Rome

‘When in Rome’ you should tuck into tagliatelle in neighbourhood trattorias. You should be dazzled by the Renaissance frescoes of St Peter’s Basilica and you should see the masterpieces of Michelangelo and Raphael through your very own eyes. You should go back in time to stand before the icons of Ancient Rome, the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Pantheon as imposing now as they were at the height of the Roman Empire. When in Rome, you should fold your pizza slice in two and enjoy it with a carafe of wine on the steps of a grand piazza, and you should soak up the aroma of the hot, black espresso enjoyed by locals on the pastel-painted seats of sidewalk cafes. Legend has it that if you throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain, you will guarantee yourself a return to Rome in the future; a promise that is worth a euro of anybody’s money. Indeed, once you’ve been to the city and walked in the footsteps of Roman gladiators, you’d happily pay a pretty penny to do so again. Rome wasn’t built in a day but you can see plenty of what Europe’s most historic destination has to offer in one, making it the perfect place for a mini break. From the spectacular Sistine Chapel, to the lavishly gilded shopping arcades and the maze of cobbled streets; the ‘Eternal City’ isn’t short on ways to fill your days. Art, history, culture and all the carbs you could ever wish to consume; nothing beats a mini break in Rome.