Holidays in Italy: Discover the best insider tips in Rome

The city of Rome with its 3000 year old history is a real highlight for an unforgettable city trip. The coliseumSt. Peter’s Basilica and the Trevi Fountain are of course must-sees.

In addition, there are but in the eternal city countless places and sights, which mostly only locals know and are therefore still insider tips. We tell you what they are.

Rome: The Orange Garden on the Aventine Hill

Rome was founded on seven hills. On the Aventine, the southernmost of Rome’s hills, lies the Orange Garden, the Orange Garden, a small park where, as the name suggests, you will find lovely orange trees. The highlight here is the magnificent view over the city, a great photo spot, especially at sunset.

Next to the park there are three churches, the Santa Sabrina, Sant’Alessio and Sant’Anselmo, which are particularly popular for weddings. Just a few steps from the park, on the Knights of Malta Square, the most famous keyhole in the city is located in the gate of the Villa del Priorato di Malta. If you look through the keyhole, you will be rewarded with a perfect view of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Italy: Magical Symbols on the Esquiline Hill

What secret is hidden behind the Alchemical door, the magic gate of Rome? This “Alchemist’s Door” in the park of Piazza Vittorio on the Esquiline Hill is considered the most important inscription in Italy for the ancient science of alchemy. The marble surround of the gate is flanked on either side by two idol statues and alchemical symbols.

This gate is shrouded in legend among the locals. It was built by the Roman Marquis Massimiliano Palombara in the 17th century. The enigmatic symbols and inscriptions on the gate date from the time of the Marquis’ acquaintance with an alchemist who claimed to be able to turn metal into gold.

Trip to Rome: Renaissance Park with Bernini Fountain

Would you like to visit a typical Renaissance park? Then visit the park Villa Celimontana. It once belonged to the noble Mattei family and is now owned by the city of Rome. It is a freely accessible, popular park with a typical Roman drinking fountain. This type of fountain, which is often found in Rome, is called a nasone (big nose). To drink, you hold the opening under the wolf’s snout so that the water jet shoots upwards. The other large fountains in the park were designed by the well-known architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini. In summer, Villa Celimontana attracts with many different music events.

Holiday in Italy: Magnificent building of late antiquity

What would Rome be without its churches? One of the oldest Christian churches is the Basilika Santo Stefano Rotondo at Celio Hill. It was built in the time of Pope Simplicius between 468 and 483. What is perhaps the greatest building of late antiquity is a central building built over three concentric circles with a total diameter of 65 metres. Between 523 and 529 the interior was richly decorated with mosaics and marble slabs inlaid with porphyry, serpentine and mother-of-pearl. Due to the unusual shape of the church, there have been speculations in the past that the church goes back to an ancient round temple. The basilica is the national church of Hungarian Catholics.

Discover Rome: Bike tour along the Tiber

cycling on Riverside path of the Tiber is ideal for exploring the city. The riverside walk lies below the 16 meter high flood walls built between 1876 and 1926 and initially passes numerous monuments, some of which are breathtaking. The further north you cycle, the more the monuments of the city center give way to the places of everyday Roman life. Houseboats and docks for rowing clubs, skateboard parks where Roman youth frolic and sports clubs with tennis players alternate. On the bike tour you discover the life of the city far away from mass tourism.

Rome’s fairytale district of Coppedé

The Fairytale Quarter Coppede, which is not mentioned in almost any tourist guide, was built between 1915 and 1926. At that time, the architect Gino Coppedè was given nothing less than the commission to design an entire district, a total of 30,000 square meters, himself. He received almost no specifications. Over the years, 18 squares and 27 villas were built, which today mainly house expensive company headquarters and embassies. The architect mixed Art Nouveau with influences from the Baroque and medieval elements. The stylistic center is the Piazza Mincio, in the middle of which the “Frog Fountain” is enthroned. Many films, especially the horror classic “Inferno” by director Dario Argento, were filmed here.

Italy: ice cream specialties to melt away

On almost every corner in Rome there is an ice cream factory with its creamy gelato. However, no ice cream parlor can refer to the history of the traditional ice cream maker family Do it look back, who founded the oldest ice cream factory in Rome in 1880. Food events are regularly held in the huge store on Esquiline Hill, reminiscent of a train station concourse. The “Sanpietrini” are a specialty: With the ice cream confectionery, the owners of the ice cream parlor pay homage to the ubiquitous cobblestones of the city. The prices are quite affordable for the high quality.

Rome: Journey into the world of the ancient Romans

If you want to have an idea of ​​what the city looked like in ancient Roman times, you should aqueduct park visit. It is a good example of a must-see place that is totally off the beaten track. The park in the southeast of the city is mainly used by joggers. The park contains the massive remains of a total of eleven ancient aqueducts that were built during the Roman Empire. In ancient times, the approximately 240-hectare park was a veritable hub for the city’s water supply. The Vetus Aqueduct was fed directly from the Aniene River (near the town of Tivoli).

Italy vacation: traditional restaurant on the Tiber island

The Tiber Island is a small island in the Tiber River in Rome. The island resembles a ship in shape, and an obelisk that used to be in the center of the island served as the “mast” to underscore this resemblance. The island is connected to the mainland by two bridges. There is a destination for a delicious meal directly on the island. We’re talking about Restaurant Sora Lella, which opened in 1940 and offers authentic and genuine Roman cuisine. The original owner, Elena Fabrizi (known as “Lella”), was a chef and actress. She was the sister of one of the most famous Italian actors: Aldo Fabrizi. The restaurant is now run by her son.

Rome’s best kept “secret”: shopping and strolling in the Monti district

The Monti district is arguably Rome’s best kept “secret”. If you are looking for cafes, wine bars, old fashioned knick knacks and boutique shops, Monti is the place to be. Not far from the Colosseum is this trendy district, in whose winding streets traditionally the little people lived: Recently, many new bars, shops and restaurants have opened in Monti between the old craft shops. Meeting point is the Piazza Madonna dei Monti. After sunset, the fountains and steps of the piazza are taken over by the Roman revelers, as the bars around ensure that the wine and beer never runs out and the square in front of the 16th-century church is far too pretty to leave too early in the evening .

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