One of the most beautiful and ancient cities in the world, Rome has so much to offer anyone who finds themselves in this majestic city. From guided tours in famous attractions to just walking around the streets, Rome will have the inspirations and experiences you’ve been searching for!

Popular Attractions

Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain is one of the most well known fountains in the world. Being the background for many media outlets such as movies and the such, its no wonder why its one of the busiest tourist spots in the city. This famous fountain along with many other fountains around the city were built as a type of beautifying celebration of the rebuilding of the aqueducts in the 15th century after being destroyed by invaders in the 6th century. When an aqueduct reconstruction was finished, the Pope would order a sculptor to build a fountain to honor it. Trevi Fountain was built in honor of the Acqua Vergine which stills supplies water to the fountain to this day. Getting a clear picture of this beautiful sight is a struggle since there are hundreds of people surrounding it at all times of the day and night, (I also went in the high season) but with patience, you can get the view and picture you want! There is a legend surrounding throwing coins into the fountain as well. As fortune has it, you must have your back towards the fountain and you must be throwing from your right hand over your left shoulder; One coin means a return to Rome, two coins means you will find a new romance, and three coins means a coming marriage. Who’s willing to test their luck and fate at the Trevi Fountain?

Pantheon

The Pantheon was originally constructed as a temple to honor all gods and is said to be one of the most ancient buildings in Rome, although the exact date of construction is still unknown to this day. It was the first Pagan temple to be converted to a Catholic Church in 609, which is how it survived through the middle ages and into the modern day. The building features sixteen huge 60 ton columns in the front in which only three have had to be fixed from the original structure. It also features the largest unsupported dome in the world that has a unique hole in the top which was used as a connection between the temple and the gods and also the only light source. The Pantheon and surrounding plaza are a wonderful place to see when touring the city!

Spanish Steps

The Spanish Steps were constructed in 1723-1725 to connect the French church at the top of the hill to the Spanish square below. Now the widest stairway in Europe, the early culture of a meeting point between people of all backgrounds has lived on to the present day. At the base of the steps lies a fountain named “Fountain of the Old Boat” which was sculpted after a legend stating that there was an old boat found at that spot after a huge flood of the Tibet river in the 16th century. The Spanish Steps offer a great place to relax for a bit and meet people from around the world.

My Overall Experience

I absolutely loved Rome! I decided to go solo and stay in a hostel to get the most our of my experience. I explain more specifics about this side of the experience in my blog post titled “My First Experience Traveling Solo”. I will say I had an absolutely amazing experience. The hostel I stayed at had an amazing environment and offered multiple different tours around the city. I took a tour that led a guided group through the city around dusk and made some amazing friends because of it!

I went in the high season of summer and still enjoyed myself through the crowds and chaos of the bustling city. If you don’t like crowds, I would definitely recommend going during the low season, usually around winter time. These seasons can easily be identified with a quick internet search.

With the help of people who had experienced Rome before me and the online tour site I went through I was able to develop a solid itinerary that I was able to follow for my trip. I had planned two tours in advance to Vatican City and The Colosseum and Surrounding Areas, which I have made separate blog posts about in case you are interested. This helped my trip exponentially with flow and timing. I never felt rushed to do anything and learned SO MUCH through my amazing tour guides. I also made friends at my hostel that I walked around with outside the planned tours which made it so much more fun!

Many areas and attractions around the city are open to the public simply by walking into the area. Some attractions require fees to enter and depending on the season, can have a massive waiting line. I would definitely do research into where you want to go and buy a ticket if required in advance. Please keep in mind that many if not all churches require shoulders and knees be covered to enter. This can be attained with a shawl type wrap that you can get in advance or that are sold by street vendors.

Speaking of street vendors, watch out for them! They have been known to give you items as if it were a gift, but then charging you and chasing you for walking away! They will do things like hold umbrellas over your head, put hats on your head, and even put things in your hands. Be stern with them and tell them no, but don’t yell or get physical as this can cause a scene and situation you don’t want to be apart of. Even traveling solo as a small female, I didn’t have too big of an issue with this.

I would highly recommend Rome to anyone! Whether you are someone who is interested in an adventure through time and history or just looking for a city to stroll around and take in the beautiful sites, Rome offers everything you need. I had an amazing time meeting people from around the world and definitely plan on going back!

Thank you for reading and happy traveling.

Date Visited: August 13-15, 2019

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