Villa d'Este

My WHS #43, 4.1% of 1052 completed

How to go there?
Getting there from Rome is quite a challenge. There are two main options.
The first option is to take a regional train from Tiburtina station to Tivoli station. From Tivoli station, walk towards Tivoli town centre and there is signage leading to the Villa d'Este entrance. The walk will take 10-15 min.


The second option is to take a metro to Ponte Mammolo. Once you exit and at the same level, walk towards the buy a bus ticket from the food and beverage shop. I will recommend you to buy the return ticket as well since you may not be able to get it at Tivoli, unless you have decided to return Rome by train. Go up to the ground level and find the bus bay that shows Tivoli. Alight at the town centre. From there, it will just take a few min walk.


For the first option, the frequency of the regional train service is pretty low, so make sure you find out the schedule first. For the second option, the bus journey will take longer time, and is further subjected to traffic conditions. The bus is not air-conditioned and could be hot during summer time.

If you want to go Villa Adriana next, go back to the town centre and buy the local bus ticket (Bus 4) at the Tabucchi (tobacco shop) near Piazza. It is too far to walk from the town centre and the local bus will bring you to the entrance.

Villa Adriana

My WHS #42, 4.0% of 1052 completed

How to go there?
Getting there from Rome is quite a challenge. There are two main options.


The first option is to take a regional train from Tiburtina station to Tivoli station. From Tivoli station, walk towards Tivoli town centre and buy the local bus ticket (Bus 4) at the Tabucchi (tobacco shop) near Piazza. It is too far to walk from the town centre and the local bus will bring you to the entrance.


The second option is to take a metro to Ponte Mammolo. Once you exit and at the same level, walk towards the buy a bus ticket from the food and beverage shop. I will recommend you to buy the return ticket as well since you may not be able to get it at Tivoli, unless you have decided to return Rome by train. Go up to the ground level and find the bus bay that shows Tivoli. You probably need to ask the driver where to alight or you can rely on Google Maps. From the bus stop, you need to walk at least 2km before you reach the entrance.


For the first option, the frequency of the regional train service is pretty low, so make sure you find out the schedule first. It may not be easy to find the location to buy the local bus ticket if you are not familiar with the place. For the second option, the bus journey will take longer time, and is further subjected to traffic conditions. The bus is not air-conditioned and could be hot during summer time. There is also a fair amount of walking and alternatively, you could take this bus to the town centre and change to the local bus.


If you want to go Villa d'Este next, buy the bus ticket at the Villa Adriana ticketing counter. The bus stop is just right beside the ticketing counter. The bus will bring you to the town centre and it will just take a few min walk to the entrance.

Pipero al Rex

My Michelin Italy #1, 0.3% of 334 completed

It is common to have a restaurant named after a chef, but this one has the name of the owner, Alexandra Pipero. The young yet experienced Chef Luciano Monosilio takes charge of the kitchen and creates creative dishes.

The staff was attentive and patient in introducing the food in English.

Damage
100 Eur for the tasting menu, excluding drinks.

How to get there?
Pipero al Rex is located within Hotel Rex, on the ground floor and left of the reception. The restaurant is easily accessible from Termini metro station

Vatican City

My WHS #41, 3.9% of 1052 completed


Why go there?
Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, both by area and population. It is so small that you can cover by foot in a day, yet it is one of the most sacred places in Christendom.

I am fascinated by the beauty of St Peter's Basilica. It is huge with remarkable interior, and has been described as the greatest of all churches. Climb up more than 500 steps to take a good look at the interior of the dome, followed by another 330 steps to have a good paranomic view of Rome, including St Peter's Square.   

Even better attraction to me is Vatican Museum. This is one of the finest museum I have ever seen, with impressive collections of statues, drawings, tapestries, maps and many other artefacts. Not to be missed at one end of the Vatican Museum is the Sistine Chapel, but unfortunately the solemn atmosphere is disturbed by the tourist crowds.

 

How to go there?
Within walking distance from Ottavanio.

It is free of charge to enter the ground level of St Peter's Basilica, however you need to pay to go up to the dome (and slightly more if you wish to take the elevator up to the terrace, but you still have to climb the steps all the way to the top).

The queue to enter Vatican Museum is famously long. You have the option to buy online tickets which are more expensive, but that allows you to enter through the separate queue to exchange for the actual tickets. There are many tour guides that you can join both online or on the spot to totally skip the queue. Of course, that comes with a price. Decide for yourself if the incremental cost is worth it.

Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights, and San Paolo Fuori le Mura

My WHS #40, 3.8% of 1052 completed

Why go there?Rome was first the centre of Roman Republic, and then of the Roman Empire which dominated the Mediterranean world for many centuries. It is also the capital of Christian World.


So much history in one place and you definitely need many days if you want to cover all the sites. My favourite one is the Colosseum, the largest amphitheater and this was built in AD80! Visit this together with the nearby Palatine Hill and Roman Forum.

 

I like Pantheon too, the ancient Roman temple which is still very well preserved and has the world's largest unsupported concrete dome. Combine this with the magnificent Trevi Fountain and elegant Piazza Navona.

Arcibasilica di San Giovanni in Laterano has the title of mother church of Roman Catholic, and is the oldest among the four papal major basilicas. Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore is the largest church in Rome dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

How to go there?
There are many sites within this World Heritage Site. Traveling around in Rome is relatively easy. The sites are accessible by metro or bus. A single trip gives you one metro ride or unlimited bus rides within 100 min. Alternatively, you can buy single day or multiple day ticket. I don't find these worth it since it takes a lot of trips to break even and I like to walk, but it really depends on your itinerary.