In all the years I’ve been selling holidays to Verona to clients, an opportunity Verona to visit had been presented to me and without any hesitation I accepted.
My journey was much shorter than I thought - just 1.5 hours from London and the airport was small enough, albeit high season. After all the formalities, I found my Kirker driver waiting for me and I was swiftly at my hotel in little over an hour from touchdown. I was privileged to stay at the Grand Hotel Due Torri and to be located in a very central part of this UNESCO Roman City. The hotel was is in a very good position with very walkable pedestrian streets and only 10 Minutes from the Roman amphitheater, Arena di Verona. Their rooftop terrace offers incredible views of the city and surrounding hills with full service. Verona really is wonderful city which can be visited all year round.
As this was my first visit, Kirker arranged a private walking tour of the city which was extremely valuable,. The tour allowed me to discover the city's fascinating history, having been strategically located between major cities and therefore acting as a crossing point in Roman Times.
Our hotels are all centrally located, I would recommend a few nights here and if you visit during the world famous Opera Season, I would strongly recommend prebooking a ticket to experience the impressive stage and Roman Theatre which was built in the 1st century to rival Rome, using a pink stone local to the area (Valpolicella) which is evident around the city, as in the 11th century a good part of the Arena was destroyed in the earthquake. The atmosphere was increíble and I was extremely privileged to be invited to sit in the Royal Box with a small group of others, directly facing the stage with a gastronomic experience pre Opera. This really is ideal for those looking to make this experience truly memorable! The festival was created in 1913 specifically to celebrate the centenary of Giuseppe Verdi's birth with a production of Aida.
Of course I must mention Juliet’s balcony. As we all know the characters of Romeo and Juliet are fictional. The house itself was once owned by the Dal Cappello family, which likely inspired the name of the Capulet family in the play
The delicious cuisine and abundance of extremely high quality restaurants will leave you spoilt for choice. I was very fortunate to have lunch at the oldest restaurant which judging by the queue when I left is a very important establishment in Verona. The local wines are delicious and would highly recommend a visit to the vineyards time permitting.
Before leaving I hired a car and drove to Lake Garda. I’ve never had this opportunity and loved my time on the lake. I managed to visit all our hotels and enjoy time swimming in the warm crystal clear fresh water, alongside enjoying many of the towns on the water’s edge. The lake is much wider to the south with it getting narrower the closer you are to the northern end. The Pre alps offer a truly spectacular and breathtaking view and background. The ferry network around the lake is also a great way to get around for those who don’t wish to drive.
