The Italian city that has everything Rome and Florence have - without the crowds
I’m going to tell you something that might surprise you: one of my favorite cities in all of Italy isn’t Rome or Florence. It’s Verona.
Most people only know it as the setting for Romeo and Juliet. Maybe they’ve heard of the Arena. But Verona is so much deeper than its famous love story, and it’s one of the most underrated cities in Europe for couples and families who want real Italian culture without fighting through crowds of tour groups.
Juliet's House
Photo©: Casa di Giulietta
It’s a UNESCO World Heritage city with Roman ruins, medieval architecture, world-class opera, and one of the best food and wine regions in Italy right on its doorstep. It’s walkable, it’s elegant, and it moves at a pace that actually lets you enjoy it. And in 2026, there’s even more reasons to go.
Why 2026 is Verona’s year
Verona is having a moment this year, and it’s the kind of moment my clients love — culturally rich, not commercialized.
First, there’s Shakespeare 2026 — a year-long celebration marking the 410th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, presented by Casa Shakespeare. Verona considers itself the second home of Shakespeare after Stratford-upon-Avon, and the scale of this program is impressive: 58 theatre shows, 12 “Walking with Romeo and Juliet” guided theatrical tours through the actual streets where the story is set, 2 new productions, 42 immersive interactive museum experiences, conferences, film screenings, and two Shakespeare festivals.
Most of the programming is in English, which makes it incredibly accessible for American and international travelers. And nearly half the audience is under 35, so this isn’t dusty, academic Shakespeare. It’s vibrant, modern, and genuinely exciting.
Verona Shakespeare Festival: A Tribute to Shakespeare
Photo©: Simone Di Luca
Then in July, Verona hosts the World Shakespeare Congress, a major international event that brings scholars, performers, and Shakespeare enthusiasts from around the globe. The city will be buzzing with cultural energy in a way that feels exciting, not overwhelming.
And of course, the 103rd Arena di Verona Opera Festival runs from June 12 through September 12, with 50 performances including La Traviata, Aida, Nabucco, La Bohème, Turandot, and Carmina Burana. Watching opera in a first-century Roman amphitheater that seats 15,000 under the stars — there is nothing like it anywhere in the world.
Opera under the stars at the arena
I have to spend a moment on the Arena, because it’s genuinely one of those experiences that changes how you think about travel.
The Arena di Verona is a Roman amphitheater built in the first century AD, and it’s still standing in remarkable condition right in the center of the city at Piazza Brà. On summer evenings, it transforms into the largest open-air opera house in the world.
The ritual is as much a part of it as the music. You dine in the piazzas surrounding the Arena as the sun sets. You take your seat on the ancient stone steps. And as darkness falls, the entire audience lights small candles, creating this sea of flickering flames that’s become one of the festival’s most iconic traditions. Then the music begins, and you’re hearing Verdi or Puccini exactly as it was meant to be heard - vast, visceral, and under an open sky.
You don’t have to be an opera lover to be moved by this. I’ve had clients who had never seen an opera tell me it was the single most memorable night of their trip. For families with older kids or teenagers, it can be genuinely transformative, the kind of cultural experience that opens something up in them.
This year’s lineup is spectacular: a new production of La Traviata opens the season, Zeffirelli’s legendary staging of Aida returns, and there’s even an immersive Vivaldi concert in August. I can arrange premium seating and help you pair it with dinner at just the right restaurant beforehand.
The Shakespeare Interactive Museum
This is something I’m particularly excited to share, because it’s exactly the kind of experience that makes Verona feel fresh and unexpected.
The Shakespeare Interactive Museum is Italy’s first immersive Shakespearean museum, housed inside Casa Shakespeare, just minutes from the Arena. It combines live theater, digital art, and virtual reality in a way that brings the Romeo and Juliet story to life far beyond what you’d expect.
Shakespeare Interactive Museum
Photo©: Casa Shakespeare
Here’s how it works: you move through a multi-act experience. There’s an interactive space where your body movements generate real-time flows of light and digital particles on a massive screen. You meet and converse with Juliet and Romeo through interactive displays. And then you put on VR headsets and step into the final scene of the tragedy in full 360-degree augmented reality.
For families, this is gold. Kids and teenagers who might roll their eyes at another church or museum are suddenly inside the story, interacting with it, becoming part of it. It’s educational without feeling educational, and it’s genuinely cool, the kind of thing that makes a teen say “that was actually amazing.”
The experience is available in both Italian and English, and it fits easily into a day of exploring the city. Even better, you can pair it with one of the “Walking with Romeo and Juliet” tours, a guided theatrical walk through the actual streets and squares where Shakespeare set the tragedy, with live performances along the way, ending at the museum. It’s storytelling, history, and the city itself all woven together. Group bookings are available, which makes it perfect for families or friends traveling together.
Beyond Verona: wine country and Lake Garda
One of the things that makes Verona such a smart base for a trip is what surrounds it.
Valpolicella
Bottle of Amarone della Valpolicella wine
Photo©: Massimago
Just north of the city is the Valpolicella wine region, famous for Amarone, one of Italy’s most prized and complex red wines. I love arranging private tastings at small, family-run estates where you’re sitting with the winemaker in their own cellar, tasting wines that never leave the region. It’s the kind of experience that makes you feel like you’re getting access to something real. Pair it with a long lunch in the vineyards and you have one of those perfect Italian afternoons.
Lake Garda
Lago de Garda - Verona
Photo©: Visit Italy Srl
Lake Garda is about 30 minutes from Verona, and it’s stunning. The western shore has charming villages like Sirmione, with its thermal baths and medieval castle on the water. For families, it’s a wonderful contrast to the city, boat rides, gelato by the lake, kids splashing around while you have a glass of Lugana wine and watch the mountains turn pink at sunset.
The sky over Lake Garda is an enchantment of colours.
Photo©: Rinda LaeLia
For couples, the quieter eastern shore has elegant little towns and some exceptional restaurants. Either way, it’s an effortless day trip that feels like a completely different vacation.
The city itself
I don’t want to gloss over how beautiful Verona is just to walk around. Piazza delle Erbe is one of Italy’s most picturesque squares, a former Roman forum that’s now a lively market surrounded by frescoed buildings. The Ponte Pietra bridge over the Adige River is gorgeous at any hour. The Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore is a Romanesque masterpiece that most tourists miss entirely because they’re all at Juliet’s balcony.
Authentic Italian Risotto
Photo©: James Brown
The food is exceptional, too. Verona sits in the Veneto, so you’re eating risotto made properly, hand-rolled pasta with ragù, and some of the best polenta you’ll ever have. The aperitivo culture is strong here, a spritz in the piazza as the evening light hits the stone is one of life’s great pleasures.
And because it’s not overrun with tourists the way Florence and Rome are, you actually get to experience it at an Italian pace. That’s something money can’t always buy, but the right planning can deliver.
Where to stay
For couples, I love the Due Torri Hotel, a grand, antique-filled property in the heart of the old town that feels like staying in a beautifully curated museum (with five-star service). It’s romantic, it’s walkable to everything, and the breakfast is superb.
Panoramic Terrace Due Torri Hotel - Luxury 5 stars Hotel
Photo©: Due Torri Hotel - Verona
For families or couples who want something more contemporary, Vista Verona opened recently and offers a rooftop bar with panoramic city views, an indoor pool and spa, and that crisp modern Italian design that still feels warm. It’s quickly become one of the most talked-about hotels in the city.
Vista Verona 5*Luxury Hotel Rooftop
Photo©: Vista Verona
And for those who want a countryside experience, there are stunning wine relais properties in Valpolicella where you’re surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, just a short drive from the city. Best of both worlds.
Who this trip is for
Verona is for the couple who has been to Italy before and wants to fall in love with it all over again, somewhere new, somewhere quieter, somewhere with real depth. It’s for the family who wants their kids to have a cultural experience that doesn’t feel like a lecture, where opera under the stars, VR Shakespeare, and gelato by the lake all happen in the same trip.
And in 2026, with the Shakespeare celebrations, the World Shakespeare Congress, and one of the strongest opera seasons in years, Verona is the kind of destination that rewards the traveler who pays attention.
That’s what I do. I pay attention so you don’t have to.