Verona is a city full of historical and architectural sights, which has been under the protection of UNESCO since the early 2000s. It is located in the northeastern part of Italy. The area of its territory is about two hundred square kilometers, the population is about two hundred and sixty thousand inhabitants.
Every year this amazing city is visited by almost three million tourists who come from different parts of the world. They are attracted by the ancient history of the city (which began long before the onset of a new era), the abundance of attractions in it and the numerous cultural events taking place here. One of them is the Opera Festival. It is held here every year during the summer. And, of course, the city is regularly visited by fans of Shakespeare's work, because it is here that the play "Romeo and Juliet" takes place.
The tourist infrastructure is excellently developed in the city. If you wonder where it is better to stay in Verona, and start looking in this direction, you will get a huge number of answers. You just have to carefully study all the offers and choose the one that suits you the most.
City districts
The territory of the city is divided into twenty-three districts. The largest number of attractions are located in the following areas:
- Chitta-Antika;
- San Zeno;
- Cittadella;
- Veronetta;
- Borgo Trento.
All the named districts, except for the last one, are located in the historical center of the city. They are ideal for those travelers who want to see as many local attractions as possible, spending a minimum of time on the road every day. But all districts have one common drawback: living in them cannot be called budget. If you want to avoid significant expenses, it is most advisable to stay in these areas for a reasonably short period of time.
There are also more budget places to stay in the city. These include, for example, the Borgo Trento area. It is not distinguished by an abundance of attractions, but it is located quite close to the historic city center. If you stay in the area, you can easily walk to many of the city's tourist spots and famous landmarks. It should be noted that the area is not the most popular among city guests (many of whom still prefer the historical center). For this reason, the atmosphere of measured everyday life reigns here. The area is well suited for families with small children. We also note that here you can stay in comfortable apartments with a magnificent view.
Chitta-Antica
The Chitta Antica area is located in a river loop through the city. It is home to a wide variety of shops and restaurants, as well as many of the city's most famous landmarks.
One of these attractions is Piazza Bra. This is a huge area (its name is roughly translated). It is the commercial and community center of the city. Once upon a time, even before the onset of a new era, this place was located outside the city walls. Later, an amphitheater was built here; during this period of time, the territory of the future square was connected to the city by a paved road. But then the square did not yet exist: its outline began to appear only in the Middle Ages. The ancient amphitheater is now one of the gems of this place; it hosts opera festivals. There is a public garden in the center of the square. Having visited it, you will see many magnificent monuments, as well as an unusual fountain, near which locals and guests of the city very often make appointments.
Another local attraction is the temple of the great martyr Anastasia. The building was built in the 80s of the 15th century. An older church once stood here, but only the foundation remained of it. It was on it that the building was erected, which tourists from different parts of the world are striving to see today. The authors of the temple project are Dominican monks. As you explore the building, pay special attention not only to the frescoes that adorn the altar, but also to the floor of the temple. It is mosaic, three-colored. The mosaic is formed by marble slabs - gray-blue, pink and white. According to experts, this floor is a real work of art. Also in the temple you will see the tomb in which the ashes of the Italian ambassador lie.
The sights described are just a small part of those architectural and historical monuments that can be viewed on the territory of the district. Some consider a huge number of tourists on the streets as one of the disadvantages of Chitta-Antica, but for most travelers this factor is neutral or even positive.
Another feature of the area: there are practically no modern buildings here. That is, the houses are mostly old, low, with small rooms; this is how the local hotels look like. If you decide to stay here, you are unlikely to live in a spacious room with panoramic windows. But we can say with confidence that your hotel will be a building with a rich history and a unique atmosphere.
San Zeno
The San Zeno area was formed around the basilica of the same name, which is considered by many to be the main attraction of the city. Oddly enough, there are usually fewer tourists here than in Citta Antica. According to travelers' reviews, most of the local hotels are truly home-like. If you're lucky, you can stay in a hotel with a small garden, where among the shady trees on fine days you will be served breakfast on a table among the flowers …
Speaking about the area, it is necessary first of all to tell about its main attraction - the main "magnet", which attracts many tourists here. The famous basilica is built over the burial place of the saint, who is considered one of the city's patrons. Once upon a time there was a whole abbey on this place; only one temple has survived to this day. The covered galleries, the tower, and the second temple that were once part of the abbey no longer exist.
The building was built in accordance with the canons of the Baroque style. Its facade is decorated with a rose window, and six sculptures are installed here. The Basilica is not only a temple, but also a kind of museum. Here you can see a marble font from the 12th century, frescoes and paintings from the 13th and 14th centuries, ancient sculptures depicting Christ and the apostles …
The temple was founded in the 5th century, but since then it has been repeatedly destroyed and then rebuilt. So, in the X century, the building was destroyed during hostilities, in the same century it was restored (or rather, rebuilt). At the beginning of the XII century, the temple was badly damaged by an earthquake, after a few years it was restored.
Since there are more locals in this area than travelers, here you can feel the authentic atmosphere of the city, its daily life. And since everything here is permeated with the breath of the past centuries, you can feel like a contemporary of Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. It will be very easy for you to imagine that these lovers live somewhere in the neighborhood …
Cittadella
The name of the area is translated as "Citadel". It is located on the right bank of the river. The cost of living here is lower than, for example, in Citta Antica, and there are much more modern buildings here. At the same time, the area is located very close to the main city attractions. For these reasons, many tourists choose to stay here.
By the way, there is a railway station not far from this area. From most of the local hotels, the train station can be reached on foot in five or ten minutes. If you are planning to use the services of the Italian railway, you better stop here. Often, the vicinity of the station is considered part of this area (although from the point of view of the official administrative-territorial division of the city, this is not the case). Often such a combination of the territory of the district and the vicinity of the station can be seen on hotel booking sites.
Veronetta
The choice of hotels here is not as wide as in other central areas of the city. Most of them are small family hotels, so this area is suitable for tourists traveling with families. There is also a fairly large selection of apartments.
Borgo Trento
Formally, this area is not part of the historical center of the city, but it is so close to it that many attractions can be reached on foot in fifteen minutes.
The choice of hotels is not great here. But the hotels located in this area are not only comfortable and relatively inexpensive, but also delight tourists with magnificent views from the windows. The whole city opens up in the window openings, from edge to edge. True, this statement does not apply to all hotels in the area: it all depends on their location. So, when choosing a hotel here, find out in advance about exactly where it is located and what is the view from its windows.
As noted above, this area will be especially comfortable for those who travel with small children. The area will also appeal to the elderly. There will be no noisy crowds of tourists on the street under your windows: unlike Chitta-Antika, where you can hear all the dialects of the world almost at any time of the day, peace and quiet reign in this area.
