Rome 101: Bucket List For Rome-ing

Rome, at times referred to as the eternal city, is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places in the world. Millions of people visit this city every year to explore its magnificent history, museums, architecture, culture, art and natural beauty. Rome is the capital city of Italy with a population 2.8 million and a rich history spanning 2,500 years.

Being the 11^th most visited city in the world, I can see why Rome and Italy in general is a popular destination among couples and especially for newly weds. My new fiance actually wants to honeymoon in either Italy or South Africa. South Africa would have been nice but the food, history, and attractions is why we ultimately decided to go with Rome. So below is our rundown of attractions to visit during our 10 day visit which will hopefully help you future Rome-ers plan a trip. We also skipped the hotel route and booked an apartment, but of course the choice is yours.

The Rome Bucket List

St Peters Basilica

First make a trip to the Vatican and St Peters Basilica which are two of the most beautiful churches in the world. Here you will see beautiful marble statues as well as Michelangelo’s dome.

Sistine Chapel

Visit the Vatican museum and see the Sistine chapel with various artworks by Rapheals and Michelangelo’. The interior filled with renaissance architecture and many examples of the classical heritage of Rome. Make sure you have kept free a whole day to do this because you will be waiting in line for 1 to 2 hours to get inside and a further 2 to 3 hours inside the museum looking at the magnificent man made wonders inside.

Colosseum

The next place to visit is the Colosseum. Here you can bask in the atmosphere of this amazing architecture with its sometimes tragic history. The Colosseum also knows as the Flavian Amphitheater is the largest amphitheater in the world, seating 50,000 spectators and is recognized as one of the greatest examples of innovative Roman engineering and architecture. Here the Romans watched ferocious battles between gladiators and animals which resulted in the death of millions of people.

Palatine Hill

The next place that is a must see is palatine hill. Standing 40 meters high and is one of the most ancient parts of the city, this is where the emperors had their palaces and their homes and here you will see how they lived and you will even see the private mini stadium inside their palaces. This is truly an amazing site to see. Close to Palatine hill you have the forum Romanum, where you can walk through and see where the tax agents, accountants, lawyers and retail stores used to be.

Pantheon

The next place to visit is the Pantheon which is the oldest standing roman building, still in excellent condition. Many important figures were buried here including the kings of Italy and Rapheal. This magnificent architectural feat with a hole in the roof is one of the most visited attractions in the city.

Fontana de Trevi [Trevi Fountain]

The Trevi fountain is the next thing to see, it is over 200 years old. The first coin you throw in must be a wish to come back to Rome and the second coin you need to make a wish that you hope come true!

Spanish Steps

The next place to visit is the Spanish steps where you can get ice cream or have a picnic and just rest from shopping at the designer stores that surround the steps. Recently in an attempt to keep the steps clean from litter the Italian police have banned eating while sitting on the steps. Here you will see people singing and shouting, taking pictures and just enjoying them.

….and finally Vila Borghese

At the Vila Borghese you can have a fun filled family outing. This is a garden with beautiful landscaped parks and also a zoo and bikes that you could hire for the kids.

This is a simplified Rome Bucket List as there are dozens of other great attractions to check out. The places listed above were selected by my fiance and I and if there are some places you want to suggest, feel free to comment below.