Top 5 Things To See in Rome

I was looking back at some photos and reminiscing about the time I have spent in Rome. I think if you plan on traveling to a different country, Rome should be on that list. The Eternal City with countless pizzerias, wonderful family-owned trattorias, cafes, delicious pastries and yummy gelato. Whenever I travel, I usually look for a furnished apartment to rent versus staying in a hotel. Most of the time, I find renting a furnished apartment is more cost-effective and you have more space and privacy. Here are a few sites I have used and would recommend for furnished apartments: Airbnb, Roomorama and Oh-Rome

As you can imagine, listing only five things to see in Rome can be arduous. If you ask those who have visited or even live(d) there, you will not be surprised that everyone's opinion will vary. So after much consideration, here is my top five list "when in Rome" of what not to miss.

#1 COLOSSEUM / ROMAN FORUM 

The Colosseum, as you would expect, is massive. It was the largest amphitheater built in Rome and could hold 50,000 people. As I walked through the dilapidated ruins, I tried to imagine what it was like back in 80 AD when Gladiator slaves where fighting each other, or animals, to the death. 

I am not much for personal guided tours, so I purchased my ticket, online, that included a map with a downloadable audio guide. The ticket also included Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum and was good for two days so I didn't have to see all the sights at once. If you plan on visiting all three sites in one day, I would suggest visiting the Roman Forum first, give yourself about 3 hours, before heading to the Colosseum. The total cost (in 2012) was $18 US / 13.50 Euro.

#2 THE PANTHEON 

You will find the Pantheon at the Pizza della Rotanda, with cafes around the perimeter of the square. A perfect place to rest your weary feet, have an espresso and just take in this magnificent building. Built in 126AD, it is one of the best preserved Roman buildings.

The large opening in the center of the dome is the only form of light inside the Pantheon. The 43 meter high dome used to be the highest in the world until the Florence Cathedral was built in 1436.

#3 TREVI FOUNTAIN
Probably one of the most famous fountains in the world and my favorite place to go late at night. As you can imagine, during the day, this area is jam packed. Tourists trying to take photos or excited children scurrying threw the crowds to throw coins into the water for good luck. It occurred to me that most people would probably not visit Trevi Fountain in the late evening. So as you can see in the photo below, I found my peaceful time with just me and the Trevi Foundation around 10pm.

#4 VATICAN CITY

Visiting Vatican City will take up most, if not all, of your day so plan accordingly. Most people enter Vatican city by going over the Ponte St. Angelo bridge to St. Peter's Square. There are several museums to walk through and the entire complex is the largest in the world with over 1,400 rooms. In addition to visiting the museums, you can tour St. Peter's Basilica and the papal tombs. If visiting St. Peter's Basilica, check ahead of time on the dress attire. I know last time I was there, shorts and bare arms were not permitted.

#5 PIAZZA NAVONA

Of all the city squares in Rome, Piazza Navona is my favorite. I remember my first time in Rome, I stumbled upon this area walking from my hotel. It was so lively with numerous restaurants bordering the piazza and musicians signing in the streets. My fiance also introduced me to a wonderful wine bar called La Botticella and the owners name is Giovanni. Stop by and have a drink, you will have a great time!

And lastly, if I proceeded to list five more "Things to see in Rome" I would include:

Stroll the Trastevere Street
Browse Campo de' Fiori
Eat at a family run trattoria
People watch on the Spanish Steps
and
Visit the Villa Borghese, one of the world's finest small art museums

WHAT IS YOUR TOP FIVE?

Christmas in Munich and Rome

Scott got some time off over the holidays so we decided instead of traveling back home (USA - Ohio) we would spend our Christmas break in Munich and Rome. 

First stop Munich!

The train from Vienna to Munich takes about 4 hours. Just one of the many reasons why I love traveling in Europe. Getting from country to country is so easy! The weather in Munich held up for the most part and we only had snow the last day. We were pretty lucky because most of Europe got hit with massive snow and several major airports were shut down.

While staying in Munich, we had a couple day trips planned so we decided to stayed at the Marriott by the hauptbanhof (train station) just for convenience. It took about 10 minutes to walk to Karl's Gate which is close to hauptbanof and also leads you into the main area of Munich, called Marienplatz.

A department store, Hirmer, beautifully decorated for the holidays and you get a glimpse of the Cathedral of our Lady tower in the background.

Cathedral of our Lady, known as the Frauenkirsche Dom, has two towers reaching a height of 325 feet. They are highest buildings in the city.

I love this! A group of people walking around Marienplatz offering free hugs! 

The New Town Hall, called Neues Rathaus, is located in the heart of the city called Marienplatz. The building looks very similar to the Rathaus in Vienna. Of course no city would be complete, over the holidays, without the traditional Christmas market.

In the center of the main tower is the world-famous Glockenspiel, the fourth largest in Europe. Everyday at 11am, 12pm and 5pm it chimes and the life-sized statues rotate around each other in a mock dance. We stood there with all the other tourists to see the show that lasts about 15 minutes.

The Bavarian State Chancellery at the Hofgarden.

PORSCHE MUSEUM

Our first trip planned was to visit the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, which is 2 hours north west of Munich. The museum was also celebrating its 60th year of Porsche in America. Scott mentioned going to this museum when we arrived in Vienna back in August so he was very happy to finally make the trip. Not being a "car person" I was really impressed with the museum and now know more about Porsche cars then any other. Guess I will just have to get one. Ha Ha

Our second trip, out of Munich, was to this remarkable town nestled in the Bavarian Alps called Fussen. We went to see the two historic castles called Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein.

Hohenschwangau Castle was built by King Maximilian II of Bavaria and used as the families summer and hunting residence. Unfortunately they did not allow photos inside either castle.

Bavarian Mountains, absolutely beautiful!

The Neuschwanstein Castle, the more famous palace, has appeared in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle. Of the entire castle, only 10 rooms are completed. Ludwig II intended to rebuild the old castle but he died before it was complete. It opened to the public in August 1886 just weeks after Ludwig II death. The king commissioned architects to finish the outside of the castle as Ludwig II had envisioned and finally 23 years later, after Ludwig II death, it was completed to what we see today.

View of the castle from the town. There are a few ways you can get to the either castle. The most popular is taking a horse drawn carriage ride. The other two options would be to walk or take a shuttle bus. To get to the Neuschwanstein Castle, shown below, it is a 45-minute walk up the mountain which we choose.

This is not my picture but gives an ariel view of the castle to show how big it really is and how high above the town it lies.

Back in Munich
No trip would be complete if you didn't visit the famous Hofbrauhaus, Munich's oldest brewery! We spent a lot of time here. 

Inside the Hofbrauhaus

There is live music to keep the guests entertained as they drink liters and liters of beer!

Cheers!!

Some night shots of Munich, very pretty with all the holiday decor.

HEADING TO ROME
On Christmas morning we got on a flight and headed to Rome. I went to Rome with a friend of mine about six years ago and Scott lived there for a short time so we were both excited to be back. In 1 1/2 hours we arrived into Rome. We booked our accommodations with Visconti Palace Hotel, which is centrally located by the Vatican City, Piazza Navona and Piazza del Popolo on the right bank of the Tiber river.

Close to our hotel was a Japanese restaurant called, Taki. Since I love sushi, Scott took me there for our Christmas lunch.

YUM!!

Once again we lucked out with great weather and were able to walk around pretty much everywhere. A view of St. Peters Basilica from the Ponte Umberto bridge.

The famous Spanish steps, widest staircase in Europe, with its 138 steps built from 1723 - 1725. Always a great place to sit and people watch.

At the top of the Spanish Steps is Trinita dei Monti.

View from the top of the Spanish Steps

The magnificent Pantheon, which is currently being renovated, was built in 126AD and one of the best preserved of all Roman buildings.

Inside the Pantheon. The dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome.

Piazza Navona Sqaure

The Colosseum

Trevi Fountain, one of my favorite sites in Rome

St. Peter's Square and Basilica

It is hard to capture how magnificent the artwork is inside the Vatican.This is the School of Athens by the famous Italian artist Raphael. Painted between 1510 - 1511.

More of Raphael's work.

Last Judgement inside the Sistine Chapel.

The ceiling inside the Sistine Chapel. 

This sculpture, called Sphere, is located in the Belvedere courtyard.

Court of the Pigna (Pine) also in the Belvedere Courtyard.

Scott's camera takes great night shots so we walked around the city and snapped some pictures.

The Rodeo Drive of Rome, Via del Condotti

Pantheon

Piazza Navona

Scott and Giovanni at La Botticella that Giovanni owns. When Scott lived in Rome this was his hangout. It is a great bar just off of Piazza Navona and if you are a Pittsburgh sports fan you will love it even more. It is the official Pittsburgh Steelers Bar! The walls are littered with pennants from colleges and sports teams all over North America but the largest display is from Pittsburgh / Pennsylvania.