Time Out In Verona To Relax In The Giardini Guisti
We needed some time out in Verona to relax in the Giardini Guisti. It was a busy few days on our trip to Verona. We needed one day to recover from two late nights at the Verona Arena and a busy day trip to Venice for the Regatta.
We quickly discounted using the HopOnHopOff (HoHo) bus since we saw so many of the tourist spots in Verona on our last visit. So we walked the few short blocks from our B&B to the Giardini Guisti and paid our 7€ admission price.
Wandering In The Gardens
While the original palazzo was not open, the entrance still included a well restored fresco and an interesting old wooden light. The main draw was the traditional Italian Renaissance style gardens. They were originally designed in the 16th century and transformed to an English style garden in the 19th century.
The gardens on the lower level were laid out in maze-like patterns of hedges. Soaring cypresses, numerous fountains and statues were placed in key locations. One fountain was the home to a group of small turtles. They swam around or burrowed into the soft silt.
The gardens on the lower level were nice and a calm, cool place for a break. But I was not sure this was worth the price of admission. We wandered to the back we found a small set of stairs and a gentle path that seemed to wind up the hill behind the garden. This proved more interesting!
Panoramic Views From High Over The Gardens
As we climbed higher we came to multiple small benches. We rested and looked at the view out across Verona. Finding a small stone tower, we quickly discovered this was purely an enclosed spiral staircase that took us further up.
Billy Goat Linda kept going up. We were rewarded by yet another garden and multiple viewpoints. We sat and soaked up the sun while we snapped pics in all directions. This would be a great spot for a picnic!
Historical Spots Along The Paths
As we wandered down, we found several old nooks and crannies into the rock that were clearly old worship areas.
Retracing our steps back to the entrance we found that there was also a small section with headstones. We figured it was probably for the original Gusti family.
Looking back and up along the centre aisle as we left we saw an interesting sight. At the highest point of the garden was an oversized mask sculpture – the “Maskeron” – which looked down over all visitors.
We Had A Relaxing Day In The Giardini Guisti In Verona
It turned out that the gardens were a stop on the HoHo bus. But since the gardens were around the corner from our B&B, we didn’t need the bus. But if you stay in the main part of Verona, the HoHo bus will negate the need to cross the river and climb the gentle hill to the garden entrance. The local Verona buses also ran along the street in front of the garden.
While on the other side of the river, it was a short walk to the Theatro Romano site. The gardens were also included in the Verona Card, which we also did not get this time. But at 7€ the visit to the Giardini Guisti did not break the bank to visit.
We had a relaxing few hours and got some great views of Verona. We were glad we did not don’t miss Giardini Guisti!
Did you find Giardini Guisti to be a quiet oasis on your visit to Verona? Would you recommend it?
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