History · Verona · Italy
8 historic sites to see in Verona
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
Start with Arena di Verona, Piazza delle Erbe and Torre dei Lamberti. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 7–8 hours across 5 areas; 3 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 3
- Time to see them all
- 7–8 hours
- Areas
- Piazza Bra and the Arena, Città Antica (Piazza delle Erbe) and Castelvecchio
Historic sites in Verona
Historic site · Piazza Bra and the Arena
1.Arena di Verona
Only a four-arch fragment of that outer wall, the 'Ala', survives. By day you can walk the tiers and corridors; on summer nights it becomes an open-air opera house.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Kids
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Landmark · Città Antica (Piazza delle Erbe)
2.Piazza delle Erbe
Market stalls still trade by day, and the square fills with aperitivo tables in the evening.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Food
- After dark
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · Città Antica (Piazza delle Erbe)
3.Torre dei Lamberti
A lift covers most of the way, with a final flight of stairs to the top, where the view takes in the Arena, the bends of the Adige and the Lessini mountains.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Photo spot
- History
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Historic site · Città Antica (Piazza delle Erbe)
4.Piazza dei Signori and the Scaliger Tombs
Next door, the Scaliger Tombs are elaborate Gothic monuments to the della Scala lords who ruled Verona in the 13th and 14th centuries.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Free
- Art
Castle · Castelvecchio
5.Castelvecchio and Ponte Scaligero
Inside, the civic museum, redesigned by the architect Carlo Scarpa from the late 1950s, shows medieval sculpture and Veronese painting, including works by Pisanello, Mantegna and Giovanni Bellini, along walkways threaded through the castle walls.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Architecture
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Landmark · Veronetta
6.Ponte Pietra
Its mix of white Roman stone and medieval brick frames views of the Adige and the cypress-covered hill of Castel San Pietro.
- Time needed
- 15 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Photo spot
- Couples
- After dark
Historic site · Veronetta
7.Roman Theatre and Archaeological Museum
Above it, the archaeological museum in a former convent, reached by a lift, displays Roman mosaics, bronzes and sculpture with views across the river.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Views
- Art
Religious site · San Zeno
8.Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore
Inside, Andrea Mantegna's San Zeno Altarpiece stands on the raised high altar above the crypt that holds the saint's remains, and a peaceful cloister opens off the nave.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Piazza Bra and the Arena | Arena di Verona | 1 hour |
| Città Antica (Piazza delle Erbe) | Piazza delle Erbe, Torre dei Lamberti and Piazza dei Signori and the Scaliger Tombs | 45 minutes + 45 minutes + 45 minutes |
| Castelvecchio | Castelvecchio and Ponte Scaligero | 1.5–2 hours |
| Veronetta | Ponte Pietra and Roman Theatre and Archaeological Museum | 15 minutes + 1–1.5 hours |
| San Zeno | Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore | 45 minutes |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 3 free, 5 low cost. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Castelvecchio and Ponte Scaligero; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Piazza Bra and the Arena and Città Antica (Piazza delle Erbe)): Arena di Verona → Piazza delle Erbe → Torre dei Lamberti → Piazza dei Signori and the Scaliger Tombs, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Castelvecchio, Veronetta and San Zeno): Castelvecchio and Ponte Scaligero → Ponte Pietra → Roman Theatre and Archaeological Museum → Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore, at least 4 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- January: highs of 6°C (43°F), about 5 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cold, often foggy and quiet; museums and churches are uncrowded and hotel prices are low.
- November: highs of 11°C (52°F), about 7 rainy days, quiet crowds. Grey and damp, with low prices; the Christmas market opens in the second half of the month.
- February: highs of 9°C (48°F), about 5 rainy days, moderate crowds. Chilly, but Valentine's celebrations and Carnival bring the old town to life.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Piazza Bra and the Arena — Verona's grand main square, café terraces on the Liston and the Roman amphitheatre
- Città Antica (Piazza delle Erbe) — Medieval squares, frescoed houses and wine bars inside the river bend
- Veronetta — University district across the river with student bars and the Giardino Giusti
- San Zeno — Residential quarter around the Romanesque basilica west of Castelvecchio
- Porta Nuova and Corso Porta Nuova — Practical base along the boulevard from the main station to Piazza Bra
More of Verona
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Verona?
Arena di Verona. Built around 30 AD, the Arena is one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheatres, with its pinkish limestone tiers almost intact, although most of the outer ring fell in an earthquake in 1117.
+Which of these are free in Verona?
Piazza delle Erbe, Piazza dei Signori and the Scaliger Tombs and Ponte Pietra.