The Colosseum

The Colosseum - or more accurately, the Flavian Amphitheatre - is one of the most famous buildings in the world. It's also the most ubiquitous symbol to appear on souvenirs from Rome - with the possible exception of the wolf suckling Romulus and Remus.

Things to See

The Colosseum is right at the heart of one of the main archaeological areas of central Rome. It's next to the Forum and close to Circo Massimo. The chances are that you'll be walking past it a lot. It's worth paying (although sometimes it's free) to go inside and take a look around. The original floor of the arena was made of wood and is long gone, making it possible to see down into the 'backstage' area.

Getting There

It's easy to find the Colosseum. For a start, it's not small (although it was apparently too small for Ridley Scott, who designed a bigger one for his film Gladiator) If you're at the forum, just head East along Via Sacra until you reach it. The nearest metro stop is, unsurprisingly, Colosseo on Linea B, which will take you right to the base of the landmark.

The ticket for the Colosseum also allows access to the Palatine Hill and the Forum.