Villa Borghese Gardens

When Rome's cobbles and crowds get too much, Romans head for Villa Borghese, and visitors should too. The park began as the private estate of Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the nephew of Pope Paul V, who in the early seventeenth century laid out gardens around a summer villa built to display his astonishing art collection, the same collection you see today in the Borghese Gallery at the park's eastern edge. The estate later passed to the city and became a public park, and it now forms a vast green lung that rises from Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps across the hill toward the residential districts to the north. It is free to enter and open every day, and it is far more varied than a simple park. At its western edge, the Pincio terrace looks out over Piazza del Popolo, its obelisk and twin churches, with the dome of St Peter's on the horizon, and it is one of the classic places in Rome to watch the sunset. The Giardino del Lago has a small lake where you can rent a rowing boat and drift past a little Ionic temple dedicated to Aesculapius on its island. Shaded avenues are lined with busts of famous Italians, fountains and follies, and families find puppet theatres, playgrounds, pony rides and a zoo-style Bioparco. Culture is never far away: as well as the Borghese Gallery, the park holds the National Gallery of Modern Art, a small cinema with only a few dozen seats, a summer Globe Theatre that recreates Shakespeare's playhouse, and Villa Giulia, home to the national Etruscan museum, on its edge. Bike, e-bike, tandem and four-wheeled pedal-cart rentals are dotted around the paths, and the whole park is a gift for anyone who needs a break between museums.

The easiest approach is from Piazza del Popolo: climb the ramps and steps on the east side of the square, and in a few minutes you reach the Pincio terrace. From the Spanish Steps, walk up past Trinita dei Monti and along Viale della Trinita dei Monti, which leads to the Pincio with views all the way. From there, wander inward along the avenues to the Giardino del Lago, then on toward the Borghese Gallery, which makes a perfect end to a morning in the park if you have booked one of its timed entry slots. Allow at least two hours to cross the park at a gentle pace, more if you rent a boat or a bike.

For families, Villa Borghese is the most useful space in central Rome. Children can run, cycle, row on the lake, watch a puppet show or ride a pedal cart with the whole family on board, and the Bioparco, a ticketed zoological garden, fills a morning with little ones. There are kiosks and cafes for coffee, gelato and snacks, and clean grass for a picnic, so it is easy to build a lazy day here between sightseeing. Rental stands open according to the season and weather, so treat them as a bonus rather than a certainty in winter.

Couples should time a visit for the late afternoon, wander the lake and the avenues as the light softens, and end at the Pincio for the sunset over the domes, before descending to Piazza del Popolo for an aperitivo. Art lovers can combine the gardens with the Borghese Gallery, Villa Giulia and the modern art gallery for a full day of culture. A practical note: the park is large and gently hilly, the paths are a mix of paving and gravel, and it is quiet after dark, so plan to leave by nightfall unless you are heading to an event.