Rome: Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

Once you've been to the Colosseum, you're going to want to head over to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Palatine Hill stands above the Roman Forum and is where Rome was founded, according to legend.

The Roman Forum was the centre of Ancient Rome, and whilst the Colosseum was used for brutal entertainment, the Forum was where you could find the more civilized government buildings, temples and markets.

Nowadays it's mostly ruins, though some of these have been restored over the centuries, like the Arch of Titus above.

The Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine was the largest building in the Forum - its arches are all that remain of it today, so our tour guide told us to picture walking into St Peter's to imagine what the inside of this Basilica would have been like.

There's a reason why the area looks a bit sparse today. Lots of the materials used to build the Roman Forum were removed to construct other churches and buildings after the fall of the Roman Empire.

Don't just dismiss the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill as a bit of a falling down building site though - use your imagination to picture the hustle and bustle of the crowds, see the grand buildings before you and marvel at how clever the Ancient Romans were. It's thanks to them, after all, that a lot of our society is like it is.

You can visit the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, along with the Colosseum, for €12. Tickets are valid for two days, though I highly recommend you book a guided tour or buy an awesome guide book to make the most of this area of Rome.