Verona Arena
Verona, Italy
Piazza Bra, Verona
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Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Free, open 24 hours
- Hours
- Open square, 24 hours
- Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 30 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Highlights
- The Liston, the Arena, Palazzo Barbieri, the garden
- Cafés
- Terraces on the Liston facing the Arena
- Gate
- Portoni della Bra, into the old town
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Location
- Central Verona, 15 minutes from the station
Key facts
Largestsquare in Verona
Sourcei
English WikipediaThe Listona broad promenade pavement of cafés
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English WikipediaPalazzo BarbieriVerona's colonnaded 19th-century town hall
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English WikipediaGran Guardiaa palace built from the 17th to the 19th century
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English WikipediaThe Arenathe 1st-century amphitheatre stands on the square
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English WikipediaHistory of Piazza Bra
The name comes from the old word 'braida', an open field. It was once wasteland outside the walls beside the Roman Arena, but from the 16th to the 19th century palaces gradually rose around it and it became Verona's grand ceremonial square.
Today Piazza Bra is where locals and visitors meet. It hosts festivals, concerts and the Christmas market, and in summer thousands of festival-goers pour in before the opera at the Arena. It's part of Verona's UNESCO-listed historic centre.
The Liston and the palaces
Along the west side runs the Liston, a broad pavement of pink marble lined with restaurants, cafés and gelaterias. The evening stroll along the Liston is an old Veronese tradition: people walk up and down, greet friends and sit on terraces facing the Arena.
Opposite the Arena stands Palazzo Barbieri, the 19th-century town hall, with a massive colonnade and broad steps. Beside it is the long Palazzo della Gran Guardia, built from the 17th to the 19th century and now used for exhibitions and conferences. From the station side you enter through the Portoni della Bra, a clock gate in the medieval walls.
What to see on Piazza Bra
- The Verona Arena — the Roman amphitheatre on the square.
- The Liston — a marble pavement of cafés and restaurants.
- Palazzo Barbieri — the colonnaded town hall.
- Palazzo della Gran Guardia — an exhibition palace.
- Portoni della Bra — the clock gate.
- The central garden — cedars, lawns and a fountain.
The garden and festivities
In the middle of the square is a small garden of tall cedars, lawns and benches, a shady place to rest. Its fountain was a gift from Verona's twin city of Munich and is known as the Fountain of the Alps.
In winter a giant Christmas star decorates the square and the Arena's arcades host a nativity-scene exhibition. On summer evenings the square fills with opera-festival crowds, and even without a ticket you can feel the buzz all over the centre.
How to get to Piazza Bra
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Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Verona Arena is about 3 min away on foot.
- Juliet's House is about 9 min away on foot.
More tips
- From Verona Porta Nuova station, 15 minutes on foot along Corso Porta Nuova or 5 by bus.
- Piazza Bra lies at the walls of the Verona Arena.
- From Juliet's House, 8 minutes along Via Mazzini.
- Car access to the centre is restricted; park by the station.
Where to go next
Via Mazzini, Verona's main pedestrian shopping street of boutiques and cafés, starts at Piazza Bra. It leads to Piazza delle Erbe, with its market stalls and the Lamberti Tower, and from there it's a couple of minutes to Juliet's House.
For a view of the city, climb to the top tiers of the Arena, or walk to the Adige and the Ponte Pietra and up the San Pietro hill. Come back to the Liston in the evening: after sunset, with the Arena lit, the square looks its best.
Before you go
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Places in Verona: compare and choose
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| Verona Arena | 60 | 1 h 15 min | Paid | 3 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piazza Brayou are here | 45 | 30 min | Free | — |
| Juliet's House | 39 | 30 min | Courtyard free, museum paid | 10 min walk |
| Lake Garda | 38 | 8 h | Free; castle and ferries paid | 33.4 km |
Verona in half a day
Piazza Bra and the Arena, then along Via Mazzini to Juliet's House.
- Piazza Brayou are here30 min · Free
- 3 min walk from the previous stopVerona Arena1 h 15 min · Paid
- 8 min walk from the previous stopJuliet's House30 min · Courtyard free, museum paid
3 places · about 2 h 26 min with walks · 11 min on foot in total
Nearby and on the way
Juliet's House
Verona, Italy
How to do it right
- Free, open around the clock.
- Coffee at the bar is cheaper.
- The Arena is lit at night.
- Via Mazzini leads on.
Questions
What is there to see on Piazza Bra?
The Verona Arena, the Liston cafés, Palazzo Barbieri, the Gran Guardia, the clock gate and the garden.
What is the Liston in Verona?
The broad marble pavement of cafés and restaurants along Piazza Bra, the main place for an evening stroll.
How do I get to Piazza Bra from the station?
15 minutes on foot along Corso Porta Nuova or 5 by bus.
Where should I eat near Piazza Bra?
On the Liston for the view, though it's pricey; cheaper in the lanes behind the square.
How long do you need on Piazza Bra?
About half an hour, longer with a coffee on a terrace.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- English Wikipedia: Piazza Bra and Palazzo Barbieri
- UNESCO: City of Verona (no. 797)
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