Verona

Verona is a city that has been making people fall in love for two thousand years — with its beauty, its drama, and, of course, with each other. Shakespeare set his most famous love story here, and the so-called Casa di Giulietta on Via Cappello draws romantic pilgrims from every corner of the globe. But Verona's appeal extends far beyond a fictional teenager's balcony. This is a city of Roman amphitheatres, Romanesque basilicas, Renaissance palaces, and one of the most vibrant piazza cultures in northern Italy.

The Arena di Verona is the city's monumental centrepiece, a first-century Roman amphitheatre that is the third-largest in Italy and one of the best-preserved anywhere. Seating 22,000 spectators, it still hosts the annual Verona Opera Festival each summer. Watching opera in the Arena, with candles flickering in the hands of twenty thousand audience members as the overture begins, is one of the supreme cultural experiences in Europe.

Verona's food culture is Veneto at its finest. Risotto all'Amarone — made with the region's great red wine — is the city's signature dish. Pastissada de caval, a slow-braised horsemeat stew, dates back to the sixth century. The gelaterie along Via Mazzini serve flavours that remind you why Italian gelato remains the global benchmark.

The Valpolicella wine region begins at Verona's northern doorstep. The wines — Valpolicella Classico, Ripasso, and the magnificent Amarone — are among Italy's most complex reds. Several historic estates offer tastings in medieval villas, and a day cycling between vineyards with a plate of soppressa salami and polenta is one of the Veneto's great pleasures.

Verona is a port of call for Uniworld River Cruises on its northern Italian waterway itineraries. The best time to visit is April through October, with the opera season providing the ultimate reason to be here.