Discover Rome
Travel guide · editorialRome is Italy's capital and, with around 2.75 million residents, its largest city – and at the same time an open-air museum spanning nearly 3,000 years of history. Hardly any other metropolis blends antiquity, Baroque splendor, and everyday life so effortlessly: between the Colosseum, the Pantheon, and St. Peter's Basilica you'll find markets, trattorias, and piazzas where life carries on late into the night.
History in Layers
According to legend, Romulus and Remus founded the city in 753 B.C. on the seven hills along the Tiber. The city-state grew into the center of a world empire and later became the seat of the popes. These layers are still visible today: the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill tell the story of antiquity, churches such as Santa Maria Maggiore speak of early Christianity, and fountains and squares like Piazza Navona evoke the Baroque. The historic center has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980, and right in the middle of Rome lies Vatican City, the smallest state in the world.
Neighborhoods with Their Own Character
The Centro Storico around the Pantheon and Piazza Navona is the densest neighborhood, with 2,286 listed places. Across the Tiber, Trastevere beckons with cobblestone lanes, osterias, and bars; Monti, behind the Imperial Forums, is small, creative, and full of studios. Testaccio is considered the heart of traditional Roman cooking, Prati, near the Vatican, is a quieter, middle-class alternative for where to stay, and San Lorenzo is the student and nightlife district.
Food & Drink
Roman cuisine is simple and hearty: cacio e pepe, carbonara, amatriciana, saltimbocca, and fried artichokes (carciofi alla giudia) in the former Jewish Ghetto. Our atlas lists 11,499 restaurants in Rome, including 3,714 Italian restaurants and 2,439 pizzerias. For aperitivo and beyond, there are 552 cocktail bars and speakeasies – especially concentrated in Trastevere, Monti, and around Campo de' Fiori.
Getting Around Rome
Most of the sights in the historic center are within walking distance of one another; if you save places as you go, you can turn them into a day route with the route planner. For longer distances, there are three metro lines (A, B, C), buses, and trams. International flights land at Fiumicino (FCO) or Ciampino (CIA); high-speed trains run from Termini station to Florence, Naples, and Milan.
Best Time to Visit
Spring (April to June) and fall (September to October) are the most pleasant, with mild temperatures. In July and August it often gets hotter than 86 °F and very crowded; winter is quiet and mild – ideal for museums. It's worth booking ahead for the Colosseum, the Vatican Museums, and the Galleria Borghese.