The Roman Forum was essentially the “Heart” of Ancient Rome, as it housed not only the Senate and many of the government buildings, but acted as the city center for the citizens of that time. The area also provided spaces for entertainment, speeches and protests, places to shop, and where elections took place.

Today, the area is an archaeological site and open-air museum, providing tourists the opportunity to explore some of what Ancient Rome had to offer.

During my visit to the Forum, I enjoyed spending time discovering many of the ruins that I’ve read about or have seen depicted in film, and walked up Palatine Hill to see the ruins and Rome from above.

Exploring Ancient Rome’s Forum and Palatine Hill was incredible, and experiencing the area from above was literally breathtaking. If you don’t mind walking a little, I’d recommend you taking the climb to the top to see everything, and be sure to wear your walking shoes!

If you’re planning to explore, you can purchase tickets from their site.

Here are photos that I captured during my time exploring the Roman Forum.