City Guide

Paying a visit to the Colosseum is such a predictable move that travelers are often surprised by how intriguing the ancient amphitheatre really is. The grandeur is best appreciated with an organized tour - the guys standing around in breastplates, helmets, and leather sandals can point travelers in the right direction. Listen up to as the guide reviews the historical background and shares interesting little vignettes about the brave fighters, the passionate crowds, and the wacky sideshows. Make sure to bring plenty of film: after the formal tour is over, visitors can wander around certain sections of the interior, seeing the broken-off rocks up close, and take photos to impress their pals back home who have seen repeat performances of Russell Crowe's fictionalized turn as an ancient gladiator. Combination tickets permit entrance to a host of other ancient sites like the Baths of Caracalla, Palatine Hill, and the Catacombs.

Colosseum (Coliseum), (06) 700 4261, www.museidiroma.com.colosseo.htm, March-August 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m., September 9 a.m.-7 p.m., October 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m., October-February 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., February-March 9 a.m.-5 p.m., $12

Climb the Spanish Steps

Originally constructed in 1725 to connect the Spanish Embassy with the Holy See, this famous staircase in Piazza di Spagna consists of 138 steps leading up to the church of Trinità dei Monti. Climb to the top to look down at the fashionable scene below - the Piazza di Spagna is situated in the center of Rome's most upscale shopping district - then head back down again to admire the Baroque "Fountain of the Boat" and the house where the poet John Keats was living up until his death until 1821. A much larger and flashier Baroque fountain, the must-see Trevi with its stunning contrast of white statues and aquamarine water, is a short walk away. Visitors won't miss it: the fountain is striking and highly recognizable from well-known scenes in Roman Holiday and Fellini's La Dolce Vita. Throwing a coin over one's left shoulder, so they say, promises a return to the city.

Spanish Steps (Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti), Piazza di Spagna, Open 24 Hours, Free Admission. Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi), Piazza di Trevi, Open 24 Hours, Free Admission.

Stare Through the Hole in the Roof at the Pantheon

This huge, marvelous temple, which was originally commissioned by Marcus Agrippa in 27 B.C. with the dome later built by Hadrian, often makes first-time visitors' jaws drop as they step through the doorway. Yes, the structure is architecturally impressive from the outside, dominating the Piazza della Rotonda, but from inside, the dome is truly breathtaking. The only light that shines through the still-functional church comes through the hole in the ceiling. Standing, dwarfed, in the center of the temple and watching clouds pass over through the opening is unforgettable. Travelers who can tear their eyes away from the sight can check out the burial sites of such important Italians as Raphael and King Vittorio Emanuele I.

Pantheon, Piazza della Rotonda, Open Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Free Admission

Wander Around Ancient Ruins

Today, the political and religious center of the grand, glorious, ancient Roman Empire is a sprawling space filled with stone columns, arches, and other assorted crumbling ruins. It doesn't cost a single centissimo to explore the grounds, but most visitors won't know what they're looking at, or at any rate, won't be able to properly appreciate the Forum's various sections, without an audio guide. Rent one at the entrance and take some time to explore the Temple of Caesar, the Arch of Titus, the graceful statues of the Vestal Virgins, and a wealth of fascinating monuments, relief sculptures, and basilicas that pay tribute to the dramatic politics and general grandeur of ancient Rome. Beat the crowds, and earn better photo opportunities, by making the Forum the first stop in the morning.

Roman Forum (Foro Romano), Via dei Fori Imperiali, Open Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Varying Hours in Winter, Free Admission

Visit the Center of the Catholic World, The Vatican

The smallest state in the world is also the seat of one of the world's most powerful religious orders. The Holy Roman Catholic Church, presided over by the Pope, calls this glittering space of just over 100 acres home. The historical, cultural, political, and artistic attractions in this confined area are simply dazzling regardless of the religious preferences of visitors. The imposing St. Peter's Basilica, which contains Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini's baldacchino, among countless other treasures, is a full afternoon's destination in itself. The Vatican Museums are a whole other story: the Sistine Chapel is just one of many masterpieces. Famous works by Caravaggio, da Vinci, Titian, Raphael, Giotto, and a number of other Italian legends keep the lines wrapped around the corner at the museum entrance.

Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani), Viale del Vaticano 13, http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html, Open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4:45 p.m., $15

by Bridget Gleeson

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