The city of Verona is the prime example of how a provincial town of modest size, thanks to the good fortune of it being the main setting of a piece of well-written literary work, could attain global immortality and tap the enormous tourism earnings that come along with such free publicity. To put it in a less flattering way, Verona is living off its reputation as the hometown of Romeo and Juliet, and the city has probably one of the highest density of tourists per sqaure meter in the whole of Italy - probably on par with Rome, Venice and Florence. The warning signs are up when, no matter where you go, you hear English and Mandarin Chinese everywhere, and expensive non-Italian boutiques such as Louis Vuitton or Burberry are situated right next to the town's central landmark.
Granted, Verona has a quite well-preserved medieval town centre, and the city has several sights worthy of a visit, even by European standards. But somehow I found the city, although pretty, lacks an authentic charm and the atmosphere is very a superficial one. At many places within the Old Town, it simply smells of gross commercialisation. Everywhere you go within the city centre, you see shops, restaurants, bars and establishments which are geared towards the tourist trade. You need to venture into the unmarked side streets in order to experience how locals go about with their daily chores in Verona, but even then, prices are steep for a provincial town and service not always friendly.
Somehow I was relieved that I did not opt to stay two nights in this town.
Piazza Bra is the main square near the Roman Arena of Verona. It is one of the places favoured by both locals and tourists alike, to see and to be seen. Countless bars and restaurants line the side of the square, menus are available in all major languages, and some of them remain open late. You can enjoy your meal or drinks al fresco and enjoy the sight of the Roman arena and the busy flow of tourist traffics on the square until late in the night.
Located at the end of Corsa Porta Nuova which links Verona's old town with the train station, Piazza Bra is also conveniently located near the main shopping districts of Verona, as well as the Opera House, the Tourist Information etc.
Several Roman architectural attractions dotted around the centre of Verona, coupled with buildings from the medieval and the Renaissance periods. This part of the city centre has some reasonably-priced bistros, bars and fast-food/snack joints frequented by students and young people. Italian ice-creams cost almost 50% cheaper than those near Piazza Bra or Piazza delle Erbe. If you are interested in local snacks, try out fried cheese croquets with rice and tomato sauce available at one of the fast-food joints near the Ponte Vittoria.
The view of Ponte Scaligero, Castelvecchio, and the Rio Adige in the night. If you have time, take a leisurely walk along the banks of the Rio Adige in the evening, and enjoy the views of Verona's Old Town in the night. Being mostly residential areas, this part of the city centre is very quiet compared to the bustling old town areas, and prices food and drinks are cheaper as well.
A panoramic view of Piazza Bra in the night.
Another good place to hang out and enjoy Verona's nightlife is Piazza delle Erbe, famous for the open-air market and a palette of beautiful medieval houses with painted walls. At the first glance, the colourful painted walls and facades of the houses on Piazza delle Erbe, with its somewhat Teutonic style, remind me of the mountain villages in parts of southern Germany and the Austrian Alps.
Piazza delle Erbe is a popular place for tourists to gather and enjoy having their photos taken in full daylight. The numerous restaurants and bars on the Piazza delle Erbe are doing brisk business all day long, with countless visitors of all nationalities and age patronising the establishments depsite their expensive menus.
The streets around Piazza delle Erbe also constitute one of the main shopping districts of Verona, especially Via Mazzini, Corso Porta Borsari, Corso Sant'Anastasia, etc. On Via Mazzini, all the big names in Italian fashions have their stores lined up in anticipation of the hordes of international visitors, and shopcoholics from all over the world can have their field day out torturing their credit cards.
I asked the stall owner if this little store pooch has a name, and he said 'his name is Piccolo!' Piccolo sat dutifully on the stall and keep watch over the customers while his owner sat down behind the stall for a quick lunch break.
Of course, let's not forget what made Verona such a touristic city in the first place. The supposed home of Ms. Juliet, situated on Via Cappello, about 5 minutes' walk from Piazza delle Erbe, enjoys the status of a 'must-see' sight and is unfortunately suffering from the consequences of too much global publicity. The outside walls, the corridor walls, as well as the inner courtyard with that famous balcony, are all covered in scribbles and graffti of all shapes, sizes and languages, the whole place looks like a rundown building in New York's worst ghettos. Instead of evoking feelings of romantic admiration and longings, the sight of Juliet's House just makes one feel messy and uncomfortable.
Such state of untidyness caused nothing but goose bumps all over me. Anyone who has been to some abandoned medieval prison cells or former mental wards will understand what I am referring to. Fortunately I am not a big fan of the legend of Romeo and Juliet, otherwise I would certainly have returned home very disillusioned.
Still, Verona makes a good stop for a one-day stop-over if you are en route from Milan or France to Austria or Sudtirol. Since there is no direct train connection between Milan and Innsbruck and passengers all have to change trains at Verona, then one might just as well spend a few hours, even a day, strolling around the city and visit the sight, in spite of the presence of countless tourists and spiralling prices.
Hotel accommodations in Verona do not come cheap. A simple en-suite room within walking distance to Piazza Bra would cost at least 45 euro for a single room during the side-season (September to January), and would certainly have cost almost twice of that during the high seasons. Plan ahead if you want to visit, or stay away from the city centre and choose one of those hotels near Verona's airport or the Trade Fairs.
Copyrights@2010. All text and photos by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.
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