The only difficulty you face when planning a visit to Europe is deciding where to go. There is so much to see, so many beautiful cities and so little time that you are spoilt for choice. In no particular order, these are five cities that you should see. There are many, many more such as Barcelona, Madrid, Budapest, Prague ?

London. When you tire of London you tire of life as someone once said, and it is still true even now. London is dirty, noisy, crowded and the public transport isn?t the best in the world but there is something about London that has to be experienced. Hyde park, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, a walk along the Thames, Harrods, Oxford Street, Covent Garden, Soho. You can go on and on.

Paris. If you are planning a visit to Europe, how could you not spend at least a few days in Paris? It is probably the most chic city in the world, with its beautiful architecture, cafes, churches, monuments, art galleries and more. Walk along the Seine or take a bateau mouche to see the city from the river, climb the Eiffel tower, visit Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, eat, drink and be merry.

Rome. Like London Rome is noisy, crowded and amazing. It has great food and great wine combined with thousands of years of history. Visit the roman forum, Vatican City, the Coliseum., the Fontana di Trevi and the Pantheon. As with all these cities, the only hard decision is what to miss out if you only have a limited time. You could live in Rome for a month and only scratch the surface.

Venice. Simply, the most beautiful city in the world. It has to be seem to be believed. After visiting St Mark?s Square and the main tourist sites, I would suggest leaving the normal tourist areas and wandering through the back streets to see something of the real Venice. Even during the long tourist season these are relatively empty, and you will stumble across many hidden gems, not only architecturally but also gastronomically.

Berlin. In common with the other cities, there is a lot of interesting history attached although Berlin is different in that much of it is more recent. You can follow the track marking out the Berlin wall, see the last remaining bits of wall (now preserved), Checkpoint Charlie, the last remaining watch tower and so on. There are also an astonishing number of museums and beer halls within easy reach, and of course the Berlin State Opera.

Finally, a little bit of language helps. English is widely spoken, especially in the tourist areas, but people appreciate it if you make an effort in their language. This doesn’t have to be more than hello, goodbye but it usually gets a good response. You will also find that in places where you might expect an understanding of English, such as the metro in Paris, it can surprisingly be absent.

If you are looking for a fascinating attraction in Rome, the ancient ruins of the Golden House of Nero have just recently been opened after years of being excavated and restored. This is great news because even though the house was found during the Renaissance period, it took a big recovery effort in the 1990s to finally make it available.

Nero’s luxurious home was built after the famous fire that almost wiped out Rome while Nero fiddled. Nero built his palace in 64 AD and turned it into a storehouse of riches and art works. When it was at its finest, there was gold foil everywhere and the ceilings were covered with fine gems and ivory. But these lovely things were stripped from the palace after Nero’s death.Some trivia is that the palace covered over 300 acres which included a private lake and rich crops and the extravagant house. However, the palace was not really a home like we think of it because even though it had hundreds of rooms, it had no bedrooms. This is not to say that many times people didn’t just pass out and sleep there during Nero’s wild parties.

One of the most striking features of the palace at the time was the 40m (130ft) high bronze likeness Nero had done to honor himself. This amazing art work is still on display outside the Colosseum.

Time has taken its toll on the palace but there is a lot of great things to see when you visit the house. Not only is seeing the Palace a delight but Rome is such a delightful and welcoming city. And in Rome often the weather is as delightful as the sights.

One of the best tours of the Palace of Nero is audio guided, and you will go underground to see the huge vaults and rooms covered with amazing artwork. The world famous artist Fabullus did a lot of the frescoes of the house using a very popular style he learned in Pompeii, that ultimately doomed city.
Fabullus isn’t as well known to us but his work was inspirational to Michelangelo and Raphael as well as diverse characters like Casanova and the Marquis de Sade. So keep a sharp eye out because these historic characters actually signed the walls of Nero’s house and you may see those signatures on your tour.

The tour will open your eyes to another world as you see ruins still not fully restored, hiding amazing ancient art works. But when you see rooms that look like they did during Nero’s time, the artwork and luxurious design will take your breath away.
You will get a good exposure to grotto style rooms during your tour. But when you enter the amazing Octagon room, it will be a true highlight of the day. This room showed Nero’s admiration of that famous emperor and the Dying Gaul statue that was housed there, that can now be seen elsewhere at the Palazzo Altemps museum.

You can conclude your tour with a view of the lush gardens. And don’t miss seeing a replica of the original octagonal room. It will help you feel what life in the ancient Golden House of Nero must have been like so long ago.

Rome’s palaces, museums and ancient historical monuments are so countless that even Rome’s locals have not seen all of its many treasures. As one of the world’s most historic and ancient cities, Rome plays host to millions of tourists each year. From the old world opulence of the Roman Forum and the Catacombs to the serene natural beauty of Villa Borghese, Rome oozes grandeur.

The central attractions of Rome are the Palatine Hill and the Forum. Via Del Corso is located north from the Forum to Piazza Del Popolo, accompanied by Spanish steps and the Trevi Fountain on the east. The Vatican is situated northwest of the Forum, across the River Tiber in Rome.

The Colosseum is a reigning symbol of Ancient Rome and one of the city’s flagship monuments. One must view the Colosseum not just as a hallmark of Roman architectural prowess but also as the venue of lavish public spectacles and gladiatorial combat. For nearly 500 years, the Colosseum was used as the site of gladiatorial games, mock sea battles, animal hunts, dramas based on Classical mythology and executions – maintaining its status as a prime feature of the greatness of the Roman Empire and an enduring symbol of the power of the Emperor.

Another Roman ruin that draws the fascination of thousands of tourists every year is the Baths of Caracalla. The baths incorporate a complex that covers approximately 13 hectares and could accommodate up to 1600 bathers in its prime – more of a luxury leisure complex than a simple series of baths. As well as a range of temperature controlled bathing rooms and pool areas, the Baths of Caracalla also incorporates a public library and a shopping centre – indicative of the Baths’ status as one of Rome’s most indulgent hotspots.

The abundance of Renaissance and Baroque architecture in Rome is also a prominent indicator of its affluent heritage, with the Piazza del Campidoglio often cited as the most impressive example of Renaissance creation in the city. Designed by Michelangelo, the piazza was initially constructed as a symbol of the new Rome in 1538, in order to impress Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor.

Other marks of Rome’s grand Renaissance period include the Palazzo del Quirinale (now the seat of the President of Italy) the Palazzo Venezia and the Palazzo Farnese – all of which were opulent palaces built by Rome’s most famous aristocratic families. Additionally, the Fontana di Trevi acts as Rome’s most enduring representation of Baroque architecture, and is one of the city’s most cherished monuments by residents and travellers alike.

For a true taste of Rome’s grandeur and luxurious past, there are plenty of luxury hotels and boutique hotels to choose from located in the heart of this historic city. This way, you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of high quality accommodation while exploring the magnificence of the city’s most famous sights at the same time – the perfect recipe for a true understanding of Roman luxury!

Rome Italy is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the European Union.  Visitors come from around the world to see world-famous landmarks such as the Colosseum, the Forum and the Patheon.

Young couples love to throw three coins into Trevi Fountain, climb the Spanish Steps or enjoy a latte in Piazza Navona. At Vatican City, visitors can visit St Peter’s Cathedral and enjoy its  fountains, statues and the beautiful church dome. At the Vatican Museum, you won’t want to miss the masterpieces Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael or the Sistine Chapel. Rome Italy has tourist attractions for all tastes and there are hotel accommodation is available throughout the city.

Rome is in the Lazio region of central Italy on the Tiber river (Italian: Tevere). The original settlement developed on hills that faced onto a ford beside the Tiber island, the only natural ford of the river. The historic centre of Rome was built on seven hills: the Aventine Hill, the Caelian Hill, the Capitoline Hill, the Esquiline Hill, the Palatine Hill, the Quirinal Hill, and the Viminal Hill. The city is also crossed by another river the Aniene which joins the Tiber north of the historic centre.

Although the city centre is about 24 km (14.9 mi) inland from the Tyrrhenian Sea, the city territory extends to the shore, where the south-western district of Ostia is located. The altitude of the central part of Rome ranges from 13 m (43 ft) above sea level (at the base of the Pantheon) to 139 m (456 ft) above sea level (the peak of Monte Mario). The Commune of Rome covers an overall area of about 1,285 km2 (496 sq mi), including many green areas.

Excellent rail service is available to Rome from many parts of Europe.  Many people enjoy a Mediterranean cruise, after visiting the city. Rome’s two main airports are Leonardo da Vinci Airport (Fiumicino) and Ciampino Airport.  Flights to Rome are available from London, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and most other major cities.  Rome is also an airline hub for many of the discount airlines.

Much like the rest of Italy, Rome is predominantly Roman Catholic. Although Rome is home to the Vatican City and St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome’s cathedral is the Basilica of St. John Lateran, located to the south-east of the city-centre. There are around 900 churches in Rome in total, aside from the cathedral itself, some others of note include: the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, the Basilica di San Clemente, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane and the Church of the Gesu. There are also the ancient Catacombs of Rome underneath the city. Numerous highly important religious educational institutions are also in Rome, such as the Pontifical Lateran University, Pontifical Biblical Institute, Pontifical Gregorian University, and Pontifical Oriental

The territory of Vatican City is part of the Mons Vaticanus, and of the adjacent former Vatican Fields, where St. Peter’s Basilica, the Apostolic Palace, the Sistine Chapel, and museums were built, along with various other buildings. The area was part of the Roman rione of Borgo until 1929. Being separated from the city, on the west bank of the Tiber river, the area was an outcrop of the city that was protected by being included within the walls of Leo IV, and later expanded by the current fortification walls of Paul III/Pius IV/Urban VIII. When the Lateran Treaty of 1929 that gave the state its present form was being prepared, the boundaries of the proposed territory was influenced by the fact that much of it was all but enclosed by this loop. For some tracts of the frontier, there was no wall, but the line of certain buildings supplied part of the boundary, and for a small part of the frontier a modern wall was constructed.

The territory includes Saint Peter’s Square, distinguished from the territory of Italy only by a white line along the limit of the square, where it touches Piazza Pio XII. St. Peter’s Square is reached through the Via della Conciliazione, which runs from the Tiber River to St. Peter’s. This grand approach was constructed by Benito Mussolini after the conclusion of the Lateran Treaty. According to the Lateran Treaty, certain properties of the Holy See that are located in Italian territory, most notably Castel Gandolfo and the major basilicas, enjoy extraterritorial status similar to that of foreign embassies.

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