10 Things to Do in Verona in October

Verona experiences its peak season in summer and during Christmas, so it is when there is a greater influx of tourists in the city and also when its attractions, music concerts and classical opera festivals at the Arena become popular, but it also has a lot to offer in autumn and October is the best month of the season for its weather and celebrations.

Among the best things to see and do in Verona in October are the opening of the exhibitions at the Archaeological Museum of the Roman Theatre, a visit to the San Zeno Antiques Market on Sundays of the month, a wine tour of Lugana and the Lake Garda Choir and Orchestra Festival.

The Archaeological Museum of the Roman Theatre, located on the other side of the Stone Bridge and at the foot of Castel San Pietro, is one of the most famous in the city. In its permanent exhibits it has on display more than 600 objects inside and another 200 outside, including sculptures, mosaics, bronzes, vases, ceramic elements and funerary altars. In addition, it has temporary exhibitions that are inaugurated every year in October.

You can participate in the opening of the temporary exhibitions of the Archaeological Museum if you plan to visit Verona in October and you can also attend the presentation of the new elements of the museum, since archaeological excavations in the city and the surrounding area are constantly taking place and the elements found are intended to enlarge the collection.

During the inauguration you can tour the site with the assistance of a local guide and also participate in the cocktails that are made during the presentations. It is an interesting alternative to visit one of the best museums in Verona and also one of the oldest in the city, since it has been open informally since 1857.

Interesting facts

• Price... The entrance to the museum has an initial cost of approximately 4.5 euros per person.
• Where... Regaste Redentore 2, Verona.
• How to get there... By bus lines 11, 12, 31, 32, 33 and 90 and by hop on-hop off city tour buses.

The San Zeno district, named after one of the city's patron saints and also after the basilica of the same name, which in turn is the church where Romeo and Juliet were married, hosts on Sundays in October the informal Antiques Market, which brings together more than 50 stalls where locals buy and sell small decorative objects made of stone, wood, ceramics and other materials.

This itinerant flea market, which usually changes location with each edition but is always held near Piazza San Zeno, is one of the most famous and popular in Verona and if you decide to visit it, you have the perfect excuse to soak up the culture of the Veronese and take part in a typical local activity.

In addition, if you go to San Zeno you can also visit the main attractions of the neighborhood, which are the famous basilica named in the play by William Shakespeare, the Gate of San Zeno and the Church of San Procolo, as well as the bars and restaurants in the area that are usually included in the best gastronomic tours of Verona.

Interesting facts

• Price... Entrance to the San Zeno market is free.
• Where... Piazza San Zeno, Verona.
• How to get there... Buses lines 31, 32 and 33 and the hop on-hop off tourist buses in the city.

The Aquille Forti Art Gallery is the museum of the city's major works of modern art and also the nucleus of donations from private collections of paintings and sculptures spanning the great avant-gardes of the 20th century. If you plan to visit Verona in autumn you can visit this gallery during the Contemporary Art Day, which is celebrated on October 8 every year.

In this museum you can find some of the major works of Italian modernism and representative artists of the movement such as Francisco Hayez, Pompeo Marino Molmenti, Felipe Casorati, Pinto Casarini and Guido Trentini, among other prominent painters. You can also marvel at the building's views of the Plaza de las Hierbas and the series of lectures organized to celebrate Contemporary Art Day.

During this celebration, moreover, admission to the gallery is free and you can also make the most of your visit by touring the attractions near the museum, such as the Old Market, where if you plan to visit the city at Christmas you can discover the Santa Lucia flea market, one of the most traditional, and the Torre dei Lamberti, which offers from its top one of the best open views of the city.

Interesting facts

• Price... Tickets to the museum have an initial cost of approximately 4 euros per person, although during Contemporary Art Day admission is free.
• Where... Cortile Mercato Vecchio 6, Verona.
• How to get there... By bus on lines 33, 93 and 95 and on the hop on-hop off tourist buses in the city.

One of the great attractions of the magical surrounding towns of Lake Garda are the wines of Lugana, which stand out for their flavor and color and are consumed throughout Italy, especially the whites. Lugana wine is considered an autumn wine because of its structure, and it is also the time when the vineyards present their harvests.

If you plan to visit Verona in October you can take a tour from Verona following the Lugana wine route or organize a tour on your own. The main wineries and vineyards are located in Manerba del Garda, Torri del Benaco and Santa Maria di Lugana in Brescia. Among the highlights I recommend you to visit Cantina Corte Anna, which is one of the most famous manufacturers and is usually included in the tours.

Keep in mind that these excursions are generally suitable for adults because alcohol is consumed and that the Lake Garda area is located about 75 kilometers from the city center, so it may be uncomfortable to visit if you are planning a short stay. If that is your case, here is a list of things you can do to discover Verona in 3 days.

Verona is an ideal city to explore on foot, enjoy its streets and buildings and fall in love with its food, but the main drawback during the high season is the large number of tourists that visit the city and during the winter the weather that often becomes unfriendly, with temperatures below freezing. If you visit Verona in October, at the beginning of autumn, you will be able to tour the city with few visitors and also with a pleasant climate.

The best alternative is to hire a guided tour and if not you can organize an itinerary on your own to visit Juliet's House, the Stone Bridge, the Arena, the Castle of San Pietro, the basilicas and churches and the squares and museums that during the summer in Verona are usually crowded with visitors.

I also recommend that during the tour you walk along the banks of the Adige River, which is one of the longest in Italy, to enjoy the views of the bridges of the city and also of both profiles of Verona, as on one side is the old part and on the other the castles and viewpoints built in height.

Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy and also one of the most important in the country, although it does not have the fame of Lake Como, located just outside Milan. During the third weekend of October every year, the Festival of Choirs and Orchestras is organized in Sirmione, which is one of the most beautiful villages in the area.

This festival brings together some of the best orchestras in northern Italy and also summons conductors, so for many music students it is the perfect opportunity to showcase themselves and get scholarships to study at conservatories and piano and singing schools. In addition, during the festival you will also be able to participate in meetings and conferences of the musicians.

You can make the most of your tour of the town and also visit the spas, the thermal baths of Sirmione, which are among the most famous in Italy, and the Scaligero Castle, which is one of the main attractions on the shores of Lake Garda.

Interesting facts

• Price... The ticket for the 4 days of the festival has a starting cost of approximately 55 euros.
• Where... Sirmione, Lake Garda.
• How to get there... By Flixbus private services.

Because of its strategic location Verona has a history of wars, occupations and invasions and in 1797 it was occupied by Napoleon's army. A year later the Austrians took the city and it was not until October 16, 1866 that the city came under the definitive power of Italy, so since then it is officially part of the country.

If you travel to Verona in October you can participate in the Italian celebrations, in which the locals celebrate the end of the invasions, the uninterrupted period of peace, which was only altered by the bombings of World War II, and the definitive belonging to Italy, hence the name of the celebration.

During these celebrations you will see flags of the city in every window, you can participate in themed excursions, attend the festivities in the bars, restaurants and canteens and the best tours of Verona will be focused on the history of the city and its belonging and loyalty to the Italian stronghold.

The First World War was the first bloody conflict to hit Europe as a whole and Italy was part of the war actions between the Allies, which was the winning side. In October 1918 the Italian army launched a fierce offensive that ended in victory at the battle of Vittorio Veneto and ensured the end of the war on the front, so every year in October the ceasefire is commemorated.

The celebrations for the end of the First World War take place all over Italy but especially in the north, since the main battle front was located in the Alps area, so most of the Italian soldiers were originally from the northern towns and cities. Verona actively participates in these tributes.

The celebrations of the commemoration of the end of World War I usually coincide in Verona with the celebration of Italianness, so in October the city goes through weeks of patriotic festivities and a parade goes from the Stone Bridge to the Arena of Verona, where a field hospital was located, to commemorate the fallen.

If you plan to visit Verona in October and want to escape for a while from the cold or windy temperatures you can enjoy the thermal baths of Verona and its surroundings, whose natural pools, in some cases, reach 40°. Autumn is the ideal time in the city to take a thermal bath since you will find sites with few visitors and, in addition, you will usually be able to access discounts on admission prices.

In addition, if you plan to visit Verona with children you can also visit Aquardens, which is a water park with thermal waters, heated pools, ponds for children, playgrounds, bars and restaurants. Aquardens, located on the outskirts of the city, is one of the largest thermal baths in Europe and offers an alternative for the whole family.

Keep in mind that most of the thermal baths are located in the outskirts of the city and that it is advisable to buy an all-day pass to enjoy the pools, so it may be incompatible with a fleeting visit. If that is your case, here is a list of alternatives so you can make the most of Verona in 2 days.

If you are willing to find attractions outside the city, one of the best plans you can make is to visit Saló, which is the emblematic village among all those located on the shores of Lake Garda. Saló has a past linked to the Lugana wine, but it is also an important point of Italian history because it was the last point of the fascist resistance.

In October you can enjoy this town in all its splendor, with its forest painted by the colors of autumn and with a pleasant temperature, although a little windy because of its proximity to the lake, so I recommend that you carry a light coat to enjoy the attractions, among which are the duomo, the old town, the Palazzo del Comune and Alto Garda Bresciano Park, which is a nature reserve.

In Garda you can also visit the picturesque Sirmione, where in October you can attend the Festival of Choirs and Orchestras, Rivoltella, Torri del Benaco, Gargnano and Toscolano Maderno, which stands out for the small alleys of its historic center. In any case, visiting the Lake Garda area is one of the best things to do from Verona.

Autumn is usually very cold in Verona but in October you will still be able to enjoy mild temperatures, with highs of 25°, lows of 12° and average temperatures of 18°, so you will be able to take leisurely excursions outdoors.

What you should keep in mind is that Verona is a wet city and in October there are usually several rainy days, so I advise you to always have a waterproof coat at hand and also to check the weather before starting your excursions.

The best part of visiting Verona in October is that you can find the city with a moderate tourist influx, so you can enjoy the good weather and most of the city's main attractions with very few visitors.

If you visit Verona in June or during Christmas you will find that if you did not book in advance some tours are sold out or crowded, but in October you can even access the attractions and museums by buying tickets at the last minute.

October is part of the city's low season so prices for accommodation and some excursions are substantially lower than in summer or spring, making it an ideal month to discover the city relatively cheaply.

In addition, by booking some tours online in advance you can also get discounts and other benefits.

The weather in October in Verona is mild but also rainy, so I advise you to include the following in your suitcase:

• Light coats
• Waterproof and comfortable boots
• Wool sweaters
• Lightweight pants
• Umbrella
• Raincoat
• Comfortable footwear
• Thermal socks
• T-shirts for hot days