I visited one of the world's most walkable cities and found hidden gems without trying
Rome has been occupied by humans for around 14,000 years, with many of the 35 million yearly visitors going to the city to learn about its rich culture and history, not to mention the pleasant climate.
One of the most distinctive things about the Italian capital is just how narrow the streets are, with the vast majority built at a time when the typical road-going vehicle was a horse.
Whilst this does mean that Rome could be the motorists' nightmare, which seemingly never has any parking spaces available, it is perfect for tourists looking to see the sights on foot.
During a trip to the Italian capital, I was fortunate enough to be able to spend some time strolling around the city with a view to taking in the world-famous sites along with a few slices of local life.
Taking to the streets with no particular plan, not to mention an incredibly limited sense of direction, can be a recipe for disaster. However, fortunately for me, Rome wears its history on its sleeve, meaning there is plenty of interesting attractions hiding in plain sight.
Whilst my near-mapless strategy meant I never quite found the Collesseum, arguably the most famous attraction the city has to offer, I did manage to stumble upon the Trevi Fountain.
A mainstay of the city centre since 1762, the Trevi Fountain is an incredible water feature located in front of the Palazzo Poli palace which represents Oceanus, the Roman God of Water, with Abundance and Salubrity combining to make rocks and vegetation.
It is said that tourists can receive good luck by throwing a coin over their left shoulder into the fountain. Sadly, I would not know as there were so many visitors admiring the attraction that I struggled to get near to it for more than a few seconds!
Fortunately, there are plenty of ancient sites across Rome which many tourists are seemingly unaware of, despite being incredibly straightforward to get to.
One of the easiest to reach, considering it stretches around the old part of the city, are the remains of the Aurelian Walls that protected Rome from invaders.
Considering that the walls are approaching 1,800 years old, they are in remarkable condition and still manage to blend in well with the comparatively modern cityscape, with once closely guarded gates now converted into roads that lead into different neighbourhoods.
With so many buildings surrounding you, the Ancient Romans clearly did not share our love for green spaces, one of the most welcoming places I visited was Villa Borghese, an 80-hectare park in the Ludovisi neighbourhood.
As the name would suggest, the park is full of different villas, which act as museums that typically showcase the work of famous artists and sculptors. Whilst visitors typically have to pay to go inside, Villa Borghese itself is free to enter at any time and has a number of its own attractions.
Without a doubt, my favourite part of the park was the Passeggiata del Pincio, a scenic viewpoint that overlooks a large portion of Rome's city centre, including the nearby Piazza del Popolo.
In all, it would be impossible to give every point of interest in Rome enough justice by simply walking around the city, let alone in just one afternoon.
However, given the sheer amount I was able to see in just a few hours and without a map goes to show just how much culture, history and scenery tourists can experience on a short city break to the Italian capital.
The only thing I would advise to any tourists thinking about jetting off straight away in search of the sights is to bring a decent pair of shoes; you will definitely thank yourself the next day!