Standing at the intersection of several roads on the River Adige, Verona was an important strategic settlement for the Romans, who colonised the city in the 1st century BC. In the ensuing centuries it was hotly contested by warring tribes and nations, but from the 13th century onwards, it flourished, becoming an important military base in northern Italy and an intellectual and artistic hub.

Visitors can see this heritage in Verona’s many churches, such as the Romanesque Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore and the Roman amphitheatre. The amphitheatre survived a 12th-century earthquake to become the open-air opera house it’s known as today, and it’s open to guests year-round.

Eternalised in the writings of Goethe are the manicured gardens of Giusti, easily found across the Adige from the heart of the city. A crowning example of Renaissance-era landscaping, the gardens also contain a hedge maze. Legend holds that lovers who can find each other in the maze are destined to remain together.

Perhaps Romeo and Juliet, the star-cross’d lovers of Shakespeare’s play, never found each other in the Giusti maze. Nevertheless, Verona remains synonymous with what is perhaps the most famous love story in all of literature, and the Casa di Giulietta and its celebrated balcony is a highly recommended visit.