Self-guided Italy tour: 4-night city break in Verona & Venice with flights from Bucharest

About the destination: Set among infinite vineyards and cypress groves, this blend of Roman ruins, pink palaces, and whimsical tombs possesses a romantic charm that is hard to overstate. Shakespeare placed Romeo and Juliet in this setting, and he would probably find it amusing to know that his fictional lovers have become Verona's top tourist attraction. However, Verona has more to offer than just Romeo and Juliet. In the heart of Verona, Brà square, stands the nearly perfectly preserved Roman Arena. Up Mazzini street from the Arena is Piazza delle Erbe, where kitschy trinkets are sold among the Renaissance palaces of former Veronese merchants, creating a vibrant atmosphere with charming cafes and stunning restaurants. Through an arch on the right are Piazza dei Signori and the Tombs of the Scaligeri, the unique Gothic remnants of della Scalla, Verona's medieval tyrants. The equestrian statue of Cangrande I, leader of the Scalla clan, is a glorification of raw power and can be visited at the Castelvecchio museum. But if you're a hopeless romantic, at 23 Cappello street you'll find Juliet's house, where lovers scrawl their hopeful pleas. The house where Romeo supposedly lived is now a bar. This ancient city radiates history from every brick and is definitely worth a visit.

About the destination: Perhaps no city is as extraordinary as Venice, a metropolis constructed on stilts, a maze suspended over a lagoon. Venice has been referred to as Europe's living room, and indeed for centuries, the city was a haven for ideas and idealists, a junction of the Byzantine and Roman worlds. Today, Venice is a different kind of living room. Affluent visitors scramble into gondolas to marvel at the Byzantine palaces while being serenaded by accordionists and art enthusiasts strain to catch a glimpse of Renaissance masterpieces. No monument is as unforgettable as the city itself, so use the major attractions only as a pretext for exploration. Venice revolves around Piazza San Marco. The best feature of the mosaic-covered Basilica di San Marco is the Pala D’Oro, a dazzling gold Byzantine bas-relief. The Torre dell’Orologio, to the left of San Marco, is a beautifully adorned clock tower. For culture enthusiasts, check out the Accademia for the finest Venetian paintings. Some say that the tourist Venice is indeed Venice, but there are other versions of Venice as well. To discover them, stray from the major attractions and into the quieter outlying residential neighborhoods, you won’t be disappointed, this labyrinth of stone and color radiates charm from every brick.