Verona, famous all over the world to having ‘narrated’ the dramatic love story of the Shakespearean Romeo and Juliet, is much more. Its historic center has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its architecture and for its urban, romantic and charming structure, with its seven bridges over the Adige river, from the world-famous Arena to the Romanesque Basilica of San Zeno, from Juliet’s house to Castelvecchio.

A  trip to Verona during the summer can not end without having participated in one of the many shows that every year the arena offers: with its 30,000 seats and perfect acoustics, in the summer season it becomes the largest open-air opera house in the world hosting the very famous Opera Festival.

Do not miss the opportunity to sip a good espresso while sitting in one of the many cafés that surround Piazza delle Erbe, the oldest square in Verona, where the medieval buildings, slowly, have taken the place of the Roman ones and where a colorful market fruit and vegetables with its array of umbrellas, makes the atmosphere even more authentic.

To live an emotion outside the tourist circuit, you can enjoy some rafting excursions from Verona along the Adige river: a suggestive route in an environment surrounded by greenery, where the river bends in numerous curves through imposing rocky walls.

There are two ways to visit Venice: follow the flow of tourists who in a few hours follow a fixed route chosen by millions of people every year, or leave this path and try to discover a less postcard-like Venice. For sure Venice can be savored in both ways, without missing a visit to Piazza San Marco, or a stop at Rialto Bridge to admire the Grand Canal.

But also to get out of the common place on Venice to discover that there are extraordinary places even in a city that in itself is out of every ordinary. And this can only be done by entering the buildings, not merely observing the facades. It thus happens to enter the Gallerie dell’Accademia, the Scuola Grande di San Rocco or the Palazzo Ducale and discover magnificent works and very fine architectures, which tell the true story of Venice.

Visit a place considered by many to be the most beautiful bookshop in the world: the Acqua Alta Bookshop, here books and manuscripts are kept in bathtubs and gondolas.

Don’t forget to immerse yourself for a few hours in the less chaotic charm and much more characteristic of some of the many islands that surround Venice: Burano, famous throughout the world for the bright colors of the houses and for the craftsmanship of lace. Or Torcello, a small silent paradise, a stone’s throw from the chaotic Venice, here live a little more than 20 people.

To live a more sporty experience instead, try a rowing lesson to learn how to row for the canals of Venice and discover the city through its most hidden canals and above all learn how to row like a real gondolier!