5 must-see ancient Roman sites

When it comes down to it, visiting Rome can offer an enlightening experience and a vacation that you will remember for a lifetime. Indeed, Rome is an ancient city – one of the oldest the world, so you are bound to run into some ruins. In fact, this is one of the most fun things about this city. Located in the heart of Italy, Rome not only has great food, but also great architecture. Sure, some parts of the architecture may be missing, but what remains tells an amazing story of the past. When it comes down to it, Rome is the perfect place to visit with your family. Here are five must-see ancient Roman sites.

1. The Coliseum of Rome. Just imagine it: it’s the year 90 A.D. and you have nothing to do on a Sunday. Instead of lounging around, you may go to The Coliseum to see gladiators battle it out. You may also see gladiators fight against tigers, lions and other wild animals that have been brought from Africa. Indeed, The Coliseum today is in ruins, but it is still a beautiful place to visit in Rome.
2. The Pantheon. In ancient Roman times, the Pantheon was a temple where the gods of the heavens would be worshiped. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Pantheon was turned into a church. Today it is nearly preserved as it was hundreds and hundreds of years ago. The Pantheon is also a great place to visit if you want to stick around the center of town. Not only can you explore the Pantheon’s architecture, you can also spend time on the beautiful grounds and then walk about a half a block down the small roads for a meal or a nice drink.
3. Roman Forum. The Roman Forum is in ruins now – pieces of cement and a few columns may be lying around, but once upon a time this area was the main center of government for the Roman Empire. Not only did people visit this area to go to court, but it also held brothels and ancient Roman eating establishments. It really was the center of activity for much of the Empire’s reign.
4. The Palatine Hill. If you thought the nicest part of your neighborhood or community is fancy, think again. Palatine Hill was basically where emperors and aristocrats lived in Ancient Rome. There were servants, slaves and basically anything they wanted. Today, this remnant of another time still exists – albeit in shambles – but the original footprint is still intact and you can explore the ruins. You may want to browse around Through Eternity Tours to see if you can find a special package to explore these ruins.
5. Ostia Antica. If you want to venture slightly out of Rome for the day, you may want to take a bus or car to Ostia Antica. This was another center of town and it has one of the most intact ruins – besides the Pantheon. This was essentially a less civic center of town – you can think of it more like a main street. In the end, this is a great chance to see what life was like for common people in the Roman Empire.