Cerveteri and other Rome, Italy Off The Beaten Path Tips

The Necropolis of Cerveteri is an amazing place to visit. Cerveteri is often called a "city of the dead." There are an abundance of tombs in this place and the tombs are like rooms in Etruscan homes. The main burial ground is the Necropolis of Banditacca with Tomba Bella (the Reliefs' Tomb) one of the best to see. Paintings of everything from kitchen utencils to family pets are on the walls. The necropolis is open daily from 8:30am to 1 hour before sunset. Admission is 4€.

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Tivoli, known as Tibur to the ancient Romans, is 32km (20 miles) east of Rome. You can take Metro Line B to Rebibbia station then onto a COTRAL bus. If you have a car you go on Via Tiburtina & it takes about an hour. Tivoli is a lovely Roman hill town and a nice spot to relax in after the race pace of Rome. The two biggest attractions are Hadrians Villa (which is actually a bus ride to get to!) and Villa d'Este which has beautiful gardens to wander around.

While you are here pick up a town map at the Tourist Office and follow the walk through the town that takes you past sights including the Rocca Pia, Roman Amphitheatre, the Romanesque Church of St Sylvester and the Cathedral of St Lawrence (San Lorenzo) with baroque facade and art. A very nice day trip!!

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Ostia Antica is 26km southwest of Rome and is Romes ancient seaport. Take the Metro Line B from Stazione Termini to the Magliana stop. Change here for the Lido train to Ostia Antica. The trip takes about 20 minutes. The Metro lets you off across the highway that connects Rome with the coast. It's just a short walk to the excavations. You can see all of the typical Roman ruins here including a great ampi-theatre. There is also a very nice beach to sun yourself on.

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Frascati is another Roman hill town with a busy wine industry. It is one of several hilltowns to the south-east of Rome known collectively as the Castelli Romani. It's located 21km from Rome and is easily reachable by public transport. COTRAL buses run frequently from Anagnina metro station (at the end of the A Metro line).

A side trip here will give you nice views over Rome from one of the many vinyards where sampling a bit of vino is a must. The Cathedral is also worth a look, as is a wander around the medieval streets. The most impressive Villa to visit is the Villa Aldobrandini. It was designed by Giacomo Della Porta and really dominates the town. You can't get inside the Villa but you can visit the gardens once you have a permit from the tourist office (so pop there first!!).

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Palestrina predates the founding of Rome by several hundred years. It had some of the most luxurious villas of the Roman Empire (including emporer Hadrian). Its most famous child was Pier Luigi da Palestrina, recognized as the father of polyphonic harmony.

The town disappeared with history until World War II when bombs dropped cleared an ancient site and a pagan temple emerged: the Fortuna Primigenia, rebuilt in the days of the empire but dating from centuries before. In Palestrina you'll find a Duomo (with a mostly intact bell tower) and Museum (Museo Archeologico) which can be found at the highest point of the town (it's hard to miss!). The museum's exhibits include Etruscan remains from the area, and Roman tablets, artefacts and statues. Star exhibit is the Nile Mosaic depicting the river Nile and its lions, crocodiles and even Roman galleys! Make sure you keep your Museum ticker as across from the Museum are exposed sections of the old temple (which you need your ticket to be able to enter).

As with Frascati, to get here you use a COTRAL bus which run from Anagnina station (South end of the A Metro line) to Palestrina.

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