The Appian Way (Via Appia)

One thing you cannot miss in Rome is an afternoon walking along the Via Appia Antica. Built in the 3rd century BC, it was called the "Queen of Roads", for its length, age and almost perfectly straight path. It was created to unite Rome with Brindisi, the ancient capital of Apulia. You need thirteen or fourteen days to explore its 530km. length.

The Appian Way begins more or less at the Baths of Caracalla. Today, the best preserved area is beyond the wall, just past the Porta San Sebastiano, and gives you an idea of the suburbs of the ancient city.

The beginnings of this road are in Rome at the Porta San Sebastiano. You can get there via bus (lines 218 and 760), car, or taxi. Be careful though, as car traffic is highly limited at certain parts of the road. I’d really suggest visiting because it’s in great condition and lets you see how Roman roads were thousands of years ago. In its day, the road connected Rome with other ancient cities to the east in Italy. It was built in 312BC and reached the doors of Benevento, Taranto, and Brindisi.

There are some interesting sights along the way. As you start walking from the Porta San Sebastiano, you'll see a place to rent bikes. I'd suggest getting there early because it fills up fast and the chance to explore this ancient road by bike is an experience worth trying. The first thing you'll find is the Church of Domine Quo Vadis, where, according to legend, Jesus uttered those fateful words to Peter as he fled Rome. Inside the church, there is a spot where Jesus' feet are supposedly engraved into the marble. The Catacombs of San Callixtus and San Sebastiano are further down and merit visits of their own.