Welcome to Rome

Rome is not a city you visit — Rome is a city you experience. No other metropolis in the world so effortlessly combines 2,700 years of history with vibrant city life, ancient temples with espresso culture, and papal splendor with Roman chaos. The Eternal City is an open-air museum where the Colosseum stands next to a pizzeria and a baroque fountain forms the backdrop for your dinner.

• Ancient Wonders — The Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, the Baths of Caracalla: In Rome, you stand at the places that shaped Western civilization. No history book can replace the feeling of walking the same streets that Caesar, Augustus, and Nero once tread.
• The Vatican — The Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums: The smallest state in the world houses the largest art collection of mankind. Michelangelo's ceiling fresco is so overwhelming that even the greatest skeptic holds their breath.
• Culinary Delights — Pasta alla Carbonara, Cacio e Pepe, Supplì, Gelato, Espresso at the counter: Rome's cuisine is the mother of all Italian cuisines — down-to-earth, uncompromising, and incredibly good. In Rome, you don't just eat, you celebrate.
• Dolce Vita — The sweet life is not a legend, but a daily reality. Aperitivo at sunset on a rooftop terrace, a stroll through Trastevere by candlelight, Gelato at the Spanish Steps — Rome is the most romantic city in the world.
• Baroque Splendor — Bernini's fountains, Borromini's churches, Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain: Rome is the capital of the Baroque. Around every corner awaits a church that would be a national monument elsewhere.
• Lively Neighborhoods — Trastevere with its cobblestone streets and ivy-covered facades, Monti as the bohemian district, Testaccio as the culinary heart, the Via Appia Antica as a time travel to ancient Rome.
• Free Art — Hundreds of churches with masterpieces by Caravaggio, Michelangelo, and Bernini — and admission is almost always free. No other city in the world offers so much world-class art at no cost.
• The Chaos — Yes, the traffic is wild, the bureaucracy absurd, and sometimes nothing works. But that's precisely where Rome's charm lies: The city is unfiltered, authentic, and full of surprises. You seek perfection in Zurich — in Rome, you seek life.

Rome is the city where antiquity and modernity, chaos and beauty, faith and indulgence blend into an incomparable mix. Anyone who has strolled through Trastevere in the evening, sipped an espresso at a marble bar, and entered the Pantheon in the morning light will never forget Rome.

Rome's historical center (Centro Storico) is compact and walkable. The main neighborhoods:

Centro Storico (Historical Center)

For whom: First-time visitors, sightseeing fans, romantics
The heart of Rome: Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, Campo de' Fiori, Piazza di Spagna. Everything is close together here. Cobblestone streets, baroque churches, and hidden piazzas at every corner. Expensive, but indispensable.

Colosseum, Forum & Palatine

For whom: History buffs, ancient lovers
Pure ancient Rome: Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Circus Maximus. This is where it all began. A whole day is barely enough to grasp the dimensions of the Roman Empire.

Vatican & Prati

For whom: Art and church lovers, pilgrims
St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Museums, and the Castel Sant'Angelo. Prati around it is a quiet, elegant residential area with good restaurants off the tourist paths.

Trastevere

For whom: Night owls, gourmets, romantics
The most charming district of Rome: narrow alleys, ivy-covered facades, lanterns, the best trattorias, and nightlife that is second to none. In the evenings, the piazzas transform into open-air restaurants.

Monti

For whom: Bohemian lovers, vintage shoppers, foodies
Rome's oldest residential district is now its hippest: vintage shops, craft cocktail bars, small galleries, and a young, creative scene. Just a few minutes' walk from the Colosseum.

Testaccio

For whom: Foodies, off-the-beaten-path travelers
The culinary heart of Rome: This is where Cucina Romana was born. Coda alla vaccinara, Trippa alla romana, and the best Supplì in the city. The Mercato di Testaccio is a must.

1. Enter the Colosseum — Stand in the largest amphitheater of antiquity and imagine how 50,000 Romans watched gladiator fights here. The arena where the fate of man and beast was sealed — overwhelming in every way. → Chap. Historical Center
2. Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel — Tilt your head back and gaze at the story of creation — Michelangelo's masterpiece, painted over four years while lying on his back. One of humanity's greatest artworks. → Chap. Vatican
3. The Pantheon in Morning Light — Enter the best-preserved temple of antiquity when the beam of light falls through the oculus (the 9-meter opening in the dome) onto the marble floor. Unchanged for 2,000 years. → Chap. Historical Center
4. Throw a Coin in the Trevi Fountain — Over the right shoulder, with the left hand: The legend promises you will return to Rome. Daily, 3,000 euros land in the water here. → Chap. Historical Center
5. Eat Carbonara where it was invented — Try authentic Pasta alla Carbonara in Testaccio: Guanciale, Pecorino Romano, egg yolk, pepper — nothing else. No cream, never. → Chap. Monti & Testaccio
6. Sunset on Pincio Hill — Look over the Piazza del Popolo at the domes of Rome from the Terrazza del Pincio as the sun bathes the city in gold. Free and unforgettable. → Chap. Historical Center
7. Stroll through Trastevere — Wander through the cobblestone streets of the most charming district in the evening, past trattorias with candlelight, street musicians, and ivy-covered house walls. → Chap. Vatican & Trastevere
8. Climb St. Peter's Basilica — 551 steps (or elevator + 320 steps) to the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. From above: a 360° panorama over Rome and the Vatican that takes your breath away. → Chap. Vatican
9. Gelato at the Spanish Steps — Enjoy a handcrafted Gelato from one of Rome's legendary gelaterias and watch the Piazza di Spagna from the steps of the Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti. → Chap. Historical Center
10. Walk through the Roman Forum — Stroll along the Via Sacra, where triumphal processions once paraded, and feel the center of the Roman Empire between temple columns and senate buildings. → Chap. Historical Center
11. Aperitivo at Sunset — An Aperol Spritz or Negroni on a rooftop terrace overlooking the domes — Rome's aperitivo culture is a ritual, not just a drink. → Chap. Monti & Testaccio
12. The Catacombs on the Via Appia — Descend into the underground burial sites of the early Christians and wander through kilometers of corridors where hundreds of thousands are buried. → Chap. Surroundings
13. Espresso at a Marble Bar — Standing, at a polished counter, enjoy a perfect espresso for 1.20 euros — the daily ritual of the Romans. → Chap. Monti & Testaccio
14. The Villa Borghese and its Gallery — Bernini's Apollo and Daphne, Caravaggio's masterpieces, and Canova's Paolina — all in a villa surrounded by Rome's most beautiful park. → Chap. Historical Center
15. Tivoli — The Gardens of the Emperors — The Villa d'Este with its 500 fountains and the Villa Adriana, Emperor Hadrian's summer residence — two UNESCO World Heritage sites on a day trip. → Chap. Surroundings