Title:The nuclear region, the bar and the spiral structure of NGC 253 from the VISTA Science verification Abstract: The near-infrared bands and the large field of view of VISTA provide a unique view of the spiral structure and the bar in the nearby edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 253. We describe it morphology and derive constraints on the spiral pattern speed vs. bar speed, and discuss the connection between the inner Lindblad resonance and the nuclear starburst in NGC 253.