Rome Hotels and City Guide : Guide Home Page

The one thing you cannot escape from in Rome is history. This exciting metropolis oozes with it. But neither will you escape the hectic vibrancy of the place, with its anarchic traffic, its noise, its piazzas, its fountains, its fabulous restaurants and all the other idiosyncrasies that make Rome quite simply one of the most remarkable cities in the world. Whether it's Etruscan tombs, Republican meeting rooms, early-Christian churches, Renaissance palaces, baroque basilicas, the Vatican or the great swathe of artefacts left by the Roman Empire, the sense of history that Rome provides is all embracing.

It's a bustling city in which a great deal of life takes place outdoors; people mix, for instance, in the piazzas around parliament, where you might see politicians and journalists chatting with the man sweeping the streets, or pacing up and down outside the bar in Via Uffici del Vicario, avidly talking into their mobile phones. Whether it's history, or humanity, Rome is quite simply a feast for the eyes.

Away from the Classical sights, districts like Trastevere and the former Jewish Ghetto reveals a different side to Rome – of narrow, medieval cobbled streets, authentic Roman trattories, cafes and neighbourhood atmosphere. The glorious parkland around Villa Borghese offers a quiet retreat from the city; whilst popular excursions from Rome, such as Via Appia to the catacombs, Ostia Antica and Tivoli, are all within easy reach.

Rome City Facts
Rome Population: 2,628,000 (Source: UN Population Estimate Revision 2003)
Italy Population: 57,253,000 (Source: UN Population Estimate Revision 2003)
City Area: 2066 square miles (5352 square kilometers)
Currency: Euro(€, EUR)
Time Zone: GMT plus one hour
Language: Italian
Phone codes:The prefix for Italy is 39, the area code for Rome is 06, which must be dialled even when making local calls and when dialling from abroad.

Rome Districts
Aventino
Campo de' Fiori
Colosseo
Esquilino
Laterano
Navona
Pantheon
Prati
Quirinale
Repubblica
San Lorenzo
Spagna
Trastevere
Trevi
Via Veneto
Villa Borghese
Vaticano
Vatican City