For those of you who are fortunate enough to be on a follow up visit of Rome, or those who need to escape the mobs of tourists that invade the city day after day, may I suggest a quiet destination nearby?

Steeped in the culture and history of Italy, a town that has provided hospitality for emperors, popes, artists and nobility, lies the enchanting city of Tivoli, just 30 km from Rome.

The origins of Tivoli date back to 1215 BC (that is nearly 500 years before the founding of Rome).

What to see:

Villa d’Este Villa d'Este, Tivoli, (Rome) - Italy - Official Site -
Built in 1550 for Cardinal Ippolito Il d’Este. Designed by the architect Pirro Ligorio, it is famous for the sumptuous garden, statue monuments and above all, its great fountains. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001 and has made the list of the top 25 fountains in the world.

Hadrian’s Villa Villa Adriana
Built as a retreat for the Emperor Hadrian, starting from 117 A.D., it is the most extensive ancient roman villa, covering an area of at least 80 hectares, more or less as large as Pompeii. This UNESCO World Heritage site was a complex of over 30 buildings, much of which has still not been excavated.

Villa Gregoriana Villa Gregoriana
“Villa Gregoriana” Park, at the slopes of the acropolis, is dominated by two temples from II and III century b.C., was organized in 1834 under Pope Gregory XVI, after the diverting of the Aniene river.

The presence of archaeological ruins, vestiges of different periods, exceptional natural elements, including a few waterfalls, caves and foreshortened views give the park a great environmental, historical and artistic value.

Temple of Vesta is a Roman Temple dating to the early 1st century BC. Its ruins sit on the acropolis of the city, overlooking the falls of the Aniene that are now included in the Villa Gregoriana.

It is a great place to hike for a couple of hours, enjoy the mist from the waterfalls on a hot day, and to take some pictures in lush, green surroundings.

Getting there:
By Train
To avoid traffic delays I recommend taking the train from either Roma Tiburtina or Roma Termini train stations towards Tivoli. Around a 1 hour trip.

By Metro/Bus
Another option is taking the blue metro line to Ponte Mammolo and hopping on a regional bus that runs frequently to Tivoli. Traffic is heavy at peak times and it can take up to two hours to get there.

By car
Via Nazionale Tiburtina from Rome will take you all the way to Tivoli.

Shopping:
There is a great cameo jewelry shop just across from where you will exit Villa d’Este. The owner is very nice and offers affordable to exquisite cameos.

Dining:
For Italian fare with an amazing view, try Sibilla. They have been here for almost 300 years so they must be doing something right!
Ristorante Tivoli | Ristorante Sibilla dal 1720