The magnificence and splendour of Rome, one of the first great centres of western civilisation, is not easily described in a few paragraphs. Glorious fountains, remnants of buildings and monuments that once filled the centre of the world's greatest Empire, and architecture and art representing centuries past, combine with elements of a modern cosmopolitan city to create a city that is un-paralleled in its beauty and history to any other.
Rome is celebrated for its beautiful Renaissance and baroque fountains, such as the Fontana di Trevi, while the Vatican City holds some of the richest libraries and museums. The National Museum in Villa Giulia, the Capitoline and Torlonia museums are notable for their antiquities. The Borghese, Corsini, Doria and Colonna are world-renowned for their collections of paintings. The city also contains countless churches, including the five patriarchal basilicas of San Pietro (St. Peter's), San Giovanni in Laterano (St. John Lateran's), Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary's), San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence's), and San Paolo (St. Paul's).
To get the most out of your trip to Rome, perhaps it is best to do as the Romans do. The wine bars and cafés lying between Campo de' Fiori, Piazza Navona and Via della Pace are popular meeting places and offer the best aperitivo (drinks are normally offered at a single price and served with appetizer-type food). When it comes to enjoying nightlife, Romans tend to eat late and stay out until the wee hours of the morning. The biggest concentration of nightclubs lie in the Testaccio and Ostiense districts. A diversity of bars, pubs, live music venues and clubs are concentrated on one of the main streets in Testaccio, called Via di Monte Testaccio.
Rome is a great place to walk at night. St. Peter's Basilica, Castel Sant'Angelo, the bridges of the Tiber River, the Colosseum and the Monument of Vittorio Emanuele II are just some of the spectacular night Roman night scenes.
