Dog Friendly Verona
- fajndogwear
- Feb 18
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 2
Dog Friendly Verona Bars and Restaurants:
Dog Friendly Verona Activities:
Old town (Castelvecchio, Piazza Bra, Piazza Erbe, Ponte Pietra, Castel San Pietra)
Our Journey
Train from Ljubljana to Trieste - 3 hours. (We also had to disembark at the last Slovenian train station and board another train due to the Slovenian trains not being compatible on the Italian system. We weren't aware of this before boarding as it is advertised as direct so just be aware!)
Trieste to Verona Porta Nuova - 3 hours.
Dog tickets were required, however nobody asked or checked.
The Italian know how to provide hospitality on the trains with good coffee available on both trains and Trieste Station had a cafe for stocking up on goods.
Let’s start by saying this upfront- Verona was probably our least favourite stop on our month-long trip. But don’t let that put you off! It’s still a fascinating city with plenty to offer, and who knows .. you might have a very different experience.
DAY 1 - Downpours
After a 5am departure from Ljubljana and an exhausting journey, we arrived in Verona late morning to torrential rain—a less-than-ideal welcome. To make things worse, we had a 15-minute walk to our apartment, much to Nora’s dismay. Soaked through, we huddled over an espresso while waiting to check in, then decided to make the most of it and head straight out into the city.
Our accommodation was just outside the old town near Porta Palio, meaning a 20-minute walk to Piazza Bra, which felt like the real gateway to Verona’s historic center.
The rain was relentless, so our first stop was a bar for prosecco and cheese .. a necessary morale boost. The prosecco, sourced straight from the region, was fantastic and exactly what we needed to reset. Despite the downpour, we wandered around Piazza Bra, where we were immediately struck by the scale of the Arena di Verona, a Roman amphitheater that dominates the square, alongside the neoclassical Palazzo Barbieri. Even in the miserable weather, their presence was impressive.
Hunger eventually set in, so we grabbed a focaccia sandwich from Focacceria La Figaccia, a place we’d heard a lot about. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to the hype—overly salty and just a bit underwhelming.
As the rain finally began to ease, we picked up some beers from a local shop and trudged back to our apartment, hoping for better weather and a smoother day ahead.
DAY 2 - Congestion on the Cobbled streets
Determined to see more of Verona, we set out again the next morning, grateful for a dry (if still grey) day. After our espresso fix, we crossed the river via Ponte Scaligero overlooking the Castelvecchio, a mediaeval castle which now houses a museum. Rebuilt after WWII, the bridge is an architectural gem, with dual-tier walkways offering amazing views over the river and the castle.
From there we headed towards Ziga Bistrò, a vegan restaurant with a great breakfast menu. The food was delicious and well priced although Elk Bakery next door seemed even more popular with queues forming outside just to get in.
Back across the river, we navigated the cobbled streets lined with pastel-colored buildings, dodging cars and scooters that seemed to zip down every possible alleyway. The Arena di Verona was even more spectacular in daylight, though somewhat diminished by the traffic and congestion surrounding it. To properly take it in, head to Piazza Bra, where you’ll get the best view—or better yet, take a tour if there’s no event on. It is amazing that this is still used for concerts and gigs despite it being nearly 2000 years old!
The rest of the day was spent wandering the maze of the old town, taking in the amazing architecture and buildings including walking through Piazza delle Erbe and Torre dei Lamberti on towards Piazza dei Signori and Piazza Anastasia. We also stopped by an amazing 800 year old church, the Basilica di Santa Anastasia. Although we were keen to see Juliet's balcony, the 1.5 hour wait put us off, particularly when every street is just as beautiful and you can imagine any of the countless balconies to have inspired the story!
One thing that stood out (and not in a good way) was Verona’s overwhelming number of cars. Apparently, Italy has the highest number of cars per capita in Europe, and you can definitely feel that here. Almost every street is open to traffic, no matter how narrow, and many of the city’s squares double as car parks. It really detracts from the beauty of the city. Trying to enjoy a coffee or wine while cars whizz past just inches away is not exactly the European café culture we’d envisioned.
One of the best things we did was to take the steep Scalone Castello San Pietro stairway up to the castle. The views behind you as you climb are spectacular looking down over the red rooftops of Verona.
At the top, the panoramic view over Verona was even more breathtaking. It offered a completely different perspective, away from the congestion, noise, and scooters, we could finally take in the city’s true beauty.
After 30,000 steps, it was time for a beer, so we made our way to Santa Maria Craft Pub, a great tap room serving a range of their own beer -it even had a bench which Nora could collapse on to, just what was needed! After sampling of few ales we enjoyed a glass of wine at Signorvino Verona before finishing our day with a meal in Il Punto Rosa a well-priced spot serving great food (though the iPad ordering system was a little strange).
One thing we haven’t touched on much is Verona’s dog-friendliness, simply because everywhere was dog-friendly. From bars to restaurants and even supermarkets, dogs were completely normalised here. Unlike in England, where people often grab at your dog without asking, Europeans (especially Italians) were much more respectful - they’d acknowledge us before greeting Nora, which we really appreciated.
In the end, while Verona wasn’t our favorite stop, it was mainly because we felt like we were constantly dodging cars. But as town planners at heart, that’s something we’re more sensitive to than most! That said, Verona is absolutely worth visiting- just be prepared for the traffic and the slightly chaotic atmosphere that comes with it.
Any questions about our time in Verona? Just drop a comment in at the bottom of this blog and we will try to answer!
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