The Roman Colosseum
If you decide to spend a few days in Rome, there are certainly monuments and neighborhoods that you should not miss. During our visit, we organized our tour of the city by neighborhoods day by day to ensure we didn’t miss anything and to avoid rushing around!
Our first stop was the Colosseum. I recommend buying your ticket online to avoid the immense queue at the ticket office! What a spectacle as you pass through the arches of the Colosseum, such grandeur! You can easily imagine the gladiators and beasts on the arena floor! Erected on three levels, it was inaugurated by Titus in 80 AD and could accommodate approximately 55,000 spectators protected from the sun by a velarium.
Beneath the arena floor, you can easily see the network of underground tunnels that were once used to house cages and scenery. It remains the largest Roman amphitheater, measuring over 500 meters in circumference! It’s an experience that can make you feel as small as an insect during your visit.
The Roman Forum
A true open-air museum! Located just a few meters from the Colosseum, we highly recommend visiting both on the same day. Just like at the Colosseum, remember to bring hats if you visit in the middle of summer because there is hardly any shade, and I can tell you from experience, visiting in July can be scorching! Apart from one or two buildings, only ruins remain in the forum, so you’ll need a good imagination and either a paper or physical guide! That being said, the visit remains very impressive due to its size. It was once a political, religious, and commercial center that revolved around a common square. From there, you’ll have a splendid view of the Colosseum! Temples, columns, triumphal arches… It’s impossible to visit the Colosseum without exploring this true labyrinth of ruins!
Like all of central Rome, the Roman Forum is easily accessible via the metro, as the city is very well connected.
As for gastronomy, avoid eating around the Colosseum where you’ll mostly find tourist traps with bad food and exorbitant prices! Instead, put on your walking shoes and don’t hesitate to wander a few streets away to discover some fantastic dining spots!
