Love Venice but I love its neighbour Verona more.
It’s not just because Verona is a dream to get to for a weekend break. It spoils us with regular UK flights and an airport that’s a short bus ride away from the centre.
Packed with chic boutique hotels, everywhere’s within walking distance, which is handy since this is one of Italy’s culinary capitals and you will want to work up an appetite between meals.
WHERE TO EAT: La Vecchia Fontanina (ristorantevecchiafontanina.com) and Osteria il
Ciottolo (osteriailciottolo.it) for slow-cooked risottos and fabulous meat dishes (the Veronese tend to leave fish and pastas to more coastal parts of Italy) – all rounded off with tiramisu and glasses of limoncello. Expect to spend about £20 for lunch.
If you fancy a quick coffee or Spritz (Aperol, prosecco and soda water), one of the nicest places is Mazzanti on the Piazza delle Erbe, open from morning espressos to late night digestifs. ristorantemazzanti.it
GLAM IT UP: People have been troughing at 12 Apostoli since medieval times and it’s still Verona’s most famous restaurant. Everyone from Maria Callas to Bill Gates has eaten here and if you ask, someone will offer to show you the Roman temple beneath its cellars. Mains cost around £15. 12apostoli.com
WHERE TO SHOP: Verona is a city of quirky shops. You’ll still find chic boutiques selling everything from hand-made paper to quintessentially Italian fashion (think cashmere and artfully draped scarfs).
Budding chefs shouldn’t miss Fazzini, filled to the eaves with copper pans, cooking gadgets and big knives. Around the corner is Piazza delle Erbe, once the Roman Forum, later Verona’s marketplace. You’ll still find the odd fruit and vegetable stalls - don’t miss coming home with a fat Amalfi lemon or two in your luggage. fazzinicoltelleria.it
DON’T MISS: The Corso Porta Borsari is Verona’s most beguiling street, pedestrianised with tiny alleyways. Head here in the evening and you’ll experience a properly Italian passeggiata when friends and families wander through, stopping at cafes and bars to catch up with each other.
Osteria del Bugiardo is usually packed - and all 300 wines come from its vineyards. buglioni.it/osteria
DON’T FEEL YOU HAVE TO: Teens can head to Juliet’s House to leave heartfelt graffiti (yes, she was a fictional character but that doesn’t stop Verona embracing her to the extent of designating a 14th century house with a balcony as “hers”). But it’s a bit tacky.
BEST MUSEUM: Some of Castelvecchio’s treasures might have been stolen in an audacious robbery last year but there are still plenty to see, with madonnas and armoury at every turn. museodicastelvecchio.comune.verona.it 6 euros.
Even if you’re not an opera fan, don’t miss the Arena (which is impossible as it has 15,000 seats and is in the centre of the city). It was built by the Romans for gladitorial contests and now hosts opera (and in May, Adele). But you can also get a tour. arena.it 10 euros)
TOP TIP: At all but the most expensive bars, espressos, a glass of wine and an ice cream all cost 2.50 euros, which makes budgeting easy. Sitting in a bar or cafe often bumps up the price.
SECRET SPOT: Just another bar from the outside, head into Terraza Al Ponte and go to the back. There’s a suntrap terrace overlooking the thundering Adige river and the Ponte Pietra, a footbridge built by the Romans in 100BC. It is a fantastic place to while away a few hours over breakfast or before dinner. terrazzabaralponte.eu
Afterwards, head across the bridge and search out the Giardino Giusti, a gorgeous terraced garden, started in the Renaissance and still owned by the same family. Open 9am to 7pm daily (to 8pm in summer).
WHERE TO STAY: A three-night break with Kirker, staying at the Palazzo Victoria, starts at £438pp including flights and accommodation with breakfast. kirkerholidays.co.uk 020 7593 1899
GETTING THERE: British Airways has regular flights from £42 each way. ba.com