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Condé Nast Traveler picks
 Best of Rome
Rome, as the saying goes, wasn't built in a day, and it's the eternal nature of the Eternal City that gives it its endless appeal. Humans have occupied these hills along the Tiber for millennia, adding monuments built upon and around those that came before them all the while. For the modern-day visitor, there's almost too much to see and do, from exploring the ruins of empire to paying respects at the seat of one of the world's great religions, to shopping and dropping change on the latest designs at big-name stores.
Attractions & Activities Rome feels most ancient and majestic at the Colosseum, the Forum, and Palatine Hill. Take the self-guided audio tour of the Colosseum, the former Flavian Amphitheatre that is practically the city's symbol today. After you've learned the history of what was once the site of blood sports, wander next door to the Forum, the ancient downtown, where the business of the empire took place. Climb the leafy slope of Palatine Hill, the most central of Rome's seven hills. During the republic and the empire, ruling families had their palaces here, and archaeologists continue to learn from its ruins. Mount the stairs at the opposite end of the Forum to Capitoline Hill, home of the city's premier museum of antiquities, for an awe-inspiring panoramic view of what you've just toured. The Spanish Steps, the Piazza del Popolo, and the Piazza Navona are historic sites at or near the top of the list of what visitors imagine when they think of Rome. They also mark the outer reaches of the narrow alleyways, centuries-old churches, and sidewalk cafés known as the Centro Storico. The area hosts two other stars of a million postcards—Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon—along with some of the city's best shopping and most acclaimed restaurants, so its streets are worth strolling. This may be a heavily touristed area, but so weblike is the network of alleys that it's possible to pick a path which is less traveled. A former noble estate, the Villa Borghese is Rome's great central park today. Dotting the grounds are fountains, follies, and a zoo, and inside the villa itself is the newly renovated Borghese Gallery, where the art collection of the noble family who once owned it is on display, including Bernini's famed Apollo and Daphne, in which Daphne transforms herself into a tree with translucent leaves (39-06-854-8577; galleriaborghese.it). Nearly every traveler who comes to Rome visits Vatican City. An independent nation, it centers on St. Peter's Basilica, which houses some of the greatest masterpieces of Western art, including Michelangelo's Pietà. (The artist also designed the towering dome; if you have no fear of heights, try touring it for an unparalleled view of the city.) Adjacent to St. Peter's are the seemingly endless galleries of the Vatican Museums, where careful browsing could take the better part of a week. Or do what everyone else does and make a beeline for that other Michelangelo blockbuster, the Sistine Chapel. Get to the museum early in the morning and tour the chapel first to avoid the crowds (39-06-6988-3333). Lodging Central Rome has some of the most luxe—and high-priced—accommodations in Europe, three of which rank on Condé Nast Traveler's Gold List of top hotels around the world. On the famed Via Veneto and within walking distance of the Borghese Gallery, the century-old Westin Excelsior is done in rich brocades and Biedermeier furniture. The Hotel Hassler has pride of place at the top of the Spanish Steps, as well as antique touches such as Venetian lamps and a newly renovated rooftop restaurant with a view that's among the best in the city. And the Hotel de Russie, right off the Piazza del Popolo, combines a neoclassical facade with a garden, sleek contemporary interiors, and one of the city's best day spas. The Exedra mixes neoclassical luxury with minimalist cool. It overlooks the newly restored and re-illuminated Piazza della Repubblica, with its exuberant fountains and the Baths of Emperor Diocletian, but given the rooftop pool, the day spa, and the hip café and restaurants within, you may never venture out. The cramped but seriously chic rooms at architect Adam Tihany's centrally located Aleph are distinguished by enormous black-and-white photos of Rome and bathrooms with glittering mosaic tiles and Perspex sinks. Fortyseven, just below the Piazza Venezia, combines contemporary and Art Deco design touches. Its guest rooms have natural woods, neutral fabrics, and parquet floors, wireless Internet access, and in some instances views of antiquities. Those who want to be within staggering distance of the trendy Testaccio and Ostiense districts, where nightlife reigns, should try the funky Abitart Hotel. Its public spaces evoke art galleries, and the conventionally contemporary rooms include eight colorful suites dedicated to artists from Picasso to Keith Haring. More budget-friendly options include Casa Howard–Via Capo le Case, which takes up two-thirds of the second floor of a historic building near the Spanish Steps. Family-owned, it has all the trappings of the apartment of a wealthy Roman. The hotel has a private Turkish hammam and, even better, a resident genie: Cristy, who arranges everything from car rentals to dinner reservations. If your basketball game is halfway decent, you might sink a three-pointer in the Pantheon's oculus from the Albergo Santa Chiara. It has been a hotel since 1832 and has little need to advertise, so the Corteggiani's family enterprise remains relatively unknown. It has an open and welcoming feel, with white walls and marble columns in the lobby and simple, functional decor in the 96 rooms; these vary in size from singles to small apartments, and some face the Piazza della Minerva. The Hotel Locarno, around the corner from the stunning Piazza del Popolo and down the street from the trendy Fendi-Gucci-Pucci shopping area, has retained the Art Deco styling it had when it was founded (in 1925). In addition to the roof garden, there's patio service adjacent to the elegant bar and restaurant. Within walking distance of the Piazza Navona, the Hotel Portoghesi has maintained its stylish Baroque exterior while upgrading its charming rooms and leafy roof garden. A favorite with architects and art historians, the hotel is bang in the middle of Renaissance and Baroque Rome, where every stone has a story to tell. Dining One of the Eternal City's fanciest and best restaurants, La Rosetta, a few steps from the Pantheon, has a dolce vita elegant interior, but eating alfresco is definitely more enjoyable. Assorted seafood antipasti are rushed to you as soon as they're prepared (8 Via della Rosetta; 39-06-686-1002; entrées, $50–$75). Another jewel of the high-brow variety is Camponeschi. Although you could do without the formalities and the two-to-one staff-to-diner ratio, it's worth it for the legendary fish dishes and the front-row views of the recently spruced-up Piazza Farnese, where it sits (50 Piazza Farnese; 39-06-687-4927; entrées, $12–$25). Quinzi e Gabrieli is Rome's premier restaurant—swanky and posh, with plenty of private spaces. The spigola (sea bass) is unforgettable, as are the desserts. Look carefully at the diners around you—there's always someone famous in the place (5 Via delle Copelle; 39-06-687-9389; entrées, $38). The quiet and stately Vecchia Roma, in the Piazza Campitelli, is less of a scene but no less memorable. The quiet and charming Baroque square is dark in the evening, and you'll want to linger over your meal for hours (18 Piazza Campitelli; 39-06-686-4604; entrées, $14–$20). 'Gusto's name means "taste" but is also a nod at Emperor Augustus, who lies buried across the street, in the center of a piazza in the Centro Storico. Downstairs is the pizzeria, upstairs the serious restaurant—with all the Italian specialties, including melanzane con formaggio (eggplant with cheese), a wide variety of fish, and an amazing tiramisu. After dinner, check out the shop, which is well supplied with cookbooks and kitchen gadgets (9 Piazza Augusto Imperatore; 39-06-322-6273; entrées, $9–$25). Osteria della Frezza, part of the 'Gusto food complex, has a formaggeria with a window on the street where you can get individual portions of hundreds of cheeses and salads for a picnic (16 Via della Frezza; 39-06-322-6273; entrées, $7–$16). Former fishermen, the owners of Hosteria del Pesce travel an hour from Rome every afternoon to the village of Terracina to handpick the best of the day's catch, which they showcase on ice before it is served at dinner in this simple, open space near the Campo dei Fiori (32 Via di Monserrato; 39-06-686-5617; entrées, $18–$42). The relaxing lounge downstairs at Crudo, also near the Campo dei Fiori, serves hors d'oeuvres on stainless steel spoons, and its minimalist dining rooms are the setting for eclectic cuisine (6 Via degli Specchi; 39-06-683-8989; entrées, $38–$50). With a modern take on the Roman banquet, Supperclub, near the Piazza Navona, serves a set menu of contemporary Mediterranean dishes to guests who lounge on white couches while being entertained with live music and performances (14 Via dei Nari; 39-06-6880-7207; prix fixe, $69). Fine woodwork and faded frescoes set the mood at Hostaria dell'Orso, in a striking fourteenth-century former tavern and hotel overlooking the Tiber, near the Piazza Navona. The arresting bright-orange leather chairs are a counterpoint to the comforting food (25c Via dei Soldati; 39-06-6830-1192; entrées, $24–$42). Truth in Travel is the guiding principle for all content published in Condé Nast Traveler. Other travel publications often accept free travel and accommodations. Condé Nast Traveler does not. It is independent of the travel industry. The magazine always pays its way, and, as far as possible, its correspondents travel anonymously. By doing so, they experience the world—both the good and the bad—as other travelers do, and their reports and recommendations are fair, impartial, and authoritative.
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