Wake up early and ride the Mount Baldo cableway up 1.6km to hike among breathtaking scenery of the snow-capped pre-Alpine region, the Po Plains and the Dolomite Mountains. After exhausting ourselves on the mountain trails we head to a hilltop restaurants for late lunch with panoramic views of the lake. We loved Mount Baldo so much we went back twice more during our week-long summer holiday to Malcesine, Lake Garda.

Neilson Holidays, www.neilson.co.uk
Google map: bit.ly/16Xjbhr

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Join Verona's workers for lunch in San Matteo Church. Tucked away off a side street, this self service restaurant serves a good range of salads, pasta and pizza. You can eat very well for under 10 euro with drinks and it's air conditioned too.

www.smatteo.it/
Vicolo San Matteo 1, 37121 Verona (VR)
+39 045 800 45 38
Google map: bit.ly/P6VfjI

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What better than Verona, the city of ill-fated lovers Romeo and Juliet? Arrive in the early morning sunshine via the sleeper train from Paris then breakfast with the locals on strong black coffee and pastries.
You can spend the day exploring this beautiful old city hand in hand taking the Adige river, Piazza del Herbe, the renaissance garden Giardino Giusti and, if you can brave the tourist hordes, Juliet’s balcony.
In the evening you can experience the joy that is opera under stars in a magnificent roman amphitheatre - Arena di Verona. Then round off the perfect romantic day by following the locals in the know to Bottega Del Vino for a glass of red wine with intimate old fashioned charm.

www.tourism.verona.it/_vti_g2_1.aspx
www.bottegavini.it
Vicolo Scudo di Francia, 3, 37121 Verona Province of Verona, Italy
+39 45 800 4535
Google map: bit.ly/Aa7e8i

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You don't even need to be a fan of opera to appreciate the thrill and romance of watching an opera performed in an open-air arena on a warm summer's night in the beautiful city of Verona. This is not the hushed atmosphere of Covent Garden. Imagine thousands of people in a Roman arean, humming along, waving lighters, cuddling in the back row. A stunning experience

www.kirkerholidays.com/verona-independent-opera-holidays.aspx

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It's on the edge of Verona city centre, 10 minutes walk from Piazza San Zeno and 20 from Via Roma (and the bus into town stops right outside) - but the San Marco's Unique Selling Point is its pool. Squeezed onto the north side of the hotel, it only gets the sun until the afternoon, but if you want to cool off in an outdoor pool in Verona, there's no competition - and by the pool is as good a place as any to eat an evening meal from the restaurant alongside. (There's an indoor pool and spa too for a price.)

42 Via Baldassarre Longhena
37138 Verona, Italy
+39 045 569 011
www.sanmarco.vr.it

City bus 11/12 (95 evenings and Sundays) to the door, from city centre or station.

Google map: tinyurl.com/38uelpn

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The new Malcesine - Mount Baldo cableway stands out from the very first glance, thanks to the futuristic forms of its stations. These are buildings with clean architectural lines, where steel, aluminium, glass and stone have been combined to enhance the light, transparent interiors and to blend harmoniously with their outdoor surroundings.

The cableway is divided into two sections: the first, Malcesine - San Michele is 1,512 m in length and covers a difference in height of 463m; the second, San Michele - Mount Baldo is 2,813 m in length and covers a difference in height of 1,187 m.

The most important new feature of this cableway, and one that makes it totally unique throughout the world, is the cabin on the second section, which rotates on itself to give passengers a 360° view, as well as the sensation that they are flying. The capacity is 600 persons per hour, with cabins for 45 and 80 people. The cableway system is able to operate in harsh weather conditions as well as at night.

Azienda Trasporti Funicolari Malcesine - Monte Baldo. www.funiviedelbaldo.it. €18 return

Malcesine, tel. (+39) 045 7400206

Verona, tel. (+39) 045 592434

www.funiviedelbaldo.it/eng/funivia.asp

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Residenza San Faustino is a bed and breakfast located in the historical centre of Verona in the shadow of the old remains of the Roman Theatre and the Ponte Pietra, near to the house of Romeo and Juliet. The bed and breakfast is well located and our room was very clean and comfortable. The owner Monica was very helpful and kind. She gave us so many good tips.

www.residenzasanfaustino.it
Corticella San Faustino, 7 - 37129 Verona
Telefono: +39 045 9690400

Google map: tinyurl.com/y8dfr45

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Italian chain that allows you to see what dishes are being prepared before you choose food. Always full of locals rather than tourists. Great opportunity to get a hang of Italian food habits. Padua Brek is slightly better if you're travelling.

Main square outside opera amphitheatre

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