Places to Explore

• Ancient Rome

  If you ever wanted to feel like the Caesars—with all of ancient Rome (literally) at your feet—simply head to Michelangelo's famed Piazza del Campidoglio. There, make a beeline for the terrace... (more)

• Aventino and Testaccio

  Rising like a massive headland above the Tiber, the Aventino hill is the one area in Rome where trills of birdsong win out over the din of traffic. That's highly appropriate, as the hill's name derives... (more)

• Corso and Spagna

  In spirit, and in fact, this section of Rome is its most grandiose. The overblown Vittoriano monument, the labyrinthine treasure-chest palaces of Rome's surviving aristocracy, even the diamond-draped denizens... (more)

• Esquilino and Celio

  Located east of the Termini railway station, Rome's most sprawling hill—the Esquiline—lies at the edge of the tourist maps, another Rome. Even Imperial Rome could not have matched this mini-cosmopolis... (more)

• Navona and Campo

  If the Navona quarter doesn't enchant you, nothing in Rome will. Flowered balconies, brilliantly colored palazzi, Bernini's best fountain, friendly sidewalk caffé, priceless Caravaggio altarpieces... (more)

• Repubblica and Quirinale

  Just west of Rome's modern Termini train station, this area offers an extraordinary Roman blend of old and new. Although ancient artworks, great Bernini sculptures, and baroque landmarks lure the traveler... (more)

• Trastevere and the Ghetto

  If New York has its Greenwich Village, then Rome has its Trastevere. In Trastevere's case, however, the sense of being a world apart goes back more than two millenia. The inhabitants don't even call themselves... (more)

• The Vatican

  Climbing the steps to St. Peter's Basilica feels monumental, like a journey that has reached its climactic end. Harlequin-costumed Swiss Guards stand at attention, curly spears at their sides, dreaming... (more)

• Villa Borghese and Piazza del Popolo

  If beautiful masterpieces are as common as bricks in Rome, parks are far rarer. Happily, although you'll find few ilex and poplars dotting piazzi and streets, a verdant hoard can be found to the north... (more)