Discovering Rome on Foot

Rome is a great city to discover on foot. It is much smaller than London and therefore, much more manageable. There are only two subway lines, due to the numerous ruins buried beneath the streets, so walking around the city is a much more interesting way to discover all that Rome has to offer. As an alternative, there are hop on hop off buses or it is possible to take a cab. The good thing is there are many attractions in Rome, all within walking distance of one another.

Here is a quick guide on what to take in if time is tight:

The Fountain of Trevi

Image by gnuckx

This is the largest baroque fountain in the world and it is impressive, so much so that the square almost seems almost too small for it. Right near the Trevi fountain is one of the most famous ice cream shops in the city, called San Crispino. On a busy day, there can be queues along the street as people are eager to try out their world renowned honey ice cream. Fortunately when I went, there was no queue. I would certainly recommend the honey flavour as well as the chocolate.

Did you know? Legend has it that if you throw a coin into the fountain you will return to the city one day.

The Colosseum

The Colosseo or Colosseum is only a 20 minute walk from metro Cavour. There are tours throughout the day. The Colosseum is right next to the Roman Forum and only a short walk away from the Circo Massimo, where concerts and football matches take place. It was a great atmosphere when I was over during the summer, watching the final between Italy and Spain Euro 2012 at the Circo Massimo.

Did you know? The Colosseum appears on the Italian 5 Euro coin.

Shopping

Rome is full of modern high street shops, like any other modern European city.  The Zaras, Benettos and Tezenis are located along the Via Nazionale and then along the Via del Curso. For those who love shopping in Zara, there is a 4-story shop on Via del Curso; I could have easily spent the whole afternoon here.  Walking up Via del Curso for about 20 minutes, I found the Via Condotti, which is the most expensive shopping street in Rome, home to the designer boutiques such as Louis Vuitton and Prada. I didn’t have the budget to purchase any yet, but I did manage to find a cheap take away pizza place right  in the Piazza di Spagna by the metro exit.

Did you know? As well as clothes and accessories, Rome is also known for its antiques shops and Via Coronari hosts an annual antiques fair every autumn.

Piazza Navona

I suggest visiting this piazza in the afternoon and evening when the cafes are bustling with people and the water fountains are turned on. I came here early in the morning and it did not look the same with the empty water fountains. Piazza Navona is home to another famous ice cream shop, Tre Scalini. It is well known for its ice cream balls that have been dipped in chocolate, topped off with whipped cream and a wafer.

Did you Know? At the southwest corner of the square there is a statue where at the time of its creation (1501) Romans could leave their grievances with society in a message fixed to the stone.

The Vatican

Image by dslrtravel.com

From Piazza Navona, it is about a 30 minute walk over the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II to the Vatican City. Walk along Via dell Conciliazione to St Peter’s Square. The square is where the Pope gives his Easter speech and people queue for hours to catch a glimpse of him as he talks from one of the windows of his apartment.

Did you know? The Vatican City is the world’s smallest independent state.

For more travel inspiration visit the Worldwide Accom blog.

Main image by Moyan_Brenn

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