Rome “belvedere”: the best views on the city
Did you wish for a room with a view in your Rome hotel? Well, if you didn’t get one that’s no wonder, because in the city center it’s very rare to have a view: in Rome there are no sky scrapers, but all the buildings seem to be of the same height. But not to worry: Rome is the city of the seven hills, and therefore in the center of Rome there are several great spots for admiring the view, which, that goes without saying, is spectacular!
In the heart of the city centre you can climb the Campidoglio hill next to the Venice square. To get even higher, enter the Capitoline museum, which has a café on the roof top: that’ll give you a great view of the historical centre of Rome, all the way to the Vatican. Next to the Campidoglio, on Venice Square, is the Monument Vittoriano: you can climb on the top and admire for example the Imperial Forums from above! Another spot in the same area is the Palatine hill, the ancient location of the emperors’ palaces that offers a great view over the Roman Forum and on the opposite side, the ancient Romans’ horse race stadium Circus Maximus.
On the banks of the Tiber, you’ll find the Aventine hill and on top of it a charming little garden inhabited by a feline community and a “belvedere�: a spot to admire the view over the river and of the opposite bank.
When you get down from the Aventine, you can cross the river and climb the Gianicolo hill in the Trastevere area. Gianicolo in the evening is the favourite destination of lovers, whereas the Sunday afternoon it’s populated by families. The place in itself is beautiful, and already the ancient Romans considered it the best place to view the whole city: Trastevere, Tiber, the historical centre on one side and Saint Peter’s and the Vatican on the other.
One more popular and beautiful place to take a walk and enjoy the view is the Pincio hill and the Villa Borghese Park. From there you can see the Piazza del Popolo right at your feet, the mausoleum of emperor Augustus, the central shopping areas all the to the river.
A central location well connected with all these spots is the Termini station area which offers many accommodation options. Try the brand-new Yes Hotel – a classy boutique hotel – or one of the lovely hotel in rome close to termini Station – or the budget-friendly but good quality three star hotel My Hotel, both near the Termini. If you’re looking for a hostel in the Termini station area, try the Hostel Des Artistes.
