Torre dei Lamberti
Last updated on September 23, 2026Why visit Torre dei Lamberti
Visit if you:
- are fascinated by medieval civic history, and what a bell tower was actually for
- want to see a city’s plan from above rather than read it on a map
- like Romanesque brickwork, and the point where it stops
- prefer rooftop views without a queue the length of the Arena’s
Skip it if you:
- cannot manage the final flight — the lift stops short of the viewing level
- are uneasy with height or confined stairs; the upper shaft is narrow and exposed
- want the view without the climb, in which case Castel San Pietro has a funicular
Plan Your Visit
Admission: €8 · Usually combined with the civic art gallery in the same complex
Prices verified September 2026
What is free
The Cortile Mercato Vecchio, the courtyard the tower rises from, is open and free — you can walk in, look up the full height of the shaft and see the join between the twelfth-century work and the fifteenth-century campaign without paying anything. The tower is also the most visible thing in Piazza delle Erbe, which costs nothing either.
The boundary is the ticket desk inside that courtyard. Past it are the lift, the stairs and the viewing level.
Getting in
The entrance is in the Cortile Mercato Vecchio, the courtyard behind the tower, not from Piazza delle Erbe where the tower is most visible — this is the most common wasted circuit of the block. Admission and last-entry times are set by the official operator and the ticket is usually combined with the civic art gallery housed in the same medieval complex; the VeronaCard covers it.
The climb
A lift covers most of the height but stops short of the viewing level, leaving a final flight of stairs. The upper stair is narrow, the parapet level is small, and there is little room for people to pass, so movement is sometimes regulated when it is busy. Anyone with limited mobility should confirm the exact route before booking rather than rely on "there is a lift".
Timing
Best: the first hour, or the last. Midday light flattens the rooftops and the platform is at its most crowded when the squares below are.
Worth knowing: the bells are directly above the viewing level and sound at close range. The top is exposed in both senses — no shade in summer, and full wind in winter.
When to Visit
Late afternoon is the best light from the top -- low sun across the roofscape, with the Alps sometimes visible to the north on a clear day.
Early morning is quietest; the lift queues build through the middle of the day, particularly at weekends.
Spring and autumn are the comfortable seasons. The viewing platform is fully exposed and Verona is very hot in July and August.
Winter gives the sharpest air and the clearest long views, and there is almost no queue.
Note that the bells still ring, which at close range is memorable and extremely loud.