Colisseum, Rome
Why? Hundreds of thousands of visitors travel to Rome on
holiday every year to steep themselves in the remnants of the
ancient Roman Empire, glory in the artistic treasures of the
Vatican City, and gorge on pasta and pizza as fountains play in
dozens of pretty piazzas.
When? The best time to travel to Rome is during the spring
(April and May) when the city experiences lovely warm holiday
weather with plenty of sunshine and blue skies. The height of
summer (July and August) can be uncomfortably hot for foot-slogging
sightseers.
Who for? Travel to Rome if you are a serious tourist, intent
on seeing some of the world's greatest historical sites. For
Catholics a visit to Rome is beyond a holiday, more of an
unforgettable pilgrimage to the Vatican City, and even
non-Christians are awed by Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine
Chapel. Art-lovers will find marvels on every street corner.
More Info: Our Rome travel guide is the best way to begin
your acquaintance with 'the eternal city'. The Rome travel guide
contains all you need to know to plan a holiday in Rome, from entry
requirements to how to get around, details of the top attractions
and suggestions on where to eat.
Overview
The eternal city of Rome, constructed of ruins and in whose name
the Caesars sought to claim the world, opens for the visitor as a
living museum. The centuries peel back with each new vista in this
great city of gladiators, lunatic drivers and well-rounded pasta
posteriors. Vespas, nippy little Fiats and red sports cars speed
past trendy sidewalk bistros and nightclubs, revealing the Rome of
Fellini's La Dolce Vita. The chillingly stark facades of
the Stadio Olimpico complex bring back Mussolini's attempts to
reinvent the architecture of the Caesars.
For a taste of the Baroque, visitors need only climb the famous
Spanish Steps, walk through the Piazza Navona or toss a coin into
the beautiful Trevi Fountain. Renaissance splendour is perhaps best
revealed in the Pope's residence, the Vatican Palace, or in
Michelangelo's efforts on the roof of the Sistine Chapel. From
early Christian Basilicas to the Roman Forum, the Colosseum and the
Pantheon, the sequence of history trails back to the height of the
Roman Empire.
It may sound like a city of contrasts, but Rome's timeless magic
lies in its ability to blend the old with the new. Empires have
risen and fallen, old gods have been replaced with new ones, but
Rome remains.
