Why travel to Rome? For the history, the culture and the food, of course! In addition, it is one of the most interesting and culturally richest cities in Europe, so no one can stop getting to know, appreciate and enjoy it.
Rome is incredible and unforgettable. Although it is a small city, its offer is so much and so varied that a single trip leaves us wanting to return. So today, we will see why travel to rome discovering the best it has to offer us.
Rome, the eternal city
Rome is an important name in the history of Western civilization and the main attraction of the city is precisely that Roman legacy: being a place where you can come across ruins and references to that time everywhere. Experiencing it for the first time is unmatched.
Currently the city has almost 3 million inhabitants and so is the third most populous city in the European Union. With three thousand years of history, it has come a long way that has left its mark on customs and the urban profile. If we do not count the cities of Asia, Rome has been the first metropolis in the world.
The city rests on the banks of the river Tiber and it has many green areas, gentle hills, forests, streams and lakes. The ancient heart of Rome is on the Seven Hills: Aventine, Palatine, Capitol, Esquiline, Celio, Viminal and Quirinal. To these hills are added some mountains, so when walking it sometimes the walk goes up and down providing us with beautiful views.
What can we say about Rome climate? The summer is scorching and already in October the temperatures can be around the 30º C. But winter is cold and rainy. Spring is a good season to go to Rome because it allows you to walk happily without suffering from extreme heat. An umbrella just in case and matter solved.
What to see in Rome
Rome has archaeological sites, historical monuments, fountains, picturesque streets, squares and squares, parks, palaces ... What do you like? This is the question you should ask yourself when planning a trip anywhere. Not everyone enjoys burying themselves in museums, there are people who like to make more dynamic visits, others love to try new flavors, others simply want to meet people and socialize.
Once you are clear about what your preferences are or what you do not want to miss, you can better choose what to visit in Rome. If you like the old history, then the first destination is the Colosseum Novel. Formerly this huge place was known as the Flavian Amphitheater and it was the largest built in the entire Roman Empire. It is almost two thousand years old, 188 meters long, 57 meters high and 156 meters wide.
The Colosseum began to be built under the government of Vespasian and was completed under that of Tito, in the year 80. At that time more than 50 thousand people came to enjoy the show that included gladiator fighting, executions and exotic animals and, it is said, reproductions of naval battles.
It was active for five centuries and then suffered neglect, looting, earthquakes and even bombs at the hands of the political life of Rome and Italy. Today millions of tourists visit it, an estimated six million a year, and since 2007 It is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. It opens every day from 8:30 am to 7 pm, but closes on Christmas and January 1. The combined ticket for the Colosseum, the Forum and the Palatine Hill costs 12 euros, but if you are between 18 and 24 years old it goes down to 7,50 euros.
El Roman Forum it was abandoned and forgotten for centuries. It was buried and only in the XNUMXth century did it come to light with modern excavations. The forum was the place where public and religious life took place, so it has several treasures.
Here there are several temples, the Temple of Venus, that of Saturn, that of Vesta, for example, but you will also see the Bow of Titor, commemorating the victory of Rome over Jerusalem, the Arch of Severinus the Seventh of the year 203 AD, The Curia where the Senate worked, the Seal Column from the year 608 AD more than 13 meters high, the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine, huge but in ruins, or the Via Sacra.
El Palatine HillFor its part, it was the site where the richest and most influential of ancient Rome built their residences and some of them still remain. Here you should not get lost House Flavia, the official and public residence of Emperor Domitian, the Livia's house with its mosaics and frescoes, the House of Augustus, with two levels, the Domician Racecourseor, the Gardens Farnese and Palatine Museum.
What other places should we visit in Rome? I would not leave out the beautiful Termas de Caracalla. On the other hand, inside Christian Rome you can visit the Vatican, St. Peter's Square, St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. He too Castel Sant'Angelo with its beautiful Roman bridge.
Of course, in all these places there are usually a lot of people, so everything will depend on how much interest you have in knowing them. Now if well you can move by public transport I recommend to walk. Rome is small, it is easy not to get lost and if you get lost ... what happens?
Walking allows you to get to know some of the most beautiful squares in the world such as Navona Square, San Pedro or the Spanish Square. You will also arrive at Monument to Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of unified Italy, and the Campidoglio Square.
If because you are religious, or because you are a lover of architecture and sacred art, you like churches, I'll tell you that in Rome there are many churches and basilicas interesting The favorites for tourism are Santa María Concepción, San Clemente, Santa María la Mayor, San Juan de Letrán and San Pablo Outside the Walls.
Another symbol of Rome is the Trevi Fountain. It has been restored, it was a little closed for a while, but it is already in all its glory. Another place that you come across walking is the Pantheon of Agrippa, located in front of a small square where you can stop to drink a coffee or something fresh. Do you like a little morbid? You have the Catacombs (Domitila, Priscila, Santa Inés, San Calixto and San Sebastián).
I think it's basically about divide the visit to Rome into an Imperial Rome, a Christian Rome, a Museum Rome and an open-air Rome. Obviously, with more time you can always do more things, even walking and walking without doing anything in particular, something I always recommend.
If you are interested, finally do some day trip you can get to know some of the elegant villas in the surroundings such as East Villa o Villa Adriana and already a little further, Ostia Antica.
A good way to save, if your intention is to know a lot, is to buy the Rome Pass or the OMNIA Vatican & Rome Card. Both provide discounts on various tourist attractions and allow the use of public transport in the city. The first has two versions, two or three days, and costs, the two-day 32 euros per adult and the three, 52 euros. The second costs 113 euros per adult. You should compare which attractions each one includes and choose.
Por último, la Roman gastronomy It's great and every break in your sightseeing tour will be accompanied by ice cream, pizza, a plate of pasta, fresh beer, and whatever you want. As you can see, the question of why travel to rome It has many possible answers but one thing is always certain: Rome will never disappoint you and I assure you, you will want to return.