10 Amazing things to do in Rome
Amazing things to do in Rome
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Why visiting Rome?
Rome is always a good idea. It’s like an open-air museum. Every time you turn your head, you will see beautiful statues, old roads and ancient buildings. It is impossible to get bored in Rome. The city will fill you up with the desire to see and do more. Rome is all about people, history and food.
This ancient city, is the capital of Italy and one of the most visited cities in the world. While in Rome, you will really connect with their roots, traditions and culture. You will feel the passion of Italy in every corner of the city.
The Rome List
This is not just a sightseeing list; it is more of an accumulation of experiences that will make you connect more and understand the city better.
- Walk along the Tiber River
- Visit Vatican and explore the neighborhood around it
- Take a walk on Via del Corso and shop
- Go to Leonardo Da Vinci Museum
- Go to their famous Piazzas
- Explore the Colosseum, Roman Forum and their surroundings
- Eat pizza, pasta, gelato and all their delicious foods
- Drink your espresso at one of their beautiful cafeterias
- Stay at a hotel with a roof terrace
- Go to Fontana di Trevi
Walk along the Tiber River
Of course, you don’t have to walk along the whole big river. Start your journey in front of Sant’Angelo castle and walk till Ponte Palatino.
In Italian, “ponte” means bridge. Taking this walk, you will see some of the most beautiful bridges, with impressive statues, beautiful architecture and a lovely view of the houses near the river.
In this area, the houses are in a very traditional architecture and all of them have their lovely “persiane” (window shutters). But the houses are not just alongside the Tiber, they are also on the river.
While you approach Ponte Palatino, you will start to see a big number of floating houses and restaurants. It is a quite impressive and distinctive view.
Visit Vatican and explore the neighborhood around it
The Holy City is not just about religion and praying, it is a work of art. Some of the most impressive paintings and sculptures can be found here.
One of the most famous and important buildings in Vatican, is the Sistine Chapel. At the interior, it is decorated with amazing frescoes. The whole ceiling and also the “Last judgement” were painted by Michelangelo.
The Gardens of Vatican, are one of the most beautiful gardens. They expand on over 20 hectares of land and are beautifully decorated with amazing plants and gorgeous statues. The Gardens visit is included in the Sistine Chapel ticket price.
After a few hours spent in Vatican, it is a pleasure to walk through the neighborhood surrounding it. There you will find traditional houses, small boutique hotels, small cafes and restaurants. You must take a most needed break and relax in this part of town.
Take a walk on Via del Corso and shop
It is one of the main streets in the Historic city of Rome. It is narrow for these times, but a lot of centuries ago, it was considered a very big street.
Via del Corso starts from the entrance of the historic city, Porta del Popolo and ends at the base of Capitoline Hill. It is one of the most busy and important pedestrian areas in the old city part of Rome.
Walking on Via del Corso, you will find a lot of shops and also cafes and Pasticcerias. Try the local shops, not just the big brands, you will for sure find some items that cannot be found somewhere else.
Go to Leonardo da Vinci Museum
This is a hidden gem. It is not hidden or hard to find, but most of the city guides or tourist articles do not include it. After dealing with crowds in the most popular areas, finding this little museum was a breath of fresh air.
Here are displayed some of Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions, some of his early paint sketches, his studies of the human anatomy and a lot more.
If you want to see his work of the first diving suit or his ideas of how the human body works, here is the place to go. The museum is located in Piazza del Popolo, in the Santa Maria de Popolo Basilica.
Go to their famous Piazzas
In the historic heart of Rome, there are several amazing piazzas, each of them having a main tourist attraction.
Piazza del Popolo – It is a large urban square and is located at the very entrance of the ancient city. It starts from the Porta del Popolo and Basilica Santa Maria de Popolo, till the entrance of Via del Corso Street. Here you will find Neptune’s Fountains.
Piazza Navona – is one of the main tourist attractions. The public square is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, and follows the form of it. Here is where people came to watch the games (“agones”), and over the time the name changed from agones to avone, and later to navona. One of the most important monuments is Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi.
Piazza di Spagna – It is one of the most famous squares in Rome. The name of the public square comes from the Palazzo di Spagna. The Piazza is located at the bottom of the famous Spanish Steps. It is a pleasant place for walking or to enjoy an espresso sitting at one of the many caffes.
These are just the top most popular public squares of the historical city. There are a lot more and each more beautiful than the other.
Explore the Colosseum, Roman Forum and their surroundings
One of the New 7 Wonders of the World, the Colosseum is a symbol of Imperial Rome. It is the largest amphitheater ever built and by estimations, the average number of spectators was about 65000.
Even though it was heavily ruined by time, earthquakes and stone robbers, most of it stands still and it is one of Rome’s most visited tourist attractions.
The Roman Forum, located close to the Colosseum, is a plaza surrounded by the ruins of important ancient buildings (mostly government buildings). It will give you an idea of how Rome used to be in ancient times. One of the most important monuments that can be seen at the Roman Forum, is the Temple of Saturn.
Eat pizza, pasta, gelato and all their delicious foods
It should be illegal to visit Italy, especially Rome, without indulging in their amazing food. Here you will find the REAL taste of pizza and pasta, the original and perfect recipes. Visiting Rome means tasting the home-made pasta and/or pizza, in a little restaurant, situated in a beautiful Piazza.
If the weather is nice, you can stop and sit on a bench, while devouring the delicious gelato.
In Rome you can skip fast food chains like McDonalds, here you can even find fast food restaurants specialized in lasagna.
Drink your espresso at one of their beautiful cafeterias
The Italian culture of coffee started in the 1500s. It has developed a big and interesting culture and traditions. In Italy you will not find Starbucks like coffee shops in every corner, they are just a few and built just for the tourist. Italians drink their coffee at home or take it from a small neighborhood coffee shop.
It is a must to take a seat at one of the most beautiful cafes and restaurants, in Rome’s Piazzas and enjoy your espresso or your cappuccino (if it is still morning).
Stay at a hotel with a roof terrace
I think that this should be added as a filter on hotel booking websites, for a trip to Rome. In the historical part of the city, especially in the neighborhood surrounding Vatican City, there are several houses and hotels that have roof terraces. This makes a perfect spot for drinking your morning coffee and to enjoy the views of the old town. Most of the terraces have also a roof top garden with basil, oregano and bay leaves in pots, and even tomatoes and trees are to be found, besides beautiful flowers.
Go to Fontana di Trevi
Toss a coin and make a wish.
Fontana di Trevi is one of Rome’s top tourist attractions. Everybody wants a picture with this spectacular work of art. The crowds of tourist are huge, but it is worth it. I think the best time to go is in the early morning, to try to avoid the big mass of people and to have more space for yourself to admire it and to make several wishes.
Rome is beauty, art and history. It is modern, but still traditional. The city is made of kind people, delicious food and incredibly rich history.
Nobody needs a reason to visit Rome, you just come back to the roots, to where it all begin.
Rome is incredibly…
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