| The Italian capital is also renowned for its | | | | skirts. |
| breathtaking fountains and pigeon-filled public squares, | | | | Before you leave the Basilica, be sure to check out |
| including the Piazza San Pietro. Local color includes | | | | the unparalleled views from the top of the dome. |
| jumping out of the way of speeding mopeds ' even | | | | You can take the elevator or the stairs (the stairs |
| pedestrians on the sidewalk are not safe!' and | | | | are brutal, but will save you a few euro.) Open daily |
| grabbing lunch at one of the many mom-and-pop | | | | until 6 pm in the summer, 5 pm in the winter. |
| pizzerias hocking their haute cuisine pizza by the kilo. | | | | After your awe-inspiring walk through the Sistine |
| Blending the best of European history, culture and | | | | Chapel, you might want to continue your epoch |
| cuisine, Rome is surely a must-see for any European | | | | journey through the greats of European art at the |
| traveler. And whether you are planning a week-long | | | | Vatican Museum. One of the best art galleries on the |
| stay or just a long weekend, you'll want to be sure | | | | Continent, the Vatican Museum is ingeniously designed |
| to put Vatican City on your itinerary. | | | | in the round, allowing visitors to easily follow the |
| Situated in the heart of Rome, Vatican City is actually | | | | one-way route. The museum usually closes at 4:30 |
| its own state making it the world's smallest nation at | | | | and is only open one Sunday a month. Be sure to |
| just under a half a square kilometer. (Be sure to send | | | | check in advance of your visit, since Italian national as |
| postcards to all your friends while visiting they will be | | | | well as religious holidays are all observed. Expect to |
| postmarked in Latin from Vatican City.) | | | | wait in line, as the crowds are compounded by |
| The seat of the Catholic Church and the temporal | | | | security checks, especially during the summer months. |
| home to Pope Josef Cardinal Ratzinger, Vatican City | | | | Don't expect a wealth of dining options in Vatican |
| is perhaps best known in non-Roman Catholic tourist | | | | City, although visitors can grab a quick bite at the |
| circles as the site of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. | | | | Vatican Museum's cafeteria. Of course, with Rome's |
| Located in the Dome of St. Peter's Basilica, the | | | | culinary greatness beckoning, you might just prefer |
| Sistine Chapel is open daily April to September from 9 | | | | to check out your options a bit farther afield. |
| AM - 7 PM and from October to March 9AM - 6PM. | | | | Likewise, unless you are a personal guest of the |
| The local Tourist Information Office offers free | | | | Pope, there are no accommodations inside Vatican |
| 90-minute tours of the Basilica, which leave daily at | | | | City. However, the Vaticano district is just outside of |
| 2:15 PM. Visitors can also venture solo through St. | | | | Vatican City, and offers a host of accommodations, |
| Peter's Basilica or with the help of an audio guide (for | | | | ranging from exquisite five-star hotels to quaint bed |
| rent in the cloakroom for 5). A strict dress code is | | | | and breakfasts to comfortable apartment rentals |
| enforced at the Dome of St. Peter's Basilica: visitors | | | | that are perfect for families and longer-term visitors. |
| are not permitted in sleeveless tops, shorts or short | | | | |