Italy: 7 reasons why Rome is family-friendly city

Rome: Planning a family holiday can be a complicated business: Backpacking is out, extreme sports are off the

board, and even long-haul flights can pose serious problems.

Step forward, the city break. New research by Play Like Mum has looked at the common factors parents seek

when finding a family-friendly foray, and totted up the top 50 European city breaks.

Props to Lisbon, Madrid, St. Petersburg and Zagreb, which all snatched a spot in the top five, but leading the

pack was Italian capital Rome.

You only have to walk down the street to see that Rome is kid-friendly – endless gelaterias and an astonishing

quantity of cats – but the city is overflowing with ageless attractions if you know where to look.
Here are just a few of the reasons Rome should be a shoo-in for your next cross-generation holiday.

1. Explora Children’s Museum: A lot of establishments claim to be both ‘educational’ and ‘fun’, but the

Explora Children’s Museum actually follows through. A lifesaver on a rainy day, but still worth it in the sun,

activities are split into 0-3, 3-6 and 6-12 age ranges, so exhibits are tailored perfectly to their audiences.
The lower floor features temporary exhibitions, while the upper offers up an avalanche of interactive

activities. Elaborate contraptions that demonstrate hydraulics, a simulator that puts you in charge of Italy’s

fastest train (the Red Arrow), and a sphere of miniature wind tunnels – think the Launchpad at the Science

Museum, but bigger and broader.

1. Gardens and greenery – Villa Borghese Park: Rome has a slightly unfair reputation for fume-choked roads

filled with overly-enthusiastic drivers, but if you know where to find it, there’s some outstanding green space.
The Botanical Garden features bamboo forest, and the Orange Garden yields fabulous views, but first prize

goes to the gardens at Villa Borghese. Blessed with a horsetrack, temple, boating lake and meticulous

landscaping, kids can burn off excess energy without getting bored.

Alternatively, swing by the Circus Maximus – once Rome’s premier chariot racing arena, the grassy remains

are now a rather pretty public park.

1. Explore the history – The ruins of the forum: Yes, we know, piles of rocks and pottery shards aren’t known

for enthusing the young ones, but Rome has perhaps the most kid-friendly past on the planet.

The Colosseum is tailor-made for childhood imagination (kids will dig the subterranean hypogeum that

hosted the amphitheatre’s wild animals), while the forum is the perfect place for some well-supervised hide

and seek.
The kids may or may not care about the Trevi Fountain’s Baroque heritage, but they’ll enjoy throwing a penny

in it all the same.

1. Investigate the catacombs – Catacomb under Rome: Rome’s terrestrial attractions tend to take the

headlines, but beneath the city streets lies another world of darker, spookier history. Rome is a world capital

of catacombs – giant underground morgues that bore the bodies of the city’s burgeoning population.
Discovered in the 16th century, the first man into the catacombs nearly joined the dead himself, when he got

lost in the miles of dark, narrow tunnel. There are 40 different ‘combs in total, and, depending on which you

visit, you’ll be greeted with ancient inscriptions, shadowy grottoes, and even a macabre collage of skulls.
Not advised for children with claustrophobia, or those whose imaginations are just a little too active.

1. Gladiator School – Gladiator lessons: Being a gladiator was not for the faint of heart – near-certain death,

baying crowds, and dreadful holiday pay – but we’re yet to meet the 10-year-old that doesn’t dream about it

all the same.

At the Roman Gladiator School, kids can learn the tricks of the trade with instructors from the Historic Group

of Rome, who mete out fighting tips in traditional garb with historically-accurate training swords.
Hugely popular among tourists, we recommend booking in advance.

1. St. Peter’s Basilica – St Peter’s Basilica: There are many reasons that children love St. Peter’s Basilica.

The interior is encrusted with mesmerising opulence; it’s in the Vatican, so you can stand with your feet in

different countries; and the view from the top of the dome is breathtakingly panoramic.
It’s the world’s largest church, in the world’s smallest state – enough to arouse the curiosity of the even the

most recalcitrant youngster.

1. Rome Zoo: Though not the most inherently ‘Roman’ sight you’ll be seeing, kids love lions and tigers

wherever they reside. They’re joined here by bears, wolves, monkeys, giraffes, zebras, kangaroos and more,

making Rome Zoo one of Europe’s most complete menageries. Throw in a petting zoo and play area, and this

so-called ‘biopark’ has something for all ages.