A POPULAR European tourist spot is now charging tourists to enter – but it is not necessarily a bad thing.
The famous Juliet balcony located at Casa di Giulietta in Verona, Italy,dates back to the 1930s.
Over the decades, it has become a romantic tourist attraction and now a new fee, introduced on December 6, prevents visitors from just walking into the courtyard.
They must now purchase a ticket from the museum inside Juliet’s House.
It costs €12 (£10.50) to enter the courtyard now and only 100 people at a time will be able to enter.
The ticket includes access to the museum inside, as well as stepping out onto the iconic balcony – although you’ll only get 60 seconds on the balcony.
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While many see going to the courtyard as a novelty, as an eager literature student I was buzzing to visit a few years ago.
The courtyard isn’t large and in the streets leading up to it you can expect a constant flow of people, so expect crowds – though this may change with the new fee.
It is a magical place, and while it might not be full of famous art or objects, it certainly deserves to be protected.
Ultimately, the fee will better protect the courtyard as well as the visiting public.
The experience overall will be more enjoyable too as you won’t have to battle as many people to get a glimpse of the balcony.
No one enjoys being squashed in the middle of a crowd and it is even worse when you get elbowed in the stomach – so the new limits will prevent this too.
The overall flow of people will be better as well and of course, the fee discourages vandals from damaging the site.
With less crowds, there will also be more space to gain a full perspective of the courtyard, which in my opinion is when you get to see the destination’s full impressiveness.
The new fee isn’t too expensive either, and for the price you will also be able to explore inside the museum where you can see rooms full of period costumes, painting and antique furniture all from the 16th and 17th centuries.
You can even have your own moment as Juliet by standing on the balcony.
The fee will ultimately help to keep the site open and in a good condition for future generations to enjoy as well.
The house has been associated with William Shakespeare‘s Romeo and Juliet for a long time, and with that, tourists have visited the famous courtyard in their hundreds.
The courtyard also has a statue of Juliet, which was placed there in 1972.
Today, Juliet’s House is among the most visited spots in the city.
The whole city of Verona oozes romance and does feel like you are stepping into the scenes of Romeo and Juliet itself.
The lane walls are saturated with scribbles, names and notes – layer upon layer of visitors from years gone by.
You spend a couple of moments walking through the shadowed alleyway before you emerge in the courtyard, illuminated by the golden sunshine.
Don’t expect the courtyard to be empty unless you get there bang on 9am when the courtyard opens or catch the last few minutes before it closes at 7pm.
And don’t try on Mondays, as it is closed.
In one corner, you will find the small balcony itself – where you really can picture Juliet standing.
Below is her statue, which is supposed to give you luck if you touch her breast – hence its golden colour, compared to the rest of the bronze statue.
Similar to the film Letters to Juliet, you will also find small pieces of paper with writing wedged into cracks in the walls.
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