Province of Verona

Castelvecchio, a mighty fortress transformed into a museum by the genius of Carlo Scarpa, represents one of the most significant examples of 20th-century architectural restoration. Set apart from the core of the historic center, the Romanesque basilica of San Zeno Maggiore, with its extraordinary cloister, is another masterpiece of medieval architecture.

The elegant walk along the Adige leads to the discovery of lesser-known but equally fascinating glimpses, such as the Veronetta district, where artisan stores and establishments with an authentic atmosphere try to resist the tourist pressure of the center.

Of course, one cannot talk about Verona without mentioning its most famous (fictional) citizens: Romeo and Juliet! Protagonists of William Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name, their love story is more alive than ever and ubiquitous in the city: in store windows, restaurant names, but above all in the places attributed to them, namely Juliet's House, with its iconic little balcony, turned into a small museum, Juliet's Tomb, located within a complex that includes the Church of San Francesco and the "G.B. Cavalcaselle," and Romeo's House (which cannot be visited).

Lying on the first hills to the northwest of Verona is then Valpolicella: in this landscape, characterized by gentle slopes covered with vineyards, we find small historic villages full of charm, such as Negrar, San Pietro in Cariano, and Marano, and several Venetian villas, evidence of the rule of ancient Venetian nobility, such as the grandiose Villa Arvedi. One particular villa is Villa della Torre in Fumane, a Renaissance jewel with splendid gardens, built by the Dalla Torre family in the style of ancient Roman mansions on a preexisting 14th-century building.

The southern part of the province, on the other hand, surprises with the magic of medieval villages. Like Soave, dominated by the imposing Scaliger castle, which with its triple walls represents the archetype of the fortified village of Veneto. Its cobblestone alleyways wind between tower-houses and Gothic palaces, and lead you to the discovery of ancient wine cellars, where you can taste the famous white wine of the same name.

Or Borghetto sul Mincio, a hamlet of Valeggio, which enchants every visitor with its fairy-tale appearance, and in particular with its perfectly preserved watermills. The Visconteo Bridge, a colossal fortified dam commissioned by Gian Galeazzo Visconti in the 14th century, dominates the village's landscape and ideally connects this corner of Veneto to neighboring Lombardy. But the village is also home to another jewel: Villa Sigurtà, which has one of the most important historic gardens in Europe, where labyrinths of hedges, avenues of roses and spectacular seasonal blooms create scenery of incomparable beauty.

In the northernmost part, however, you cannot miss Malcesine, dominated by the imposing Scaliger castle. The rotating cable car that departs from the town also leads to the summit of Mount Baldo, a kind of natural botanical garden, where Mediterranean species coexist with Alpine endemisms, and from which you can enjoy views ranging from the Alps to the lake, to the Po Valley.

In the Monte Baldo area is the very special Sanctuary of Madonna della Corona, a church embedded in the rock at an altitude of 774 meters and reached, if you wish, by climbing the beauty of 1,500 steps. From here the view is 10 and praise-worthy!

The Lake Garda area also features the famous theme parks:

• Gardaland, Italy's largest, combines adrenaline-pumping attractions with shows for all ages;
• Caneva The Aquapark, the large water theme park
• Movieland The Hollywood Park, which is the first Italian amusement park dedicated to the world of cinema and offers live shows and rides inspired by the most famous films;
• Natura Viva Park, which offers a zoological conservation trail with endangered species.

The province of Verona has an extraordinary morphological variety: for this reason, it offers many possibilities for lovers of outdoor activities, who can practice different disciplines in every season of the year.

Between the mountains, hills and plains, there are many thematic itineraries that combine trekking, history and gastronomy, thus allowing people to discover an area that has been able to preserve its authenticity while embracing sustainable and conscious tourism.

Monte Baldo is definitely one of the province's main points of interest when it comes to outdoor experiences: for hikers and mountain bikers during the summer season, with trails that pass through environments of precious biodiversity; for winter sportsmen in the cold season, when it converts to a ski area with panoramic slopes from which to admire the lake below and the Alpine peaks on the horizon.For those seeking a little adrenaline, there is also no shortage of via ferrata, such as the Ferrata delle Taccole.

Lessinia also attracts many outdoor enthusiasts year-round, offering numerous hiking and mountain biking trails in the summer, including alpine huts, caves and the so-called "Valley of the Sphinxes," while in the winter, when snow arrives, it is a perfect place for snowshoeing and ski touring.

The dense network of bicycle touring routes that innervate the territory allows you to explore the province at a slow pace: from the Mincio bicycle path, which connects Peschiera to Mantua crossing river landscapes of powerful beauty, to the Resurgence Cycleway, to the routes that cross the Veronese plain among vineyards and villages, to the more challenging routes that climb the slopes of Lessinia.