Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet may spring to mind when you think of Verona, but as we discovered there is so much more to this enchanting city than the story of those star-crossed lovers. Verona makes the ideal destination for a weekend break at a flight time of around two hours from London. We stayed at Palazzo Victoria, a luxurious hideaway where historic features including ancient frescoes sit alongside contemporary interior design from Italian designer and architect Gaetano Pesce, creating a sense of timeless elegance.
There are 74 spacious rooms and suites at Palazzo Victoria and the opulent antique furnishings and marble bathrooms ensured we did not want to leave. We began our stay in style, with a light lunch of cicchetti and prosecco in the hotel’s orangerie before we embarked upon a guided tour of the city. It is difficult to convey the beauty of Verona and in one afternoon we explored many of the historic highlights this charming city has to offer such as the Castelvecchio Bridge, the First Century Roman Amphitheatre and the enchanting streets of the medieval old town.
Palazzo Victoria’s signature restaurant Borsari 36 showcases the best of local produce with seasonal menus from Executive Chef Carmine Calò and we watched as he took centre stage in the open kitchen, whipping up exquisite dishes including risotto with pear and raspberry and cannolo of pumpkin and ricotta, paired with local wines.
Tour operator Veronality provide tailor-made excursions in the region and the next day we were driven in to the hills of Valpolicella in a vintage Rolls Royce for a tour of the Zymē Winery, where we sampled their exquisite Amarone before retiring to renowned slow food restaurant Enoteca della Valpolicella for lunch, where we were dazzled by black truffle ravioli and tagliatelle with slow cooked ragu.
A short break in Verona is certain to leave you wanting more and this charming city is a haven for lovers of food, wine and history where there is so much to explore.
Fact box:
Classic Collection Holidays (0800 047 1064) offers 3 nights at Hotel Palazzo Victoria from £444-£1189 pp during 2018. Prices based on 2 adults sharing B&B with return flights from London Gatwick. Veronality offer a variety of tailor-made, private and group excursions including cookery classes, food and wine tours, vintage car and Vespa tours and more.
Written by Camille Allcroft for Client Voyage
