10 Adjectives to Best Describe Sightseeing In Rome

Sightseeing in Rome is spectacular but also quite intense and overwhelming.

This was my first visit to the eternal city and what can I say? I am a fan! Even though Rome is very touristy, I loved exploring and immersing myself in its ancient history. Sightseeing in Rome is an exciting experience as there is so much to do and see. Every day of my week-long stay was filled with sightseeing – may it be the countless churches, galleries or ancient Romanic sites. My neck still hurts from moving my head either up to elaborate ceilings or down to intricate mosaic flooring.

I’m still left speechless but to summarise my first Rome sightseeing trip, I would describe the whole experience:

Overwhelming

Rome is super pretty! With all its little side streets, hidden restaurants and grade II listed houses, Rome has to be the prettiest city I’ve ever been to. Wandering around left me in a constant state of admiration. The mostly baroque architecture breaks the natural light in so many different ways that literally every building looks amazing. Around every corner may await an iron gate embellished with romantic ornaments or there are marble sculptures to take the wanderer back in time.

The weather-marked stone street signs are usually carved in house walls and transport you back in time. There’s a gem to discover behind every corner, no matter if you are in the touristy part of Rome or in the more local areas. The city is simply pretty everywhere. A big part of that renaissance beauty is the grade II listed old-build houses with their characteristic stucco facades and heavy, wooden doors.

I can imagine the inside of these houses have gorgeous spacious apartments with high ceilings and openness – something I know from my previous flats in Germany, which made me feel very comfortable and homey. I found the buildings in Rome, despite their age, modernised and very stylish – a place I can imagine myself to be living in. What secrets may lie behind these heavy wooden doors?

Cautious

My Rome sightseeing was slightly overshadowed by a sad reflection of Europe’s current immigration crisis. As a sad reflection of the current situation, you’ll find many immigrants on the streets of Rome. They are desperate to make a living and are extremely pushy and aggressive. You can’t sit in a restaurant with one turning up showcasing their products they are desperate to sell.

You can’t enjoy the Trevi Fountain without a street seller poking their selfie sticks into your face. And if they try to “gift” you a rose, they won’t understand a polite “no, thank you” and literally chase you up and down the Spanish steps. They are everywhere and though they are harmless and poor people, the general behaviour of being straight-into-your-face spoils the experience of the city slightly.

Safe & Warm

I felt very safe during my sightseeing in Rome at any time whether it was day or night. Some touristy spots are protected by the police and you see heavily armed forces patrolling the streets but apart from that, Rome doesn’t seem to be a place of crime. As I’ve said earlier the houses are all beautiful and create a picture-perfect image. To my biggest surprise, it was still very warm at the end of October and I walked around in a T-shirt on the 1st of November!

Disappointing Part I

When you think of Italy you imagine a land of indulgence full of pizza, pasta, and calzone. The reality, however, is the opposite. Italian food in Italy is pretty average – there, I said it!

Unfortunately, whenever I travelled to Italy, the food has been a huge let-down and I’ve eaten better Italian cuisine outside of Italy. I know this is a controversial view but it is my experience. Sadly, Rome didn’t manage to change that.

I ate out once a day and I tried to avoid the “tourist traps”. However, as a solo female traveller, dining at local restaurants in the suburbs is not always an option for me as it requires some serious effort to travel out of the centre. Especially when you do sightseeing in Rome where all the points of interest are in the centre, you will need to grab a bite close by.

It pains me to write this, but the food was at most average. Not poor, but slightly underwhelming. The prices were also out of proportion. A pizza started at 10 Euros or a pasta dish came 9 Euros onward. The portions were mega small and often the service treated guests poorly. Here are the places I visited during my Rome sightseeing trip:

• Cucina Nationale (Via Nationale) – slight canteen feel, spinach, and ricotta ravioli were al dente, the taste was ok but very small portion.
• Barrochio (Pantheon) – rustic and authentic place, gnocchi tasted nice but nothing special. Charged 1.50 Euro per person service charge (I’m not a fan of tipping and especially not when I’m forced to).
• Giardino Romano – cute Italian restaurant hidden away in a side street. The waiter was friendly but not overly welcoming. Arrabiata Pasta tasted nice, again nothing special to remember.
• Amedeo restaurant near my Hotel Metropole – incredible rude service, ordered two meals which were not brought out at the same time and took ages to be served, heater outside was broken and didn’t get fixed for the entire time I stayed in Rome and walked past, pasta tasted great but the portion was way too small.
• Angelio ai Fori (Forum/Colosseum) – the first restaurant with passionate, friendly staff, tagliatelle tasted good, nothing special but the portion was a good size and the welcoming atmosphere made me order a Tiramisu. Very expensive for what it was though (cola 4.20 Euro, one beer 6 Euro).
• Cottini – bar/bakery. It doesn’t look too inviting but the pizza lured me in. They looked great with a decent size, generous tomato base, and toppings. Flavour was ok and at 8 Euros per pizza was worth it.

Adventurous

Be prepared to walk a lot and experience just as much. On average I walked around 15 miles per day as I refused to take the Metro. I work and sit in an office all day, so the opportunity to explore Rome at walkable distances was a welcomed change. Plus I love seeing a new city from its street view and create my own mental map of it.

Long endless strolls and getting lost is an experience in itself that can’t be missed. Despite all the aching every night, the exercise was totally worth it. Rome is so accessible and easily walkable on its cobbled streets. Although Rome has a labyrinth-like structure, I never felt completely lost. In fact, for my Rome sightseeing, I navigated around town old skool style with one of those touristy maps that they give you upon arrival at the airport. It was quite refreshing for once to leave my phone in my pockets and navigate around with a manual map.

In total, I walked the entire city centre: from the Vatican City to the train station and back. On another day, I ventured out North and made it to the Villa Borghese park, along the river to the Olympic Stadium. Exploring Vatican City and the treasures of its museum alone took an entire day. Do bring some time for sightseeing in Rome. The city also has countless churches which are stuffed from bottom to ceiling with treasures. It’s overwhelming and incredible how rich the churches are furnished with paintings, altars and golden chandeliers.

At the end of the day, your entire body will ache. Your feet from walking and your neck from looking up and down. Consider at least a good week for your Rome sightseeing to fully appreciate the magical piazzas, the Colosseum or the Forum Romanum. I returned home with over 500 pictures but it just shows you how much there is to see and do in Rome.

Hit And Miss Shopping-wise

No city trip is complete without hitting the High Street. Instead of buying souvenirs, I tend to bring back clothes from my travels as no one else will have them back at home. Unfortunately, Rome’s Via Del Corso has mainly international luxury brands than national fashion stores. You’ll find Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Calzedonia, Fendi and all the other high-end designers. There is an occasional Sephora, H&M or Zara but that’s about it. The shopping experience is rather dull and can be completely skipped in Rome.

Refreshing

Ok, so this point might be a huge novelty for me, but I noticed, that Rome has no Starbucks. This is so refreshing! Some chains have made it their aim to spring up like mushrooms in every corner of this world. They make places as ordinary as can be by invading historic centers and ultimately destroying character and local businesses with competitive prices and fast food productions.

Rome does have the occasional Mc Donald’s or Burger King, however, they are often hidden away and aren’t visible at first. I’m not a fan of fast-food chains and luckily, Rome has remained slightly untouched. There are still independent cafes and authentic Italian coffee places where you can get local produce.

Rude & Dirty

I would describe Rome as a city of the million volcanoes, as every Roman seems to be a heavy chain smoker. The air is filled with smog. There are tonnes of cigarette buds littering the cobbled streets. I guess this is part of the La Dolce Vita lifestyle, but for me personally, it is quite disturbing.

I’ve also noticed that Romans aren’t the friendliest to tourists. Dining in restaurants isn’t the most pleasant experience in Rome if I’m honest. Waiters usually keep communication short and snappy. English is available, but often spoken very broken and refused. There’s barely a “Thank You” and a warm welcome is missing. Dishes are served in silence and when asked for the bill, Romans tend to bang it onto the table and give you unmistakably signs for you to leave.

The streets are equally as busy as they are in London, stuffed with tourists and locals. Both do not care for any fellow foot passengers. They jaywalk heavily and ignorantly bump into you without apologizing. Politeness was a very rare thing during my time in Rome.

Ice Cream Heaven

Last but not least, Italy is a divine paradise for ice cream lovers. On every corner, there will be a gelato parlour serving tonnes of different flavoured ice creams. There is one place, that stood out to me and offered the best price-quality deal in Rome and that is Venchi.

Even though this is a luxury chain, let me tell you that Venchi is an absolute MUST when you visit Rome. Not only are the flavours divine, but the price for Rome is fair and unbeatable. You’ll pay around 3.5-4 Euros for the chocolate and hazelnut or chocolate sprinkled cone and only 0,50p for every scoop. With ice cream prices sky-high in central Rome, Venchi is your best place to live on that ice cream diet.

Disappointing Part II

The St Peter’s basilica is just so small in real life. I was so disappointed as it looks huge on telly! Bugger!

Thanks so much for reading. If you enjoy my blog and would like to support my research, you can do so via Buy Me a Coffee.

Till next time,
Carolin

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