Roaming through Rome : Top 5 Sights & 1 You Can Skip

Rome wasn't built in a day, but you can certainly pack a lot in during a day. Fortunately, we had a few. If you're going to Rome, even if just for a day, there are the sights worth seeing, and some you might want to skip. 

These must see sights in Rome have left a lasting memory of a city I can't wait to visit again. 

// Trevi Fountain

In one word, romantic. The most famous fountain in the world is definitely worth a gander. It's simply beautiful and a striking example of an artistry of a bygone era. 

Go on, chuck a coin in. Apparently €3,000 worth of coins make the plunge daily!

// The Vatican City // St. Peter's Basilica // Sistine Chapel

Where do you even begin?! The smallest state in the world certainly has a lot worth seeing. The Sistine Chapel, arguably Michelangelo's greatest masterpiece, is nothing short of awe-inspiring. There are no photos allowed in the Chapel, but I'm sure you all recognize the central feature.

Source: Wikipedia

Wandering around St. Peter's Basilica filled even my agonistic atheist mind with a quiet spiritual appreciation for the Church and what it represents. 

// The Colosseum

I'm not sure what's more eerie, the fact that this structure housed so many Gladiator-style deaths or that 50,000 spectators would cram in to watch it.

Either way, it's beautiful. Pay the extra Euros and get the audio guide, it has a fascinating history and you'll be glad you listened in.

And if you're really lucky like we were, you might just see the Pope speaking live and in person!

// Art

I'm not really an artsy person, but Rome is home to some amazing works of art in sculptural and architectural form, but also paintings. I really loved seeing, in person, some of the original works of art by history's most famous artists, like Salvador Dal í.

// The Uniqueness

Okay, not an exactly place or spot on the map, but while you're roaming through Rome, don't forget to stop and appreciate the quirkiness of the city. It's truly one of a kind.

I mean, where else do you see such ornate formality in traffic directing?

// 

If traveling efficiently is your kind of thing (are we related?), then you most certainly want to know what, if any, attractions in Rome are really not worth the time and effort.

This is purely opinion, but for me, it was...

// The Spanish Steps 

Rome's Picadilly Circus, i.e. a tourist trap that doesn't quite live up to the hype. We just stood there staring at the massive crowd and never quite figured out what all the fuss was about. Not surprisingly, the streets nearest the Steps are packed with trinket shops and gelato stands (not necessarily a bad thing).

So there you have it. Rome in a quick nutshell. Now I'll be thinking about Italian gelato for the next week. That, my friends, definitely does live up to the hype.

Have you been to Rome? What did you love?