by Ian Farquharson

Created on: August 26, 2010

Taking a vacation in Europe can be a fantastic experience and, whether you intend to tour around or visit one place, there are many great destinations on offer. Italy is one of these and most people that travel to the country want to take in the sights of its capital city, Rome. The “Eternal City” as it is nicknamed is the largest city in Italy and is located on the west coast. It has a history that is said to date back around 2,800 years and it has many beautiful sights and attractions to offer tourists. The following are some of the best things to do and see while in Rome.

Walk around the Coliseum

This ancient amphitheatre stands in the centre of Rome and is testament to the great Roman nation that once ruled over much of Europe. It was the largest amphitheatre built by the Roman Empire and displays the excellence of Roman engineering and architecture. The Coliseum was used for gladiatorial games and other major events and could accommodate up to 50,000 spectators. It was one of the marvels of the Roman Empire and if you are in Rome it is a must to see it. You can walk around the outside to get an impression of the sheer scale of the Coliseum and also take a tour of the interior to see where gladiators, spectators and the elite of Roman society would have spent their time during an event. The Coliseum is a spectacular sight in Rome and one that tourist must get a view of.

View the Sistene Chapel

Taking a tour of the Vatican City is an excellent way to spend a day when in Rome and it affords the opportunity to view the Sistene Chapel. This is located in the official residence of the Pope which is known as the Apostolic Palace and is well worth seeing. The decoration in it was painted by some of the greatest Italian renaissance painters, with the most famous area being the ceiling of the chapel which was painted by Michelangelo. This is now considered one of Michelangelo’s greatest achievements and was completed over a 4 year period. This and the other paintings in the chapel are a spectacular sight to see. The Vatican City itself has many attractions for tourists to enjoy and taking this in is an interesting way to spend some time in Rome.

Walk up the Spanish Steps

The Spanish Steps is a famous location in Rome. They were constructed in the early 1700’s in a steep area of land which ran from the Piazza di Spagna at their foot to the Trinita dei Monti at their top. In total the stairway has 138 steps and they form one of the widest and

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