Six tips to discover real Rome

Have you ever visited Rome? How many times have you visited it? The main question tourists normally pose is: how long should I stay in Rome to visit it? Is a week enough? Are two weeks too much? The answer depends on what you want to see and how you want to visit Rome in detail.

We normally suggest 7/10 days to visit the most important thing and appreciate local atmosphere as well. In fact, after visiting the most popular monuments, palaces, squares and streets, you should breath the real essence of the city discovering hidden places and itineraries. In this way you can discover authentic Roman atmospheres and the real lifestyle. In fact, the general tip is the further you get away from the beaten tracks, more exciting your Roman experience will be.

Here you can read a short list of six things you should absolutely in Rome. There are many other things to do and many other places to visit and we have selected the best.

1. Learn a bit of Italian language

   After arriving in Rome, you should learn at least some Italian words and sentences. Italian young speak English quite well, but if you learn something Italian they will be proud and become your friends. Would you like to know how to learn Italian? The best thing you can do is buying a small dictionary to study the most common words. After that, you can attend an intensive or super-intensive class to learn the language.

2. Take a walk in Trastevere

   Trastevere is one of the most authentic areas of Rome, because it has a long and rich history thanks to the different populations who have lived there, such as Romans, Greeks, and Jews. In fact, it is the most cosmopolitan district of the Capital. Today, “Trasteverini”, the inhabitants of Trastevere, are considered the “authentic Romans”, known for their dialectic use of Italian, their easy approach to life and a long tradition of local food.

3. Seeing the Pope

   If you are Catholic or not is the same thing. If you visit Rome, joining an audience with the Pope on Wednesday morning is a wonderful experience anyway. If the weather is fine, he'll have this general audience in St Peter's Square, otherwise it takes place in the Sala Nervi audience hall. If you go there, don’t forget to take a camera with you and after the audience, you can always visit Vatican Museum (you have to book in advance and to save time you can do it directly on Vatican Museum Website). In this way, you will have the opportunity to admire Sistine Chapel frescoes and one of the most wonderful monuments in the world.

4. A visit to Villa Borghese

   Villa Borghese is a true green paradise in the heart of Rome. It is a popular destination for families with children or dogs, runners, skaters and bikers, but also old people who can easily take a walk in the calm of the nature. The park was originally created to be a private vineyard, it was redesigned and enlarged for pope Paul V’s nephew in 1605 and today it is a real point of reference for Roman citizens, especially in the afternoon and during the weekend. People go there to have a picnic, celebrate anniversaries or to organize open air parties. According to a recent international poll, Villa Borghese is the most beautiful park in Europe and one of the best in the world. Despite the chaos of the city, it is still a green and pleasant space to have fun and relax. We suggest that you have a walk in the park or take a tour by bike (that you can rent directly there).

5. Visit folkloristic markets

   Rome is very famous for its large and ancient markets. One of this is Via dei Coronari, where you can find shops and workshops selling ancient furniture and objects. There is also Campo de Fiori market (not far from Piazza Navona and near Palazzo Farnese, France embassy headquarter) where you can find a large choice of vegetables, fruits and spices. After that, you can take a look at Porta Portese market, where you can find everything: CDs, clothes, furniture, bags and accessories and many other useful (or trivial) things. If you go there, pay attention to pickpockets!

6. Take a tour in Castelli Romani

   About twenty kilometers far away from Rome, there is one of the most beautiful areas of Lazio region: Castelli Romani, a collection of small villages in the south of the Capital. Here you can find ancient Pope residences and fascinating ancient towns. Castelli Romani is a very typical area where you can breathe a special and rustic atmosphere. We suggest that you go and visit at least the most important towns (Frascati, Castel Gandolfo, Ariccia and Marino). Castelli Romani is the most appreciated place to buy a second home (especially for roman citizens) and a place to spend the weekend.

Ilaria Sabrini - teacher and blogger. I was born in the United States, but I've spend in Italy most of my life. I'm a language teacher and a travel blogger.