Not only the Arena or the House of Giulietta and Romeo. Beautiful gardens and flew markets, delicious gastronomy and sweet hills, let’s discover a secret and eco-friendly Verona. The capital of love hides extraordinary places and unusual green journeys to discover a sustainable city. Here’s the top 10 things to do in Verona.
Verona, the capital of love with the ancient architecture, the beautiful buildings, the romantic bridges over the river Adige and the street full of tourists hides extraordinary places and unusual green journeys to discover a sustainable Verona.
10 suggestions to live an unusual and green Verona:
1. Into the green of Giardin Giusti
Into the heart of the city, not far away from the Arena, there is one of the oldest garden of Verona that hosted historical important persons, the Giardin Giusti. A real masterpiece of botanic architecture where you can relax surrounded by flowers, plants, fountains and renaissance statues.
Let yourself be captured by the beautiful colors and intese aromas by visiting this incredible green place.
2. Local Fruit and Vegetables in Verona’s Farmer Markets
Every day in different places, the market of the local farmers are selling their fruits, oil, vegetables, cheese and wine for a sustainable shopping tasting the local products.
In the historic center, near the beautiful Castel Vecchio, every Thursday morning from 8.00 to 13.00 you will find the kilometer zero market of the Arsenale, an old military barracks. This market offers seasonal fruits and vegetables, cheese, local oil, jams and biologic honey as well as the fresh fish of lake Garda.
3. San Zeno and the flea market of Verona
It is not a simple and common market! Every first Sunday of the month, San Zeno changes look and get transformed. Stands, books, disks, dresses, furnitures occupy the central square with the wonderful cathedral to visit after the shopping.
Once per month you can live, breath, touch and see the vintage feeling into the magical square of San Zeno!
4. The ethical shopping
For the shopping lovers, in Verona there is the possibility to choose the sustainable and ethical shopping.
Quid is a project born in the year 2013 to give a work opportunity for the people with disadvantaged backgrounds to create fashion products with unsold and unused materials. The Quid shop is exactly in the center of Verona and it offers ethical fashion and unique cloths of different patterns at an accessible price.
5. Into the hearth of Valpolicella hills
Just a few kilometers from the city center of Verona, there is the possibility to walk over the sweet hills of Valpolicella. Between the green of the vineyards, the centuries old trees and the ancient villa to live the old atmosphere and get in contact with the nature. Without forgetting the typical wine tasting of local and organic wines, aged cheese and other home made and organic products.
For the sport lovers there is also the possibility to do a bike tour to visit the wonderful countryside area with some stops to taste a glass of Amarone.
6. Verona Bike
We can’t say that Verona is not a city that pays attention to the sustainability.
In the city center of Verona can circulate only natural gas buses and of corse there is the Verona Bike (https://www.bikeverona.it/home), a simple, practical and ecologic bike sharing, born to improve the mobility of the citizens and for a greener city. Verona Bike Sharing is not just a simple bike renting service, but a real public transport solution to use for the short transfers instead of the traditional public transport of the city.
Moreover, there are also several associations that are organizing bike guided tour to visit the historical center and surroundings. Simonetta Bike Tour to admire the most wonderful and absorbing views of the city or Veronality to discover the cultural heritage of the city.
7. Castel San Pietro
Castel San Pietro, the romantic and fascinating panoramic view to admire the beauty of Verona at the sunset during an aperitif or in the night with the bright lights of the city.
8. The Roman Theater of Verona
The Roman Theater is exactly at the feet of the Castel San Pietro’s hill over the Adige river. It was build in the end of I century BC and it preserves the old atmosphere. When the Romans were meeting to attend the theater representations.
If you want to experience this magic moment, then do not loose the theater representations, conferences, concerts and dance representations that are proposed every summer in the magnificent amphitheater.
9. The fine food (also vegan)
Walking around the streets there is Caffè e Parole, a family conduct delicious bistrot where you can eat organic food, prepared with passion and attention. From the breakfast to the lunch break or even for a simple coffe pause even with your pets! Every day the meals are changing due to the different season and ideas of the chef! By eating you can read books or just relaxing with the view over the Cathedral. Finally it is one of the few places with a particular attention for vegetarian and vegan meals.
But we do not have to forget the several trattoria and osteria (typical restaurants) where you can taste the typical meals, such as the lesso con la pearà, risotto all’amarone or a good Cheese and charcuterie boards of typical products with a wonderful glass of red wine.
10. Organic Agritourism, charme and green hospitality
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- Relais Borgo Porta Rossa
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- Agriturismo il Porcellino
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- Eco Hotel Ariston
For a real sustainable holiday you can choose between different hotels, B&B or ecological farms in the city or in the countryside. You will find organic and kilometer zero products, energy saving light bulbs, eco sustainable detergents and photovoltaic panels.
Here’s a selection of our best green accommodations!
Cover picture of Tom Roeleved via Flickr
You may also be interested in:
A weekend in Verona: what to see and where to sleep
Among the mountains of Lessinia: a praise of slow holidays
Lake Garda: 5 tips for your eco-friendly vacation