Favorite thing to do in Rome
 

What was your absolutely favorite thing to do in Rome? I am going there next month.

I love Piazza Navona at night. Definitely spend some time there in the evening. Also, I would recommend a couple of churches: Santa Maria Maggiore and Santa Maria della Vittoria (where you can find Bernini's Ecstasy of Saint Teresa). <BR><BR>Something I have yet to do that I want to do soon is visit Trastevere in Rome--an area/large neighborhood on the other side of the river. <BR><BR>Anyway, hope you have a great time!

We were there during the first half of May.<BR><BR>We are not big museum or church goers.<BR><BR>We spent almost all the time outdoors and walked the whole city (from different directions and angles) each day.<BR><BR>Had a great time.<BR>I was a bit disappointed with Piazza Navona. While it is a must see, I though the Piazza and Fountain of Trevi could be better lit at night.<BR>

I love being around Via Condotti at passagiate (sp?) time, around 5 p.m. and going to eat pizza at Baffetos, going to Piazza Navona after, and then having ice cream in the piazza at Tre Scalini. Perfect evening. I have enjoyed the Coliseum and the Capitoline Museum. M.

Others will undoubtedly cite the "big name" attractions. I'll mention one of those "little name" places, for the personal memories it left with me:<BR><BR>Enoteca Buccone. Search "Buccone" for more info I have posted about it before.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

topping<BR>

Watching hunky Italian men. Mostly the ones who hold hands....and they're not gay...but that doesn't matter anyway.

We loved the Borgehese Gallery, Vatican and St. Peters. The ancient sites (Colliseum, Forum ) are great.<BR>Have a drink at one of the cafes around Piazza navona and a gelato at a nearby place.

I have always found it great fun to go down to the ruins around the Forum and watch the Gypsy mamas throw their babies at the tourists while their bigger kids pick the fanny packs.

My husband loved the Vatican and the Sistene Chapel. My personal favorite was the Coliseum. The other thing that I enjoyed immensely, was the wall around Rome. You walk down a sidewalk, there's a street - with this amazingly old wall right there. But the Coliseum - it's just so amazing....

Thanks, I am really looking forward to going. This will be my first time in Rome and your suggestions help.

If you have any interest at all in church history, try to get reservations to go on the Scavi excavations tour that takes you beneath St. Peter's basillica (do a search on this forum for more info). Their email address for requesting reservations is [email protected]. Otherwise, walking through the Forum is a great experience (be sure to purchase one of the books called something like "Rome Then and Now" that have overlays showing how it looked in ancient times and how it looks now, since only ruins are there today. Really interesting stuff!

Another very nice area if you are into walking, is Aventine Hill. You can stroll up the tree lined streets past some beautiful villas, embassies, and churches. Peek thru the keyhole at the Knights of Malta building for an unforgetable view of St. Peters. Continue down the other side, and you come to Testacchio, an upper middle class Roman neighborhood with lots of shops and restuarants, nearly undiscovered by tourists.

I had heard about that keyhole and was wondering how to find it. That sounds like a good walk.

For sure, Trastevere for night strolling and dining. Personally, I was willing to skip the Vatican while there, but after being convinced by my travelling partner it was a must, would recommend it to anybody. It was simply beautiful...Also dinner in the Jewish getto area is great.

Some more ideas for Lorenz!

We walked Aventine Hill with a friend of ours who lived in Rome, so I wasn't paying too much attention to street names. I do know that we started by Circus Maximus, which is now a big open grassy field, and is south of the forum.<BR>I would guess Aventine Hill is the southmost of Rome's 7 hills.The keyhole view is at a building on the right hand side, about at the top of the hill with some type of a parking lot nearby, but it's not well marked. There are usually a few people peeking thru it. There is also a very nice monestary on the walk, that sells their own olive oils, liquors, and candies - the pine flavored candy is an aquired taste :-)

It's hard to pick a favorite in Rome.<BR>Walking around the entire city, in every area was spectacular. Our hotel, just around the corner from the Pantheon (we ate gelato there each night)was a highlight. I loved Santa Cecilia in Trastevere (she was burned to death and her remains are watched over here!). Santa Maria sopra Minerva has the most beautiful interior with such a plain facade- Andre Bocelli recorded a concert here right before we were there ( a beautiful video!!). Our highlight would definately be the accidental discovery of a free concert by Jose Carreras (3 Tenors) in a church built by Michealangelo- it was fabulous; the Rome philharmonic choir sang the Hallelujah chorus in Italian!<BR>Everything was so magical- the Forum, the Colisseum, The Vatican!, the Victor Emmanuel Monument (huge typewriter/wedding cake) at night- all the historic sites at night. <BR>I hope you enjoy the city as much as we did in 2000. I highly recommend the Dorling Kindersley Travel Guide to Rome- you don't need tours, just make your own.<BR>We also loved Venice- unbelievable and a must must see!<BR>We hope to visit Paris in Feb. 2003; if all is &quot;safe&quot; in the world at that time.<BR>

Hi Connie,<BR>I love Rome &amp; hope you have a lovely trip!<BR><BR>In January, I went on a tour of Castel Sant'Angelo. When the tour ended, the day was just ending, and the sun beginning to set. It was a marvelous opportunity to snap some photos, and have an espresso at the little cafe at the top. It was really beyond my expectations to have such a gorgeous, serene moment at the end of a day that had been chock-full of sightseeing for me, and it was a lovely way to end the day before going back to the hotel to take a bath and dress for dinner.<BR><BR>Buon Viaggio,<BR>BC

Second vote for the Castel Sant'Angelo. We decided it was the best view.