Verona (population 260,000) sits midway between Milan and Venice, on a loop of the Adige river in the Veneto. It is best known as the setting of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet — the city trades heavily on this — but the Roman and medieval fabric is the real draw. The Arena, one of the largest and best-preserved Roman amphitheatres in the world, still hosts performances; opera season runs from June to August, with crowds to match. For the other ten months, the old centre is one of the most beautiful in Italy.
The historic core is compact and walkable. Piazza Erbe, the former Roman forum, is lined with medieval towers and Venetian columns and still holds a daily market under white umbrellas. The adjacent Piazza dei Signori is quieter and more formal. The Arena anchors Piazza Bra to the south. Castelvecchio, the Scaliger castle on the river, houses a first-rate civic museum. Religious architecture is exceptional: Sant'Anastasia, the Duomo, and the Romanesque San Zeno Maggiore each contain major works of art.
The Veneto table is well represented in the city's osterie: Valpolicella, Amarone, and Bardolino are produced in the hills immediately west. Local dishes lean towards offal and horsemeat, but there is good fish in from Lake Garda too. The main shopping street, Via Mazzini, connects the Arena to Piazza Erbe and is pedestrianised.
Lake Garda is 30km west and makes an easy half-day or full-day trip. The Valpolicella wine country is even closer. Venice is 114km east by motorway.