, is a great—and beautiful—example of the way in which ancient ruins are layered into the modern city of Verona.

Duomo of Verona

The Duomo of Verona

Verona’s main cathedral, or Duomo, is stunning. But don’t just see it from the outside: The interior of this 12th-century church is incredibly elaborate and filled with artistic gems, including a painting by the Italian master Titian.

Arche Scaligeri

The tombs of the Scaligeri family in Verona

Tombs don’t get much more elaborate than these! Just around the corner from Piazza delle Erbe, these five Gothic funerary monuments, considered some of the best examples of Gothic art in Itay, are hard to miss. They belong to members of the Scaligeri, who ruled Verona in the 13th and 14th centuries. Make sure you duck into the tiny, lovely church of Santa Maria Antica behind them.