Fodors Rome

Good Walks

Coming off the Autostrada at Roma Nord or Roma Sud, you know by the convergence of heavily trafficked routes that you are entering a grand nexus: All roads lead to Rome. And then the interminable suburbs, the railroad crossings, the intersectionsno wonder they call it the Eternal City.

As you enter the city proper, features that match your expectations begin to take shape: a bridge with heroic statues along its parapets; a towering cake of frothy marble decorated with allegorical figures in extravagant poses; a piazza and an obelisk under an umbrella of pine trees. Then you spot what looks like a multistory parking lot; with a gasp, you realize its the Colosseum.

You have arrived. Youre in the citys heart. You step down from your excursion bus onto the broad girdle of tarmac that encircles the great stone arena of the Roman emperors, and scurry out of the way of the passing Fiatsthe motorists behind the wheels seem to display the panache of so many Ben-Hurs.

The excitement of arriving here jolts the senses and sharpens expectations. The timeless city to which all roads lead, Mamma Roma enthralls visitors today as she has since time immemorial. More than Florence, more than Venice, this is Italys treasure storehouse. Here, the ancient Romans made us heirs-in-law to what we call Western Civilization; where centuries later Michelangelo painted the Sistine Ceiling; where Gian Lorenzo Berninis baroque nymphs and naiads still dance in their marble fountains; and where, at Cinecitt Studios, Fellini filmed La Dolce Vita and . Today, the city remains a veritable Grand Canyon of culture: Ancient Rome rubs shoulders with the medieval, the modern runs into the Renaissance, and the result is like nothing so much as an open-air museum.

Little wonder Romes enduring popularity feeds a gluttonous tourism industry that can feel more like National Lampoons European Vacation than Roman Holiday . As tour buses belch black smoke and the line at the Vatican Museums stretches on into eternity, even the steeliest of sightseers have been known to wonder, why am I here?

The answer, with apologies to Dorothy, is: Theres no place like Rome. Yesterdays Grand Tourists thronged the city for the same reason todays Expedians do. Majestic, complicated, enthralling, romantic, chaotic, monumental Rome is one of the worlds great citiespast, present, and, probably, future.

And today Rome is a future-forward city. In 2010, the Eternal City is outdazzling many of its Italian rivals with a newly unleashed vitality. Move over hip and chic Milan: Rome is moving up in the rankings ever higher to becoming the next posh metropolitan It city.

Romans are ready to show the world that its old-world waysslow pace, antique-flair, and everything miniare ancient history. Romans are changing gears and starting to live life in the fast lane.

Mega-shopping malls, tech-savvy sumptuousness, fusion food, and even gas-guzzling SUVs have made their way to the ancient home of the popes. Romans are more connected than ever before: even Pope Benedict XVI cant do without his Facebook.