The capital of one of the world’s most powerful ancient empires, Rome is a fascinating place that has inspired people to visit it for millennia. With its breathtaking buildings and monuments, incredible works of art, small-town charm, leisurely pace of life and world-renowned cuisine, the Eternal City is worth a visit at least once, though it would take a lifetime to see all it has to offer.

Rome is a city built on layers: Cascading ivy wrapped around ancient columns, ruins incorporated into modern structures, piazzas filled with remnants of 2,000-year-old temples, cobblestones that date back thousands of years. Rome is filled to the brim with visual records of its diverse time periods, and its an incredible sight to behold. Other ancient cities may have plenty of cultural heritage on display as well, but in Rome it is so integrated in the present city, that you will experience the breadth of its history at every turn.

The ancient Romans were lauded for their architectural and engineering artistry, and testaments to their brilliance still stand throughout the city. A visit to Rome brings you up close with monuments and constructions that influenced building practices and trends over centuries and across continents, including the Colosseum, the world’s largest amphitheater, and the Pantheon, with the largest unsupported dome in the world. If you venture outside the historic center, you’ll also see Via Appia Antica, an ancient road that made the most of cobblestone techniques, and the aqueducts, an innovative way to bring large quantities of water into the city.