7 places to visit and photograph in Rome

Last September my girlfriend and I visited Rome for the first time. By then I already knew the eternal city from history lessons, films, books and photos and I was certain that there would be much to see and photograph in the four days we had.

And Rome didn’t disappoint. It quickly became my new favorite city. The architecture is just phenomenal. It’s crazy to think that many of the buildings are more than 2000 years old. The city is like a huge film set. Behind every corner there seems to be yet another magnificent church. I was overwhelmed.

In this article I want to share the seven places I ended up photographing during our visit. There would have been much more, but with four days the time was limited and I had to focus on the places, which fascinated me the most.

1. Forum Romanum

This place radiates history. I went there early on our first morning. The streets of Rome were still empty and as I arrived at the viewpoint I was the only person there. If you go there early enough, you can still see the Forum lit up by artificial lights, which gives a wonderful contrast to the historic architecture.

Then I waited for sunrise, which also didn’t disappoint. As the sun appeared behind the pillars of the Forum and bathed the scene in golden light it was just magical.

During daytime and in the evening you can explore the ruins of the Forum itself, which is what we did. But it was very crowded and I much preferred the solitude of the morning. Here’s a little vlog I filmed that day.

2. Spanish Steps

Day two had me visiting the Spanish Steps. This place, as all famous places in Rome, is very crowded during daytime and it’s impossible to take a photo of the fountain and the steps. But before sunrise I had the whole plaza for myself. It all was so calm.

If you ever visit Rome, make sure to head out for an early morning stroll. In my opinion this is the best time to explore Rome.

3. Ponte Umberto

A great location for sunset is the Ponte Umberto. From there we had a wonderful view of the Vatican and the Ponte Sant’Angelo. The dark blue sky of the blue hour together with the city lights made for the perfect photo that evening. But don’t expect to be the only person watching the sunset from there. It’s a very popular spot.

4. The Pantheon

Awe-inspiring is the first word that comes to mind when I think of the Pantheon. It’s hard to fathom that this enormous dome was built nearly 2000 years ago. It’s just spectacular to walk in there and a photo cannot do this building justice. You have to see it for yourself.

5. St. Peter’s Basilica

Another awe-inspiring building is St. Peter’s Basilica. It might be the most magnificent building I have ever set foot in. Capturing its grandeur in a photo again was a huge challenge and I had nearly given up.

In the end I just snapped a quick hand-held shot of the altar with the dome overhead. At least it gives a little impression on all the intricate details that make up every inch of the Basilica.

A little tip here: make sure to visit early in the morning. During day it’ll take you at least an hour to get in there because of the crowds. If you go before 9am there are no queues.

6. View from St. Peter’s Basilica

When you visit St. Peter’s Basilica, make sure to also climb to the top of it. The views from up there are some of the best in Rome. Unfortunately it’s not possible to photograph sunrise itself from up there because of the opening hours. But the early morning light also casts beautiful shadows in the city below, which can make for an interesting photo.

7. Castel Sant’Angelo

The best view of Rome in my opinion can be had from the Castel Sant’Angelo. From up there you can see the complete city with all its churches and towers.

While most of the other places were free to visit or did cost just a few Euro, the Castel was the most expensive – I think we payed 12 Euro per person. But for this view it was worth it.

As I wrote in the beginning, there would have been many more places to photograph and it was certainly not my last visit to Rome.

To conclude this article, here’s a little video compilation, showing some more impressions of the city.

Don't forget to checkout my other articles in the series. I have already written two more:

• 7 beautiful places to visit in South America
• 7 spectacular beaches and coves around the world