Rome
Welcome to the Eternal City! Rome has endless layers of history that Sputnik Guides will help you discover!
Tours Available in Rome:
This tour starts at the Colosseum, and goes past the Roman Forums, to the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and ends at the Spanish Steps, at the northern border of ancient Rome. As the name suggests, you will see most of the major sites in Rome, with the exception of the Vatican and St. Peters.
This tour explores the history behind one of the most popular and pleasant public squares in Rome, Plaza Navona.
Overview:
Rome has 2,800 years of history, from small Italian village to Republic and Imperial City. At the height of Rome, under Julius Caesar in the 1st century BC, Rome had a population of somewhere between 1 and 2 million. Today, with 2.5 million inhabitants, it is only slightly larger than Ancient Rome.
Modern Rome is divided almost in half by the Tiber River. The original Roman settlements were on the east side of the Tiber. The first city walls, built in the 4th century BC, did not extend past the Tiber, but during the reign of Aurelian in the 3rd century AD the city walls were extended to include a small neighborhood to the west of the Tiber, called Trastevere. Rome developed from this core, with the Colosseum and the Palatine hill at the center and most (although not all) ancient ruins are located within the ancient walls.
Most of Rome's attractions are located in the area that was encompassed by the Aurelian walls built in the 3rd century. Some major exceptions include the Vatican and St. Peter's, both of which are to the west of the ancient city walls, and the Galleria Borghese, one of Rome's best art museums, located to the north of the old city walls.
Getting Around:
Public transportation in Rome is good but the subway system is not enough by itself, you will also need to rely on buses and trolleys. For a subway map, click here. For more information on the public transportation and the buses, we recommend either asking at your hotel or at the information booth at Termini Station.
