Rough Guides - Pocket Rough Guide Rome (Travel Guide with Free eBook)

When most people think of Rome they imagine sights and monuments: the Colosseum, Roman Forum, the Vatican and St Peters giant, see-before-you-die sights that are reason enough for a visit. Its true that theres no more monumental city in the world than Rome; yet the city is much more than an open-air museum. Theres an unpretentiousness to Italys capital and its inhabitants that belies the historical significance and marks it out from its rivals further north. Its almost as if Rome doesnt have to try too hard, aware that it is simply the most fascinating city in Italy and arguably the world. With its vibrant street life, culture and food, the city has a modern and irresistible edge. As a historic place, Rome is special enough, but as a contemporary European capital, it is unique.

Piazza del Popolo

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Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere

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Packed with the relics of well over two thousand years of inhabitation, Rome is a city in which you could spend a month and still only scratch the surface. The citys eras crowd in on top of one another to a remarkable degree: there are medieval churches atop ancient basilicas and palaces; houses and apartment blocks that incorporate fragments of Roman columns and inscriptions; and roads and piazzas that follow the lines of ancient amphitheatres and stadiums. Its not an easy place to absorb on one visit, and you need to take things slowly, even if you have only a couple of days here. Most of the sights can be approached from a number of directions, and part of the allure of Rome is stumbling across things by accident, gradually piecing the city together, rather than marching around to a timetable. Its best to decide on a few key attractions (check out our ideas in ) and see where your feet take you. Above all, dont be afraid to just wander.

Youd certainly be mad to risk your blood pressure in any kind of vehicle, and the best way of getting around the city centre is to walk. The same goes for the ancient sites, and probably the Vatican and Trastevere quarter too although for these last two you might want to jump on a bus or a tram going across the river. Keep public transport for longer hops down to Testaccio, Ostiense or EUR, or to the catacombs and the Via Appia Antica and, of course, for trips outside the city: to Ostia Antica, Tivoli, the Castelli Romani or nearby beaches.

Whats new

Romes ancient sites have been dragged into the twenty-first century with the introduction of virtual reality: at the Domus Aurea , Palazzo Valentini and the Baths of Caracalla , you can now rent VR goggles that restore the structures to their former glory, embellishing the crumbling stone with mosaics and frescoes. After dark, seek out the citys new crop of speakeasy-style bars; Jerry Thomas Project is one of the best.

When to visit

You can enjoy Rome at any time of year. However, you should, if you can, avoid coming in July and especially August, when it can be uncomfortably hot and most Romans are on holiday indeed in August you may find many of the restaurants recommended in this book closed. May, June and September are the most pleasant months weather-wise warm but not unbearably so, and not too humid. April and October can be nice too the city is less crowded, outside Easter, and days can still be warm and sunny. The winter months can be a good time to visit, but bear in mind that the weather is unpredictable and, while youll find everything pleasantly uncrowded, some attractions will have reduced opening hours.

However you get around, Romes atmosphere is like no other citys a monumental, busy capital and yet an appealingly relaxed one, with a centre that has yet to be consumed by chain stores and multinational hotels. Above all, there has perhaps never been a better time to visit. Rome has finally been hauled into the twenty-first century: museums, churches and other buildings that had been in restoration as long as anyone can remember have reopened, and some of the citys historic collections have been rehoused. Plus, the citys cultural life is thriving, with frequent open-air concerts and a flourishing film festival in October. Transport, too, is being tackled, with the construction of a third metro line, although it may be some time before this is finished.

Whether all this will irrevocably alter the character of the city remains to be seen the enhanced crowds of visitors, spurred on by the growth of cheap flights in recent years, are certainly having an impact. But its a resilient place, with a character like no other, and, for now at least, theres definitely no place like Rome.

Dining alfresco in Campo de Fiori

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