When one says Rome – one implies history. Here one feels like the history is practically alive making it so different in comparison to the dry history-books or boring Latin lessons. Rightly so, as Rome is one of the world’s culture capitals.

One of the most important ancient monuments and landmarks of Rome is the Colosseum. At its time it was the largest amphitheatre in the Roman Empire and was built in an astonishingly short amount of time from 72-80 AD.

The Circus Maximus is another well known attraction from ancient Rome – located at the ‘Via Appia Antica’. The building was erected early in Roman history – in the year 500BC and over the centuries was expanded and reinforced.

One of the most important tourist attractions in Rome is the ancient Roman Forum. Barely a visitor to the city of Popes and Caesars fails to visit this place with its important monuments. The Roman Forum was once the centre of the metropolis and beyond, to the extent that people at the time believed it was the centre of the world!

The Pantheon is the most well preserved ancient building in Rome. It is a sacred building which as the name suggests was formerly dedicated to all of the gods. Today the Pantheon is a catholic church in which Mass is regularly said every Saturday at 17 hours and every Sunday at 10.30.

St Peter’s Basilica alongside the Colosseum is one of Rome’s most impressive and famous buildings. Directly in front of the Basilica is the oval-shaped Peter’s Square.

One of the most important historical sites of the Eternal City is the famous Mausoleum of Hadrian or Castel Sant’Angelo as it is known in Italian. It is located at the equally worthwhile Bridge Ponte Sant’Angelo near St Peter’s Basilica and St Peter’s Square.

North of St Peter’s Basilica and affiliated to it lies the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel is a part of the Vatican museums – but only a small part.

The most well known are the catacombs along the ‘Via Appia Antica’. The early Christians adopted the custom of the pagan Romans of burying their dead in the catacombs and expanded it more and more in late antiquity.

The Trevi Fountain as a meeting place for lovers. Legend has it that one will surely return to Rome if one throws a coin over one’s right shoulder into the fountain. If one throws two coins then one will fall in love with a Roman. If one throws three coins then one will marry this lover.

The Spanish Steps - the most famous staircase in the world. The area around the Piazza di Spagna which is crossed by the Via Condetti has over time developed into a shopping district for exquisite tastes with numerous designer shops and boutiques.

A major attraction of ancient Rome is the ruins of the Domus Aurea – the so called ‘Golden House’. This was once a truly gigantic palace commissioned by the Emperor Nero after his previous imperial palace was destroyed by flames in the great fire of Rome in 64 BC.

The word ‘Capitol’ is an abbreviation of the two words Capitoline Hill – the smallest of the 7 hills and apparently the one on which Rome was meant to have been built. The Capitol was the political centre of the giant empire.

The Santa Maria Maggiore and the Lateran Basilica; two of the most important churches in Rome. Rome as the capital of Christianity is naturally a city of churches. There are 80 churches alone ordained by the Holy Mother Mary in Rome.

The Via Appia Antica, the longest museum in the world. The road that leads south out of Rome. It was built in the year 312 BC by Appius Claudius and although it isn’t the oldest, is certainly the most important and most famous roman road.

At its time Rome was the largest and most important city in the world. Products from all corners of the Roman Empire and beyond were brought into the city on a daily basis. Much of it came to Rome by sea since shipping was at the safest and most effective way of transporting goods and merchandise at the time.

Roman Nightlife: next to the above mentioned street in Rome the area around the Spanish Steps and the Piazza di Spagna is a popular meeting point for roman youth. The craze goes on throughout the entire Trastvere district.

There are amusement parks however they are smaller than in other European cities. The most well known is the ‘Aquapiper’, which is essentially a leisure and water park.

The cultural events in Rome are extremely varied and extensive. In the Eternal City there is after all the largest museum complex in the world (the Vatican Museums), the first public museum of the world (the Capitoline Museum) and the longest museum in the world (the Via Appia Antica).

Rome is a magnet for tourists from all over the world. Just as diverse are accommodation possibilities. They range from a suite at a luxury hotel to a simple room that is not much more than a place to sleep.

Rome is a shopper’s paradise; it has everything that one’s heart desires. In particular, the various Italian designer brands are popular and famous all around the world. In Rome there are countless designer shops and boutiques.

The public transport system in Rome is well developed. The metro only consists of 2 lines however there are more than enough bus routes and several tram lines.