Rome Travel Guide, Italy

Italy’s capital city is located in the central-western part of the Italian peninsula, in the Lazio region and has about 2.7 million residents. But you can add to this number the millions of tourists that come here every year to see a city with almost 3 thousand years of history. It is the most visited city in Italy.

Seeing the ruins of what once Rome was mingled with all the modern buildings is what attracts tourists. Rome is like an open air museum a much convincing one as you can see relics in the original place where they once were and that’s much more exciting. You don’t really need to visit museums in Rome. Roman citizens have the privilege to live in a city that preserves its past while making way to new technology in a way that it is not intrusive. Being so conscious of your past makes you have a better idea of who you are and where your ancestors came from. I think Romans know more history than any other citizens in Italy as they are bound to know it. If there happens to be an isolated case of someone not wanting to learn anything in school he will just have to ask the tourists.

But anyway it is quite impossible to avoid your past in Rome. You are surrounded with the architectural masterpieces, ruins, monuments, famous paintings, churches listed as world heritage sites and you go about your modern everyday life in ancient surroundings. Romans must feel really privileged and special and they really are as they succeeded in preserving their beloved city not only for themselves but for the whole world to see.

The Colosseum, the Pantheon, St. Peter's Basilica, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona and all the other attractions are invaded by tourists from all over the world especially in summer and then Rome doubles its residents. Streets are overcrowded; the traffic is terrible and chaotic and if you want to drive in Rome you have to be very careful as Romans are not cautious, you’ll see the majority of the cars hit as they bump into each other. The lucky ones are those riding a motor scooter as they don’t get blocked in traffic jams.

But the city kind of empties of its residents in August when everybody has a holiday, except maybe those who work in restaurants, hotels and other places that maintain tourism. This makes way to more tourists.

Tourists who come here for religious purposes and not only, visit Vatican the smallest state in the world, the center of Catholicism and the Pope’s residence. Seeing the Vatican you can realize that the Catholic Church is very rich and powerful.

Visiting all the attractions can take you quite some time, but after a day of running for the sensational with the camera in your hand feeling like a paparazzi and not wanting to miss a spot, you can relax in one of the many cafes and restaurants that offer you the same exciting atmosphere, fine dining, creative cuisine, and rustic Roman tradition.

You can expect good quality food and excellent service so you can indulge in haute and nouvelle cuisine.

Nightlife is excellent and it is pumped by the tourists and locals alike, discos, bars, clubs are full up and you can spend your whole night dancing, parting and maybe put on a robe to feel like a Roman in ancient times.

A mixture of past and modern, Rome has a character of its own, a long story to tell and lots more tourists to host.

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Read our members' reviews about Rome

• St. Peter Basilica in Rome is a must see
  review by cipristb posted more then 30 days ago
  Basilica of St. Peter is one of the main attractions for tourists visiting Rome. It is located in Vatican City in the famous "Piazza San Pietro. The building today is the result of work across several centuries. Originally it was the monument where St. Peter was martyred and buried. Between...
• Favorite attraction in Rome
  review by cipristb posted more then 30 days ago
  The Pantheon was built for the first time in the year 27 AD bt Agrippa, but suffered a serious fire in year 80 so that was rebuilt in the same form by the Emperor Hadrian in 127. In the year 609 the Pantheon came into the custody of the pope Bonifaciu the forth who transformed the it in a...
• Rome requires much time
  review by Wazling posted more then 30 days ago
  Rome is really great. Sometimes a bit crowded in the season, but if you know the city, you can always find lovely places, bars and restaurants. I have discovered some very nice narrow streets, not crowded, only locals were there with their pictoresque old houses. If you want to see Rome and not...

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Read our members' travel tips about Rome

• The catacombs
  travel tip by Wazling posted more then 30 days ago
  The Catacombs of St.Callixtus (San Callisto) are among the largest and most important of Rome. They originated around the middle of the 2nd Century. and form a burial complex of 15 hectares of expansion, with the ductal network of about...
• Trastevere
  travel tip by MadSuh posted more then 30 days ago
  Trastevere offers a lot of beauty and life. This is the old town of Rome, if one can really call it that. It should be called the "really old" town. Anyhow, the place is a student's favorite hangout. It's packed with bars, coffee shops...
• Campo Santo
  travel tip by Wazling posted more then 30 days ago
  If a german visits the sistine chapel, he should also visit the 'campo santo'. It reaches back in medieval times and you´re only allowed to enter it when you´re german or at least german speaking. That was fixed in medieval times.

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