Features > General > The Ideal Roman Walk
The City of the Seven Hills is one of the world's most walkable cities – although this is perhaps by default rather than a proper value judgment; driving, cycling, and the metro are all equally inconvenient. Nevertheless, Rome is full of winding streets, narrow alleyways, and sun-drenched piazzas and piazettas, and the best way to see them all is on foot. If you've got the energy, follow this long walk through the city.
BEGIN: Piazza Venezia. It's not gorgeous, but it gets the job done. See the famous (or infamous) “typewriter building,” then head left if you're facing it, down Via Foro Imperiali. Marvel at the ancient Roman ruins dotting the landscape. When you get the Colosseum, turn right – you'll be passing the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and more on the way to the Circus Maximus at the end of Via di San Gregori. Avoid going on the traffic-stained Viale Aventine and instead round the Circus Maximus – once a racing track – and go up Via del Circo Massimo. Head up to see one of the most beautiful churches in Rome at the top of the Aventinue Hill by taking a left on Via di Valle Murcia – then heading on to Santa Sabina – and head down the hill on Cilvo di Rocca Savella. You should now be near the river. Walk along the riverside area until you get to the charming Isola Tiberina in the midst of the Tiber. According to legend, a place of great healing, the famous hospital Fate Bene Fratelli now stands on these shores. Cross over the island to the other side of the river: Trastevere. Avoid Viale Trastevere, going instead through the winding streets of Trastevere, a still-Medieval working-class area, and make your way to Santa Maria in Trastevere in the piazza of the same name. Here's a good place to stop for a rest.
MIDDLE: Once you've had a coffee or cornetto pastry, continue west through Trastevere until you get to Via Garibaldi, a wide street leading away from the river. Follow the path up the steep hill of Gianicolo, making sure to make note of the panoramic city views available to you on this side of the river. At the top of the hill you'll be in the leafy residential district of Monteverde Vecchio. If you have time, wander through the Villa Pamphili parks, less manicured than the Villa Borghese on the other side of the river. Head down the way you came a few hundred metres, then turn left on Passagiata del Gianicolo, taking you through a sculpture-lined park promenade. You'll come down near Salita di Sant'Onofrio, a hilly street lined with stairways, bordered with ivy. When you reach the river again, you'll be near Vatican City. Enter the city and pass through the main Piazza San Pietro, home to the seat of the Catholic Church. After time spent in and around the Vatican, cross the river again at Ponte St. Angelo, known for the Bernini angels that decorate it.
END: You're now in the quintesentially Roman Governo Vecchio area. Walk down Via del Governo Vecchio, (coming out of Banchi Nuovi) and you'll reach the famous Piazza Navona, once a Roman racetrack, now an elegant Renaissance square. Relax and have an ice cream – this area may be touristy, but the buildings' beautiful facades and the square's three baroque fountains are well worth their fame.
By Tara Isabella Burton
AllStays Pro Online
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