The Roman Baths in Bath, England, is the city’s foremost must-see attraction. If you only have time to visit one historic site in Bath, make it the Roman Baths. It’s small enough to enjoy in about an hour, includes an excellent audio guide, and is enlivened by numerous projections of Roman-clad people going about their bathing business.
In September 2024, I visited the Roman Baths for a third time and loved it just as much as I had in 2008 and 2018.
Arrival
I arrive outside the Pump Room that houses the Roman Baths to find quite a crowd gathered and signs indicating which time slot is currently being accommodated. Oh dear! I forgot to take my own advice and book in advance! I ask the person marshaling the crowd if I needed to book, and she promptly stands aside and motions for me to walk right in, bypassing the long line. I don’t stop to question my good fortune.
The admission price is a steep £27—and that’s the Seniors’ rate (a whole pound off the Adult rate). But that’s okay. I’m always happy to support museums that really deliver memorable visitor experiences.
Audio Guide
The price includes an audio guide with two tracks. The regular one provides the usual historical context in short and interesting installments. The children’s track includes first-person accounts by the many characters that wander across screens projected throughout the museum. I alternate between the adult and children’s tracks. Both are excellent.
Touring the Baths
The clearly signposted route starts at the walkway surrounding the baths. This structure and the statues of various Roman bigwigs are Victorian additions that were built atop the Roman ruins to house the museum when it opened in the late 19th century.
The walkway is a delightful space surrounded by warm Bath stone and with the façade of Bath Abbey looming in the background. Below are the deep green waters of the main pool. Bath has been a mecca for health-seekers for two millennia.
View of the main pool from the top walkwayView of Bath Abbey from the top walkway
Hot Springs History
I learn that Bath is the only place in the entire country that has hot springs—three of them. No wonder people have been coming here for millennia.
Before the Romans arrived, the local Dobunni tribe considered the site sacred and was where they worshiped the goddess Sulis. In those days, the heated natural spring was a bubbling, steaming pool surrounded by a thick swamp. When the Romans arrived, they incorporated worship of Sulis into their own pantheon and so transformed her into Sulis Minerva. The Romans were generally “equal opportunity” when it came to accommodating other religions, so long as the people practicing them rendered unto Caesar the necessary taxes.
The Roman legionnaires who first conquered the area must have been very happy to have found a place where they could soak their weary bones in warm water in the midst of a Great Britain winter.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Bath developed into one of the world’s most fashionable watering holes. Everyone who was anyone came here to take the waters. Jane Austen herself bathed here.
Museum Exhibits
The tour leads back indoors and descends through several rooms full of artfully displayed exhibits about the Romans. Enlivening the experience are screens projecting a selection of Roman people who would have frequented the baths back in the day. It’s a clever way to bring history to life and makes me feel like I’m witnessing it firsthand.
I listen to a blacksmith on the audio guide while watching a screen showing him hard at work making armor.
Projection of a Roman blacksmith
The Baths
The exhibits give way to a series of walkways leading across the remains of the various rooms in the Roman Baths. The Romans took their health seriously. There are rooms for getting massaged and plucked (apparently, the Romans weren’t keen on body hair), rooms for bathing in various water temperatures, and even a gymnasium where Romans got good and sweaty in humid air that still smells of sulfur.
Projection of Roman woman preparing to bathe
The ruins themselves don’t photograph particularly well. Here’s one room showing the bricks that would have been under the floor to supply the heating. The audio commentary provides details about the impressive heating and cooling mechanisms. The Romans certainly knew how to engineer.
Ruins of the heating system
Minerva Sulis
One of the most striking artifacts on display is the gilt bronze head of the goddess Sulis Minerva. It’s a rare and beautiful example of ancient craftsmanship.
Bust of the goddess Sulis Minerva
Outside next to the large pool sits a Roman-clad guide. She acknowledges me with a regal nod when I take her picture. I’m unsure if she’s meant to speak or if her job is to sit by the pool all day and have her picture taken.
A Roman watches the crowds go by
Rome Walking Tours
GuruWalk lists pay-what-you-please walking tours that connect tourists with tour guides all around the world. Check out their tours of city Rome!
Tours and Tickets
Here are some tours and ticket options to consider when touring Bath.
Conclusion
Ruins can be challenging to enjoy because they are, well, ruins. The Roman Baths manages to bring the stony vestiges of a once great Roman hangout to life with its thoughtful use of projections and audio commentary.
As you exit the museum, you can enjoy a cupful of the medicinal waters to give you energy for more Bath sightseeing.
In 2024, the Roman Baths are open from 9 am to 10 pm from July 20 to August 31, and from 9 am to 6 pm from September 1 to December 31. Buy your tickets online from the museum’s website.
Have you visited the Roman Baths? Share your comments and suggestions in the comments below.
Exploring the Area
Here are some GetYourGuide tours in southern England.
This must-see museum of thoughtfully curated exhibits showcases the history of life in rural England. Eight galleries and an impressive open storage area present artifacts and commentary related to the traditions and challenges related to food production in the English countryside.
I spent a wonderful afternoon at this museum in Reading with associate director Isabel Hughes, who graciously answered my many questions about the museum and then took me on a guided tour.
This place is a real Artsy Traveler find! And fair warning: this is a LONG post because there is just so much to write about.
Some Background
I lived in Reading for three years a few decades ago. During that time, I attended the University of Reading where I earned my BA in English Language and Literature. I hadn’t returned to Reading since I graduated, so on a recent trip to England from my home near Vancouver, BC, I decided to make Reading my first stop after landing at Heathrow.
I wasn’t sure what I planned to do during my one afternoon in Reading. I googled museums and discovered the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) run by my alma mater, the University of Reading. I had never heard of MERL, although Isabel told me the museum was established in 1951 and did indeed exist when I attended the university in the 1970s. In 2004, the museum moved to its spacious new digs in the former St. Andrew’s Hall, one of the student residences that was around during my time at the university.
Since its expansion, MERL has established itself as one of the United Kingdom’s premier destinations at which to learn about English rural life.
Why I Wanted to Visit the Museum of English Rural Life
I decided to visit MERL for two reasons. First, it’s a niche museum and as such is a perfect candidate for featuring on Artsy Traveler. Although I often write about blockbuster museums such as the Rijksmuseum, National Gallery of London, and the Uffizi, my heart beats particularly fast when I discover an off-the-beaten-track museum that my readers may not know about, and that fits with my interests.
The second reason I wanted to visit is because one of my novels titled Hidden Voices is partially set in Devon in the 1880s. Eliza, my main character, must move with her family from a bucolic rural life in Devon to the “dark, satanic mills” of northern England where most of the novel takes place. In the scenes set in Devon, I wanted to sprinkle in a few more details about rural life that I hoped to find at MERL.
And I wasn’t disappointed! This extensive museum dedicated to farming practices and rural life is a hidden gem—and admission is free or by donation.
Arrival at the Museum of English Rural Life
A few hours prior to visiting MERL, I land at Heathrow after a smooth eight-hour flight from Vancouver. Twenty minutes after deplaning, I’m standing, phone in hand, searching for my Uber. Most of that time has been taken up with long, long walks through long, long corridors, many rides up and down long escalators and a two-minute wait to go through the electronic customs kiosk.
Since my flight has arrived an hour early, I take the Uber to my hotel before heading to the museum. I’m staying at the Hotel Malmaison (#1 on the map) in downtown Reading, which I highly recommend. After freshening up, I decide to walk the 22 minutes from the hotel to MERL (#2). Here’s a map of Reading:
Along the way, I expect to take a few jaunts down memory lane, but alas, it isn’t to be. Nothing looks the same as I remember from the 1970s—not even close. The Reading skyline bristles with new buildings designed by architects who likely hadn’t been born when I was studying at the university.
When I lived in Reading, there was hardly anywhere to get coffee, much less enjoy a meal. We existed on copious amounts of strong tea; coffee bars were unheard of. And as for eating out, it just wasn’t done, or at least very rarely. Now, every other establishment in Reading serves food, or so it seems as I stroll past the cafes and restaurants in the downtown area.
Along the way, I cross over the Kennet-Avon canal which looks serene and well-groomed in the late August sunshine.
Kennet-Avon canal in Reading
When I arrive at MERL, associate director Isabel Hughes meets me and, over a very welcome cup of tea, we start our chat.
The Interview
Here’s a summary of my interview with Isabel Hughes, associate director of the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) at the University of Reading in England.
Carol
What is the purpose of the Museum of English Rural Life?
Isabel
The purpose of the museum is to present exhibits and objects that help visitors understand the human side of English rural life: the production of food, farming practices since the 19th century, and the changing countryside. We like to present the human side of rural life and really celebrate working people since the vast majority of people in the 19th century and into the 20th century either worked on the land or in mills, or were servants.
Farming practices began to change in the late 19th century because of the agricultural depression caused by wheat production in Canada.
Carol
That’s very interesting because in my novel Mill Song, my main character’s family moves from Devon because there is no more farm labor work for the men. I thought it was because of mechanization that jobs became scarce, but there was also an agricultural depression. It’s interesting that Canada was to blame! A lot of people, including many of my ancestors, emigrated from a rural life in the West Country to Canada during the 19th century.
Isabel
MERL was started by the Agriculture Department at the University of Reading in 1951. World War II had ended and there was a push to make agriculture more self-sufficient and productive with the use of insecticides and the development of large farms. But as a result, traditional farming practices were being lost.
The founders of the museum realized this and decided to collect items such as old wagons and hand tools. They went to agricultural shows and talked to farmers, and acquired examples of traditional crafts such as basketry, woodworking, and bodging (making things such as brooms and chairs out of unseasoned green wood).
In 2004, the museum moved to its present location in the former St. Andrew’s Hall of residence, helped in part by funding from Alfred Palmer, a well-known Reading businessperson.
Carol
I well remember taking my exams at Reading University in the Palmer Building! He was quite the benefactor.
What is your number one recommendation for touring the museum?
Isabel
We like people to have a wander and see it all. The huge collection of wagons is particularly impressive. We have wagons from almost every county in England.
One of the many wagons at MERL, this one from Dorset
People can explore the eight galleries and then go upstairs to view our open storage of the thousands of items the museum has collected over the years.
Attached to each artifact is a luggage label; these were the original labels affixed when the artifact was acquired by the museum.
A large collection of farm implements in the open storage area of the museum
Another thing that we want people to notice is the textile wall hanging created for the Countryside Pavilion at the Festival of Britain in 1951. It was one of several we acquired. The one on display depicts Cheshire and cheese production.
An enormous wall hanging featuring Cheshire and cheese production
Carol
What is your favorite exhibit and why?
Isabel
I think my favorite is a pitchfork that was grown in a hedgerow. A branch growing off the shrub was nurtured until it was just the right size and shape for a pitchfork.
It’s made by nature but guided by hand.
Isabel’s favorite, a pitchfork grown from a hedgerow
Carol
What are some of the hidden gems that visitors should check out at MERL?
Isabel
The display of friendly society pole heads is intriguing. A friendly society was a cooperative that workers bought into. If they had a rough time, then the cooperative could help to support them. The pole heads were elaborately carved and resembled pub signs. They were carried in processions such as church parades.
Some of the silver pole heads in the MERL collection
Carol
Is this place the only rural museum in England?
Isabel
It is one of the earliest museums but not the only one. There is a rural museum network that includes small community museums. Other large museums like MERL are the National Museum of Rural Life in Scotland and the St. Fagan’s National Museum of History in Wales. There is also the Weald and Downland Living Museum near Chichester, which is where Repair Shop is filmed. We like to think of MERL as the national rural museum for England, but it is not, officially.
Carol
What is the most popular gift shop item?
Isabel
We’ve had images from the wall hangings turned into merchandise such as mugs, pencil cases, notebooks, tea towels and bags. We also have tea towels depicting engineering drawings of farm machinery, which are very popular with enthusiasts who are interested in recreating rural farm machinery.
Carol
Are any new exhibits planned?
Isabel
We have quite a few artifacts related to the Roma people that are often not labeled as such. These include photographs of people working the land, and a gypsy wagon. We are starting to re-label these artifacts to feature the history of the Roma people in the English countryside.
A gypsy wagon
Carol
Anything else you’d like to share?
Isabel
At MERL, we have an extensive library and archives containing a wealth of stories. Of particular note is our archive of letters that children evacuees during World War II sent to their parents when they were evacuated from the cities to the countryside. Reading was one of the hubs for evacuee children. Some of the letters were positive, depicting the experience as active and fun, while others were from children who were upset and even mistreated.
The labels affixed to the children when they were put on the train to go into the countryside inspired Michael Bond to write the Paddington Bear books in the 1950s.
A group of children being evacuated from the city during World War II
Touring the Museum Galleries
After our chat, Isabel takes me around the museum. Seeing it after talking with her really brings it to life. Throughout the galleries are interactive activities for children. MERL has an active school program and welcomes over 50,000 visitors a year, likely a good proportion of them families.
I love the sheep clad in an Aran sweater in the first main gallery.
A large stuffed sheep wearing an Aran sweater greets visitors to the first large gallery
The size of MERL surprises me. The galleries go on forever, each one more chock-a-block with artifacts than the last. You can spend a lot of time here!
One of the very large galleries at the Museum of English Rural Life
Land Girls
I’m particularly taken by the collection of objects and photographs related to the Land Girls—young women who worked on the farms during World War II. Here are photographs of several Land Girls and the uniform they wore.
Land Girls in World War IILand Girls uniform in World War II
The Land Girls experience inspired Land Girls, a British TV series available on Netflix.
Traps
A sobering exhibit features various traps—both for animals and people. The two human traps are particularly horrifying. Anyone caught in one would likely die a very slow and painful death. These traps were placed to prevent poaching.
Human traps, fortunately outlawed in 1827.
We spend almost an hour roaming through the galleries and viewing the open storage collections on the first floor. I’m very impressed with both the size and the quality of the exhibits and am reminded how, in another life, I would have loved to have been a museum curator.
But being a novelist and travel blogger is also good—and MERL ticks the boxes on both fronts. I’m finding plenty of inspiration for the country scenes in Mill Song. The open storage collection of smocks, many beautifully embellished with traditional smocking, reminds me of what some of my characters may have worn. I can also imagine my main character wearing a bonnet, such as the ones displayed, while she helped with the harvest.
These smocks were likely worn for special occasionsBonnets in open storage
New Inspiration
To my delight, MERL sparks inspiration for a new novel based around the story of two evacuees in World War II. After my meeting with Isabel, I scribble several pages of notes about possible characters and plots. It looks like I’m going to have to return to MERL to comb through their extensive archive of letters written by evacuees during World War II.
I can only imagine what treasures await.
As the museum gets set to close, Isabel and I pose for a photo, I purchase a notebook that shows a detail from the Cheshire wall hanging, and say my good-byes.
Carol Cram with Isabel Hughes, associate director of the Museum of English Rural Life
I walk back to my hotel, enjoy an excellent dinner, and then, finally, turn the lights out at 9. My first day in the UK has been a success.
Exploring the Area
Here are some GetYourGuide tours in southern England. Most depart from London.
The Museum of English Rural Life is a specialty museum with broad appeal. Touring a museum dedicated to how food was produced back in the day reminds us of our rural roots–and everyone eats food! No matter where you come from, chances are good that at least a few of your ancestors had something to do with agriculture.
The opening times of Museum of English Rural Life are from 10am to 5pm daily and entrance is free. It is located at 6 Redlands Road in Reading, Berkshire. The museum’s extensive website showcases its many exhibits.
Have you visited this museum or another like it? Share your comments and suggestions in the comments below.
In the aftermath of the pandemic, everyone and their cousin who wants to travel and can travel is heading for Europe. Recently, Italy was named the number one tourist destination in the world, with France close behind. Many destinations are full to bursting with visitors, which means sold-out accommodations, packed beaches, and museums filled to the rafters.
Some communities, such as Barcelona and Malaga in Spain, and Santorini in Greece, have even launched campaigns to limit the number of tourists permitted to invade their hometowns at any one time.
Introduction
I’ve experienced my share of crowds all flocking to experience the same iconic sites—the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the Uffizi in Florence, the Colosseum in Rome, the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Thousands surge into spaces meant for hundreds, each holding aloft a smartphone to capture the moment.
The joys of travel—discovering new places, meeting new people, learning new things, enjoying great art—quickly dwindle in the face of relentless crowds, inflated prices, and grumpy locals.
Interacting with Locals
When you travel to a new place, consider looking for opportunities to interact with locals instead of lining up for the big-ticket sites. Sample local food, check out off-the-beaten path museums and galleries, meet local artists and artisans, go to local concerts, ride public transit, and wander around back streets where local people live.
You can do all these things in even the most heavily-touristed destinations if you’re willing to zig away from the crowds rather than zag towards them. Doing so may require you to skip the most famous—and crowded—sites. But the rewards more than make up for any lingering feelings of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
Here are my top ten ways to joyously enjoy your European travels.
1. Check Restaurant Reviews
Chances are you’re traveling with a smartphone. Use it to find restaurants that fellow travelers and especially locals have rated highly. Ever since I started checking reviews and purposely choosing restaurants instead of wandering the streets in hopes of finding a place, I’ve enjoyed numerous awesome dining experiences.
In fact, I can safely say that almost every highly rated restaurant I’ve eaten at in Europe in the last few years was a winner.
A Parisian café is a great place to people watch while enjoying a trip to Europe
Search Criteria
I search for restaurants that have at least a 4.5-star average review and then read what people say about the quality of the food and the service. If most of the best reviews are in the local language, that’s a plus because it means the restaurant is well frequented by locals.
Make Reservations
Once I’ve made my choice, I visit the restaurant’s website and call to reserve a table or use the online booking system if it’s available. I’ve found in recent years that reservations are essential in many popular places. Without one, you may well be wandering for quite some time before finding a well-reviewed restaurant with available tables.
Note that during busy periods, you may have better luck choosing a reservation time when the restaurant opens (usually 7 or 8 pm, depending on the location). Europeans tend to eat dinner later than North Americans. If you make a reservation for 7 pm, you may well have the restaurant to yourself.
A good rule of thumb in any big European city is to steer clear of restaurants that are full of tour groups reading multi-lingual plasticated menus in high-rent locations such as the Piazza Navona in Rome.
Walk a few blocks away from the busy areas to quiet side streets and you’ll find favorite local restaurants with superb food.
Ask a Local for Recommendations
Another good strategy is to ask your hotel to recommend a local restaurant and then make a reservation for you. Every time we’ve gone to a restaurant recommended by our hotel, we’ve had a great meal.
For a giggle, check out what happened to me when I did not follow my own advice in Bella Roma Rip-off, one of the pieces inPastel & Pen: Two Ways of Seeing, a collaboration of my writing with Gregg Simpson’s artwork. Gregg is an artist and my husband and usual travel companion.
2. Seek Out Lesser-Known Museums
Your sightseeing time is precious. Instead of spending it waiting in long lines, seek out museums and other sites that may be less well known but are just as interesting (sometimes more so) and considerably less crowded. These days, you’ll stand in line to tour the big sites even if you book ahead. On a recent trip to Pompeii, I lined up for forty minutes to get my skip-the-line ticket that I’d purchased online days earlier, and then lined up for another twenty minutes in the skip-the-line line to get into Pompeii.
Instead of sweating in the queue outside the Louvre in Paris, visit the lovely Rodin Museum.
In Amsterdam, skip the Van Gogh Museum (or go very early in the day) and visit the charming and informative Rembrandt Huis.
In Rome, forget the Vatican Museum and head instead to the marvelous Etruscan Museum that houses an incredible collection of treasures. Both times I’ve visited, the museum was virtually empty, which is in no way a reflection on the quality of the displays. The museum just happens to be so far off the beaten track of Rome’s iconic sites that few tourists find it.
The Etruscan Museum is one of Rome’s most interesting museums
Lesser-Known Museums to Visit
Here are posts about some of my favorite lesser-known and fabulous museums:
If you’ve checked out other posts on Artsy Traveler, you’ll know that a lot of my European travel centers around my husband’s art exhibitions. Most exhibitions include an opening (a vernissage in France; an inaugurazione in Italy). These events often include food and wine, and a short talk by the artist and the curator. They are also free to anyone who wants to drop in.
We’ve frequently met fellow travelers at Gregg’s openings, in addition to local art lovers, and have attended the openings of exhibitions by other artists—some we knew, some we didn’t. We always have a memorable time!
Art openings at private galleries in Europe are usually free and open to everyone
Finding Art Openings
To find art openings, check online listings. Also, stroll areas that have a lot of art galleries, such as the Left Bank and Marais districts in Paris. You’ll have the most luck finding an opening in the early evening on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
If you pass an art gallery hosting an opening, don’t be shy! Walk in and say hello, check out some artwork, and maybe even have a glass of wine and an appetizer. You’re bound to meet a few locals who speak English, or you can practice your language skills.
4. Attend Local Concerts and Events
One of my favorite things to do when traveling in Europe is going to classical music concerts. Sometimes, I book tickets ahead of time to see a particular concert, but at other times, I look for posters and flyers.
On a recent trip to Siena, I picked up a flyer in our hotel advertising an intimate concert with a singer and pianist held in a local church. It was magical!
While in Rome, we saw a poster advertising concerts at the stylish Auditorium Parco della Musica well off the tourist beat north of the city. We bought tickets, and enjoyed two fantastic concerts with other music lovers, the vast majority of whom were locals.
Classical music concerts are top quality and reasonably priced
Tourist Concerts
I find that attending concerts in Europe really enhances my appreciation of the local culture. Even if the concert is advertised for tourists—such as a flamenco performance in Seville—it’s going to be good.
Trust me on this. We’ve enjoyed fado in Lisbon, flamenco in Spain, medieval music in southern France, opera in Paris, folk music in Bacharach on the Rhine, Vivaldi in Venice, Stravinsky in Berlin, Chopin in Leipzig, Shostakovich in Hamburg…I could go on and on.
And best of all, prices for classical music concerts in some of the world’s best concert venues are shockingly reasonable compared to what we pay to attend a concert in Canada.
Local performances are generally authentic and well worth the price
5. Ride Public Transit
Few travel experiences bring you closer to locals than riding busses, trains, and metros. These days, you can pay for most transit options with a tap of your credit card. I love hopping on a bus and following my progress on Google Maps, so I know exactly where to get off.
I also enjoy people-watching on public transit. On very crowded busses and metros, just be sure to keep a good grip on your valuables. While violent crime in Europe is rare, pickpockets do flourish in crowded cities.
Take a city bus in Europe and enjoy great people watching
A Cautionary Tale
A word of caution about bus travel. If you happen to have a paper ticket, ALWAYS remember to validate it when you get on the bus. I learned this lesson the hard way. On a recent stay in Turin, I got on the bus, paper ticket in hand, and noticed that no one else was validating their tickets at the machine. I wrongly presumed that validation wasn’t required. Maybe it was a special holiday?
Ten minutes later, an inspector got on the bus and started checking tickets. Everyone on the bus held up their smartphones. As tourists, we had only the paper tickets we’d purchased from the local tobacconist. When the inspector came to Gregg and me and tried to scan our tickets—nada. My protestations of being a dumb tourist fell on deaf ears. That mistake cost us 40 euros—each.
So, just because no one else is validating their ticket doesn’t mean you shouldn’t validate your ticket!
6. Shop for Food in Local Markets
Shopping for snacks, lunches and the occasional dinner in your hotel room or apartment not only lets you experience life as a temporary local, but it also saves you money. In general, food prices are lower in Europe (although starting to rise). The quality of the fresh produce is also far superior to what is found in the average North American grocery store.
I love prowling the aisles of a European supermarket and ordering pre-made food at the in-store delis. I’ve typically found the staff to be friendly and tolerant of my attempts to at least say hello, good-bye and thank you in their language.
Outdoor Markets
Be on the lookout for open-air markets where you’ll find a dizzying array of foods along with clothing and knick-knacks. Some cities also have large indoor markets, such as the Mercado de Triana in Seville.
Interact with locals while browsing outdoor markets in Europe
7. Take a Cooking Class
When you take a cooking class in Europe, you’ll meet travelers from around the world and learn from a local chef. I’m a firm fan of cooking classes and take one every chance I get.
In a tapas class I took in Madrid, I met fellow travelers from Australia, Holland, the UK, France, and Korea.
8. Go on a Walking Tour
I’ve also become a big fan of walking tours, particularly specialty tours that cater to a specific interest. In Rome, I went on a walking tour of the old Jewish ghetto. In London, I explored the back alleys and colorful history of the Covent Garden theater district. In Stratford-upon-Avon, I joined three other people for a small walking tour with a guide pretending to be William Shakespeare.
Walking tours usually take you behind the scenes and to places where regular bus tours can’t go. The guides are often locals who are very enthusiastic about their subject and love showing off hidden gems.
A great source for walking tours is GuruWalk. All the tours listed are pay-what-you-can and run by locals. Here are some of the free walks available from GuruWalk in Paris.
9. Skip the Iconic Sites
Yes, this recommendation is blasphemy but heeding it could make the difference between reveling in a relaxing and memorable European vacation and enduring one that leaves you hot, bothered, and blistered. When you’re planning what you want to see, consider not visiting super popular sites such as the Colosseum in Rome, the ruins in Pompeii, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Instead, choose smaller, lesser-known museums and sites, and leave more time for wandering.
By all means, stroll past the Colosseum and view the Eiffel Tower from one of the bridges. Snap some photos and drink in the view. Then, veer off into a shady side street and enjoy an hour or tour wandering around a quiet neighborhood, sitting in a park, and enjoying a drink at an outdoor café surrounded by locals.
See the Colosseum from the outside only
Travel isn’t all about ticking off the big sites. Instead, think of travel as your opportunity to surround yourself with a kaleidoscope of interesting sights, sounds, and smells.
Slow down and savor the displays in a small museum, make time for a concert or an art opening, be on the lookout for a local festival, and just be.
10. Walk Away from the Crowds
Even in Venice, one of Europe’s busiest tourist cities, you can find solitude. Leave the busy piazzas and thoroughfares and within seconds, you’ll be wandering down narrow alleyways and crossing tiny bridges spanning sleepy canals that look like they haven’t been disturbed for centuries.
Even in crowded Venice, you can easily find quiet corners
I skirt the main tourist drags in busy towns by going left or right down the first narrow street I see. I may get a bit lost, but I’ll also find glorious solitude and the chance to commune with the past.
Siena’s Campo bustles with tourists but walk a few meters down a side street and you’re alone and surrounded by buildings that haven’t changed much in 700 years. And at night, you’ll even have the Campo all to yourself.
Have the Campo in Siena to yourself at night
Such opportunities for quiet encounters with history make European travel endlessly appealing.
Are you trying to figure out the best time of year to tour Europe? You probably already know that summer may not be the best time to tour some European countries, but not necessarily all.
How do you plan your trip to get maximum bang for your euro while also avoiding crowds and enjoying decent weather?
Don’t worry! You’re not the first person to ask this question. I ponder it myself when planning my trips to Europe. And the answer depends on three factors:
Crowds
Activities
Weather
I do consider one other factor, and that is when my husband, artist Gregg Simpson, has an art exhibition scheduled. Even then, we do our best to schedule his exhibitions according to the three considerations listed above.
Introduction
I’ve visited Europe in all four seasons, and each has its pros and cons. Yes, even summer can be a great choice, depending on where you’re going!
Read on for my recommendations for when and where to tour Europe in each of the four seasons, starting with summer.
Touring Europe: Is Summer Best?
I think back to summer vacations when I was a child. My parents packed my big brother and me into a hot car and drove us to a National Park or a beach or to visit relatives. Summer vacations were a combination of fun and sunburn.
Now that I’m a grown-up, I think about summer a bit differently. I no longer have children in school and my work commitments are flexible. I can stay home in the summer and avoid excessive heat and crowds, or I can choose destinations that give me a comfortable summer holiday experience.
Tour Europe in the summer to experience plenty of awesome beach time
Touring Europe in the Summer
Some European countries are best visited in the summer—and some are not! Here are my recommendations.
Countries to Avoid in Summer
If possible, avoid summer travel to destinations such as southern Portugal, southern Spain, southern Italy, and Greece. Thanks to climate change, summers are getting hotter and tourist spots are paying the price.
Attractions such as the Acropolis in Greece are often closed in the afternoons because of excessive heat, and trust me, you really don’t want to tour Rome when the temperatures soar above 38 C (100 F).
Countries to Consider in Summer
Southern France, northern Italy, northern Spain, and northern Portugal can all experience hot summer weather, but don’t rule them out as summertime destinations.
I visited southern France one June and was gasping for air during a canicule when temperatures hit 45 C. With air conditioning still not that common, I spent a lot of time floating in a pool when I wasn’t sitting indoors next to a tray of ice in front of a fan. But I’ve also stayed for several weeks in southern France during July and August and enjoyed beautiful weather. Yes, it was warm, but not excessively so, and finding reasonably priced accommodations with pools was pretty easy.
And of course, there are beaches.
So don’t rule out visiting the south of France in summer, although you will find it quite crowded, particularly in August.
Northern Italy is comfortable, and there are all those beautiful lakes and mountains to explore. I’ve also visited northern Spain and northern Portugal in summer and enjoyed both, even experiencing quite a bit of rain in green and pleasant Galicia in northwest Spain.
Destinations such as the Dolomites in northern Italy are a summer travel choice.
Countries to Choose in Summer
You can’t go wrong visiting countries in northern Europe during the summer. Here are my recommendations.
France
Take a summer vacation in Brittany. You’ll find some crowds, but you’ll also enjoy beautiful weather and fabulous beaches along with local festivals.
Other great options in France for summer touring are Normandy and the Loire Valley.
Normandy is beautiful in the summer with plenty to see and great beaches to enjoy.
For more recommendations for touring France, check out my France page.
Austria, Switzerland, Germany and the Low Countries
I love visiting these countries in the summer, particularly Austria and the Low Countries. Hiking in the Alps is best (and safest) during the summer months.
And as for the Netherlands, the gloomy skies you’ll find during most of the year tend to clear in summer. A visit to the spectacular Kröller-Müller Museum near Arnhem on a balmy summer afternoon is an Artsy Traveler must.
Don’t miss the outdoor sculptures at the Kröller-Müller Museum near Arnhem if you visit the Netherlands in summer.
United Kingdom
Having traveled frequently in the UK, I can safely say that summer is the best time to visit England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales if you’re hoping for good weather. You may not actually get good weather, but your chances are higher during July, August and even early September than at any other time of year.
That said, I’ve toured southern Ireland in August and have needed to buy gloves and a hat.
Artsy Traveler Motto: Be Prepared!
I’ve also visited Scotland three times during the month of September and each time, the weather was spectacular. The only thing you can be certain about regarding summer travel in the UK is that if it’s raining in the morning, chances are the sun will come out in the afternoon.
The English countryside in late summer rarely disappoints.
A Note About Garden Tours
One compelling reason to visit the United Kingdom during the summer months is to enjoy the profusion of flowers found both in private and public gardens. I have a soft spot for a good garden tour, and in the UK, you’re spoiled for choice.
Scandinavia
Traveling in the Scandinavian countries in summer is delightful thanks to long days and relatively balmy weather. I spent time in Copenhagen during early September and found the weather a shade cool but mostly dry and perfect for sightseeing.
If you choose to go to Iceland during the summer, you’ll find a lot of fellow travelers. It’s a trade-off.
Visit Iceland in winter and you’ll have many sites to yourself in the semi-darkness. Visit Iceland in midsummer and you’ll jostle for position in front of every waterfall, but on the plus side, you’ll see waterfalls for about 20 hours a day.
Tour Iceland in the summer to experience a maximum number of daylight hours.
No matter when you travel to Iceland, you’ll experience ferocious weather. I visited in February, so I expected it to be cold, but I know people who visited in June and saw almost nothing of the spectacular scenery. How tragic is that?
Summer At a Glance
Crowds: Destinations can be extremely crowded, with many popular sites sold out if you don’t purchase tickets in advance.
Activities: Lots of festivals and markets, but fewer blockbuster art shows and concerts
Weather: Unbearably hot in the south; relatively comfortable in the north
Touring Europe: How About Fall?
I think that fall is the second-best season to tour Europe (or at least most of it). And if you’re wondering, I think spring is the best season (more on touring Europe in the spring below).
Here are the pros of touring Europe in the fall (or autumn for my British friends):
Major Exhibitions
I always check what art and museum exhibitions are going to be on in the destinations I’m planning to visit. While some exhibitions do run through the summer, many of the best ones start in September or October.
Concert Season
Whenever possible, I get tickets to as many classical music concerts as I can when I’m traveling in Europe. Some of the world’s best orchestras are located in cities such as Berlin, Paris, and London, with most concert seasons running from September to May.
Interior of the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, one of the world’s great concert halls.
Manageable Crowds
Well, more or less. Even on a cold November day, Venice was crowded, and a recent visit to the Louvre in Paris in October was a nightmare. But overall, the crowds are not nearly as large in the fall as they are in midsummer, or even spring.
Visit popular sites early in the morning and book ahead, and you should be fine.
Pleasant Weather
I’ve visited most countries in western Europe during the fall at least once and have almost always enjoyed great weather. The temperatures, particularly as you go farther south, are warm but not too hot, and rainfall is generally scarcer in fall than in spring.
Just make sure you’re equipped with a rain jacket and hat no matter where you plan to travel in the fall (or spring, for that matter).
And if you’re traveling in November, be prepared for chilly temperatures pretty much everywhere in Europe. I froze in Venice in late November, and I wouldn’t recommend venturing north of London after October. The days get very short by the time you make it to Scotland.
Fall At a Glance
Crowds: Popular destinations are generally less crowded than in summer, although purchasing advance tickets is always a good idea.
Activities: Major exhibitions and concert seasons start, along with some festivals.
Weather: Balmy and warm in the south growing increasingly chilly as you move north, with rain common everywhere, especially in November
Touring Europe: Winter Wonderland?
Winter is, surprisingly, not a terrible time to visit Europe, although it’s my fourth choice overall. In winter, you should focus your energies on touring cities such as London, Paris, Berlin, and Rome.
I once spent two weeks in Rome in December and loved it. The Vatican Museum was almost empty (that never happens at any other time of year) and the days were clear and crisp.
In winter, the concert season is in full swing, you’ll find plenty of exhibitions to tour, and prices for accommodations will be lower. In northern Europe, the days are shorter, but since you’ll mostly be visiting indoor sites, the lack of daylight isn’t a drawback.
I visited Iceland for ten days in February and enjoyed clear skies on every day but one. I also was able to commune with the major scenic sites in relative solitude and even saw the northern lights. Read more about my trip to Iceland.
Winter At a Glance
Crowds: Popular destinations will be much less crowded, and purchasing advance tickets typically not required except for the most popular sites such as da Vinci’s Last Supper in Milan.
Activities: Major exhibitions and concert seasons are ongoing; also, Christmas celebrations and decorations enliven December all over Europe.
Weather: Chilly in the south growing increasingly colder as you move north, with rain common and snow likely
Touring Europe: Spring is the Winner!
The spring months are the perfect time to tour Europe if you don’t have your heart set on enjoying beach time or lazy afternoons by the pool. Even in southern Italy, the beaches don’t open until the end of May, and the unheated pools in most resorts are frigid.
A breezy beach in southern Italy in early May is still not open for business.
In spring, the crowds are generally larger than in fall or winter (but not as large as in summer!). You won’t be enjoying your favorite sites alone (read about my ill-fated visit to the Colosseum in Rome in May!), but at least the weather won’t be as hot.
Standing in long lines when the temperature is 24 C is manageable. Doing the same thing when the temperature hits 40 C is not.
One caveat about traveling in spring—be prepared for rain. I almost always experience a lot more rain in Europe in the spring than in the fall. On a recent trip to Italy in May, I wore a dress and sandals only once. The rest of the time, I needed long pants and a warmish jacket.
And in April and May in Paris, expect rain and then sun and then rain on repeat.
As with fall and winter, a lot of major exhibitions at museums and galleries start in the spring. In addition, concert seasons are still in full swing.
You’re also more likely to stumble across pageants and processions in spring, particularly around Easter.
Medieval processions are popular in Tuscany in the spring
Tulips!
And if you can, make a point of visiting the Netherlands in the spring so you can tiptoe through the tulips in the fabulous Keukenhof Gardens. You’ll find plenty of crowds (go early to avoid the tour busses), but the chance to see so many tulips in one gloriously landscaped garden is not to be missed.
I’ve visited Keukenhof Gardens in April twice. It doesn’t get old.
View of tulips in the Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands
Spring At a Glance
Crowds: Popular destinations can be crowded with advance tickets advisable for most sites and required for very popular sites and museums such as the Uffizi and the Louvre
Activities: Major exhibitions and concert seasons are ongoing.
Weather: Moderate in the south and chilly in the north but generally good weather for sightseeing, although often rainier in the spring than in the summer and fall
A Note About Costs
Costs vary from place to place and season to season. You’ll pay more when you travel in high season, but high season is not always summer. At a ski resort in the Alps, for example, the high season is winter. I’ve generally found that prices are low-ish in winter, relatively affordable in spring and fall, and at their peak in summer, depending on the destination.
At popular times of the year, steer clear of resorts and tourist meccas such as Paris and Florence. Instead, seek out off-the-beaten path destinations. Regardless of the time of year, you’ll encounter fewer crowds, meet more locals, and get better value for the money you spend.
Top Tips for Touring Europe
Planning a trip to Europe is almost as fun as going on a trip to Europe. Keep in mind these three tips and you’re sure to make informed choices:
Tip #1: Choose countries based on the weather: go north in the warmer months and south in the cooler months.
Tip #2: Check when major exhibitions and concerts are scheduled and plan accordingly.
Tip #3: Avoid crowds by visiting popular tourist spots during less popular times such as in fall and winter, or first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon.
Ultimately, the best time to travel to Europe is whenever you have the time. You may have to go to Greece in August. If so, travel smart by avoiding strenuous activities during the heat of the day, scheduling visits to tourist hot spots such as the Acropolis in the early morning or evening (it stays open quite late), and opting for less sightseeing time and more pool/beach time.
Or you may only be able to visit England in December. No worries! Spend the mornings visiting scenic areas and quaint villages, and then visit museums later in the day when the sun starts to go down. And in London, spend an evening or two enjoying a West End show.
Conclusion
What advice do you have for someone planning a trip to Europe? In what seasons have you traveled? Which were great? Which are best avoided? Share your experiences in the comments below.
Have you ever considered going on a writers’ retreat? If you’re a writer—or want to be a writer—the top need on your writer’s wish list is very likely time. Without time, you can’t write. Without time, you can’t improve. When you give yourself the gift of time to think and create, you give yourself the gift of productivity.
In May 2024, I gave myself the gift of time by attending a week-long writers’ retreat in North Yorkshire. Called, fittingly, The Writers’ Retreat, the venue and program is the passion project of writer Jan Birley. Participants gather in a renovated 200-year-old pub in the tiny, picture-perfect Yorkshire village of Beal to write their hearts out in a peaceful and supportive environment.
About The Writers’ Retreat
The Writers’ Retreat runs retreats from one day to six days in duration, along with special events throughout the year. Check out their website.
At The Writers’ Retreat, you are provided with all your meals (even wine with dinner!) and can participate in a series of optional writing workshops and one-to-one mentoring sessions with a writing professional. Jan or her husband Tony even collects you from the local train station and takes you back again at the end of the retreat.
When you’re not eating, sleeping, or being mentored, you are free to write in any number of comfortable locations throughout the building—from the stylishly decorated bedrooms all equipped with writing desks, to tables and squishy sofas scattered throughout several lounges, to an outdoor terrace for days when the sun shines.
I chose the six-day retreat because I knew from experience that five full days of dedicated writing time was optimum for me to make significant progress on my WIP (Work In Progress).
Spoiler Alert: It worked and it was fabulous!
Here’s my account of the six days.
Day 1: Monday Arrival
The start date of my retreat in May 2024 corresponded with the last day of a five-week trip around Europe with my husband, artist Gregg Simpson. The purpose of our trip was to attend several exhibitions of his paintings in Italy and for me to research locations and get inspiration for new novels.
I discovered The Writers’ Retreat after I’d booked my European trip. Surely it was a sign from the universe that I had to attend when I found out that the dates aligned with the conclusion of my trip–and that there was just one spot left. I immediately rejigged my travel arrangements. My husband flew home from Paris while I flew to Manchester, took a train to Selby in North Yorkshire, and was picked up and brought to the retreat in the sweet little village of Beal.
Here’s my bedroom and the view from my writing table that would inspire for me six days.
Meeting My Fellow Writers
After getting settled in my room overlooking a pair of quaint houses with green and pleasant parkland beyond, I meet Jan and the five other writers with whom I’ll be sharing my week. Jan introduces herself and talks about what to expect for the week, and then we all share why we’ve chosen the retreat.
We are an eclectic lot consisting of academics, non-fiction writers, experienced novelists, and short-story writers. Here are brief bios supplied by some of the participants.
Sue
Sue is a Professor from the University of Edinburgh, specialising in developmental psychology. During the retreat, she worked on wrapping up a series of writing projects including a grant proposal, a couple of journal articles, an editorial and the introduction to a book about neurodiversity for teachers. Neurodiversity is gaining ground as a way to understand important aspects of how pupils learn and generally experience school. But lots of teachers aren’t clear what this model means for them and why it is supposed to be helpful to pupils. The book will have chapters written by a neurodiverse group of academics and educators with the aim of helping teachers embed this new theory into their classroom practice.
JoJo Stone
JoJo is a passionate new writer based in the picturesque landscapes of the U.K. From a young age, JoJo discovered a deep connection with the writing world and began crafting poetry that resonates with emotions. JoJo has published three novels and at the retreat worked on her fourth novel and some short stories. Check out her great website.
Ann
When Ann retired, she dipped her toe into various writing groups and also attended a short evening course in Creative Writing at her local university, all of which encouraged her to ‘get writing.’ She’s completed a number of short stories, some of which she intends to publish online. At The Writers’ Retreat in Yorkshire, she revved up her writing engines and hopes to publish her first novel in 2025.
Two writers from the United States also joined us to contribute their enthusiasm and good vibes.
First Evening
After introductions (and a nice glass of wine), we enjoy our first dinner together in the large dining room. Over the course of the week, the dining room becomes the hub for conversation, lots of laughter, food, workshop sessions, and a constant supply of coffee, tea, and cold drinks to sustain us when we aren’t being fed.
My Project for the Week
I retire to my room and get busy working on my project for the week—finishing my sixth novel. Called The Merchant of Siena, the novel follows headstrong Bianca as she learns how to survive and thrive in late 14th century Siena–a time fraught with plagues, famines, and vicious attacks by bands of roving mercenaries. Bianca’s journey from idealistic youth to one of the city’s richest merchants is a rags-to- riches story with a twist.
The first three chapters of The Merchant of Siena were recently shortlisted in the Ancient to 16th Century category for the Historical Novel Society’s First Chapters competition. This positive feedback has motivated me to finally finish the novel.
Day 2: Tuesday
Our first full day of writing stretches before me with delicious emptiness full of possibilities. Like everyone, I’m up early and down to the dining room at 8 am for a full English breakfast. I can’t manage the full meal deal and opt for two poached eggs and bacon—my go-to for the rest of the week. Cereals, yogurt, fruit, and juices are also available. But in case you’re interested, here’s a photo of another participant’s full English breakfast! That’s a hearty breakfast for sure!
After a productive morning, we all gather for lunch and are introduced to Clare Bamber, our mentor/workshop leader for the week. Thanks to Clare, my experience at The Writers’ Retreat is about to go second level. My mentorship sessions with her along with the fun writing workshops she facilitates make my week very special and fulfilling.
Meet Clare Bamber – Mentor Extraordinaire
Clare Bamber is truly a delight. She’s been a tutor and mentor in Creative Writing since 2020 and is passionate about encouraging writers of all levels to explore the craft in a supported, nonjudgmental environment. She states: “Supporting writers at The Writers’ Retreat UK this week has been so much fun. There has been so much diversity in the subject matter, but it’s great to see everyone being supportive of each other in their projects. What a wonderful bunch of people to have spent time with! I crossed the finish line of drafting my own novel whilst on a retreat here, so I understand the value of giving ourselves the space to write.”
Where to Find Clare Bamber
You can visit Clare’s website to check out her services for writers or visit her on Facebook.
Workshop: Character Creation
Clare’s first writing workshop is on character creation. The four of us most interested in writing fiction meet with Clare to learn valuable techniques for creating memorable characters. I very much enjoy the exercise that she leads us through. A highlight is listening to what everyone else writes. The level of creativity is astonishing!
Country Walks
After the workshop and on most days during the week, I slip out for a country walk. The village of Beal is situated in the middle of farmland with access to a public footpath bordering the River Aire. I have a grand old time snapping photos of the Constable-like skies, the sheep with their gamboling lambs, and a contingent of curious cows.
Lambs in front of The RetreatAnother view of the Aire RiverCowsView from the bridge on the River Aire Lock on the River Aire
Day 3: Wednesday
My writing is starting to click into high gear. I spend my mentorship session with Clare hashing out a plot problem. Together, we come up with some excellent strategies. I’m feeling energized and exhilarated. Writing retreats rock!
I skip the workshop (it was on point of view and I’m sure was wonderful!) only because I’m on a roll and want to get a few more chapters under my belt before dinner.
At 5, I take off for the only local pub in the village to sip some wine and continue writing before being joined at 6:30 by the rest of the group for a pub dinner. We continue getting to know each other amid much laughter as well as interact with the friendly pub staff.
Some of the Participants Hard at Work
So many work spaces are provided for participants at The Writers’ Retreat. I chose mostly to work in my room because I liked the view. Most of the others spread out among the many areas on the main floor of the converted pub.
Day 4: Thursday
Another mentorship meeting with Clare builds on my progress. She provides excellent and useful feedback about The Merchant of Siena. I’m finally starting to feel like this novel—which I’ve been writing on and off for about five years—is on its way to being completed.
Workshop: Writing Descriptions
In the afternoon, Clare facilitates a workshop on writing good descriptions. Thanks to her advice and prompts, each of us produces and reads two compelling pieces.
Day 5: Friday
Today, I share with Clare the first three chapters of Mill Song, my recently completed fifth novel. As I’ve come to expect from Clare, she provides me with thoughtful and useful feedback. I’m feeling more excited now about getting Mill Song out to the world.
Workshop: Writing Emotion
Our afternoon workshop is on how to effectively write emotion (no easy task). To my delight, I follow Clare’s prompts and end up writing a piece that I’ll be including in The Merchant of Siena. Talk about a win-win!
Day 6: Saturday
After a series of cloudy, wet days, the sun finally emerges on our last full day at The Writers’ Retreat. After five full days of solid writing, I start the final day feeling relaxed and much more confident in my ability to complete and be proud of The Merchant of Siena. I still have a few months worth of work to do before it’s ready to send to an editor, but that’s okay. I’m feeling motivated and confident—and that’s worth a lot!
After lunch, a few of us read a piece of our writing aloud to the group. I share a passage from The Merchant of Siena and am gratified by the positive response. One of our group is leaving, so after the readings, we troop out to the parking lot for a group photo.
The writers at The Writers’ Retreat with wonderful staff member Shane
Workshop: Writing Dialogue
Our final workshop with Clare is on how to write good dialogue (another challenging and useful topic). She has a knack for giving us just the right prompts to stimulate the creative juices. I’m amazed at the work each of us produces in a very short time. The creative process really is miraculous.
At the end of the day, we all retire to the pub for a farewell drink and dinner. I go to bed feeling tired but very satisfied with my progress over the week.
Should You Go On A Writers’ Retreat?
In a word, yes. No matter where you are on your writing journey, a writing retreat will help you. Having the time and mental space to do nothing but write and be creative is tremendously therapeutic. No cooking, no cleaning, no kids, no spouses, no day job—just you and your pen or laptop and the infinite possibilities roaming around your head waiting to be led to the light of day.
What could be better than that?
Conclusion
In March 2024, I went on another, very different, writers’ retreat with three other historical novelists. This one was based in sunny and warm Florida and was just as wonderful. Fellow historical novelist and retreatee Mary Tod wrote an interesting blog post about our experience in Florida.
The Keats-Shelley House is nestled right next to the world famous Spanish Steps in Rome. Thousands of visitors mill around the piazza in front of the steps, climb the steps, and take pictures of the steps.
Yes, the steps really are very attractive–lots of flowers and a striking two-tower church at the top.
But in the end, the steps are, well, steps. If you go to the Spanish Steps, take a quick pic and then veer right to visit the lovely little Keats-Shelley House. You’re in for a first-rate Artsy Traveler experience.
Literary Leanings
If you’ve been reading the Artsy Traveler blog for awhile, you probably know that I write mostly arts-inspired historical novels. My first three novels feature a painter (The Towers of Tuscany), a composer (A Woman of Note), and an actress (The Muse of Fire). So, as a novelist, I’m a lover of literature, and what could be more literary than two of the greatest Romantic poets?
Also, back in the day when I went to university in England, I took my degree in English Literature. As a result, I studied a lot of poetry, particularly by Shelley. So to enter rooms where Keats and Shelley hung out, really is a pilgrimage.
Touring the Keats-Shelley House
The Keats-Shelley House is extremely easy to find thanks to its location next to the Spanish Steps. You’ll also see the banner hanging outside. The Keats-Shelley House is open from 10 to 1 and 2 to 6, and includes a special rate for seniors.
The ticket person got on my good side by telling us we didn’t qualify for the senior’s rate because it’s only for people over 65. Awww. That was kind of her. But needless to say, I corrected her and got the reduced rate.
You enter the museum and climb to the first floor where you’ll find the tiny gift shop (more on that later) and the ticket taker. After paying the entrance fee, turn right to tour a series of beautiful rooms containing a great many treasures and curiosities associated with the lives and works of several of the Romantic poets and their associates.
You’ll see letters written by Keats, Shelley, Bryon, Mary Shelley, Wordsworth, and other luminaries from the time. The evenness of their penmanship puts most modern folks to shame! Also on display are drawings, snippets of poetry, paintings, and other memorabilia. The explanations are clear and informative.
Why The Poets Loved Italy
Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, with a decade or two off during the beginning of the 19th century for the Napoleonic Wars, Italy was a mecca for poets and writers from northern climes, including the Romantic poets from England, and Goethe from Germany. These writers loved Italy’s warm weather, easy-going life, and the inspiration to be found in so many centuries of history. What attracted them to Italy back then isn’t so very different from what attracts me to Italy today.
It’s a very special country with so much to offer. No wonder I keep coming back year after year!
Rooms in the Keats-Shelley House
The rooms in the Keats-Shelley House include a library of more than 8,000 volumes. It’s considered one of the finest libraries of Romantic literature in the world. Thoughtfully presented displays provide you with a lot to read as you prowl around the rooms. You could spend a great deal of time here!
The tour through the rooms ends at the tiny bedroom where John Keats died on February 23, 1821 at the age of just 25. It’s astonishing how he was able to compose so much sublime poetry in so few years. The museum includes plenty of information in English and Italian about Keats, his life, his tragic death, and of course his poetry.
Was it a vision, or a waking dream? Fled is that music:—Do I wake or sleep?
From Ode to a Nightingale
Here is the bed on which Keats died.
Byron’s Bicentenary
At first, I was mystified by the several banners related to Byron on display in the main library. After all, it’s the Keats-Shelley House. The very friendly and knowledgeable attendant told us that the House is celebrating the Bicentenary of Byron’s death in 1824.
His poetry is figured prominently on red banners. I haven’t read Byron for many years, so it was a real treat to reacquaint myself with some of his poetry.
We had a great chat with the attendant about the poets, Mary Shelley and her mum Mary Wollstonecraft, and the arts in general. I mentioned that I’d interviewed Samantha Silva, author of Love and Fury about Mary Wollstonecraft on The Art In Fiction Podcast. Since the attendant was obviously interested in the era, I figured she may want to read the novel (highly recommended, by the way). She was delighted to learn about it and promised to look up the podcast.
I also told her about my novels and gave her one of my bookmarks because, well, marketing.
The Terrace
A highlight of a visit to the Keats-Shelley House is walking out on to the sweet little terrace overlooking the Spanish Steps. Imagine Keats and the gang sitting out there on a warm May afternoon sipping tea and talking poetry! It’s pretty cool to think that the view Keats saw wasn’t all that dissimilar to the view we see today.
The house included drawings of the Piazza Spagna and the steps in the early 19th century, and indeed, not much has changed if you look above the ground floor shops.
The Gift Shop
After thoroughly enjoying touring the rooms, we exited via the gift shop. I couldn’t resist buying myself a cloth bag with a Grecian Urn on it, homage to Keats’s Ode to a Grecian Urn. I also studied the collection of fridge magnets. We’ve taken to buying them most places we visit. Back home, our fridge door is getting pretty full up, but there’s always room for one more, or in this case, three.
I couldn’t decide which magnet to buy–Keats, Shelley, or Bryon–and so I bought all three. Here they are–Keats on the left, Shelley in the middle, and Byron on the right. These guys were all in the twenties and early thirties when they were hanging out together, and all three died young. They’re a bit like the rock stars of their time–living with unbridled passion and energy that burned out quickly, but wow, what a legacy they each left in their wake!
Conclusion
Have you visited the Keats-Shelley House in Rome? What did you think Share your impressions in the comments below for other Artsy Travelers.
Artsy Tours in Rome
I couldn’t find any literary-themed tours in Rome on Get Your Guide, so here’s a selection of tours related to music and also a tour of locations mentioned in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code series. Note that I include tours listed on the Get Your Guide website because I’ve taken and enjoyed many of their tours. Also, full disclosure, if you click on any tour below to go to the Get Your Guide website and purchase a tour (any tour), I get a small commission. Thank you!
You’ve arrived in Rome! Maybe, you’ve been lucky enough to have your taxi whisk you past the Colosseum on your way to your accommodations.
There it is! It’s huge! OMG!
We’re in the Eternal City!
This is SO cool!
Yes, the Colosseum in Rome is impressive and iconic. It’s the symbol of Rome and one of the seven wonders of the world. Millions of visitors come from all over the globe to see it. They snap selfies in front of it, gaze out over its ruined amphitheater, and stand in line-ups for hours.
My question is–should you bother? My answer? It depends!
My Rome Colosseum History
Since my first visit to Rome in 1974, I’ve popped into the Colosseum four times. Three of those visits were great.
The most recent one was a nightmare.
The Colosseum itself hasn’t changed much apart from some restoration work over the decades. It’s still a massive ruin that, while impressive, bears little similarity to the magnificent original built over two thousand years ago.
Earthquakes, looting, and the general wear and tear of two millennia, not to mention the shuffling feet of millions and millions of visitors have taken their toll.
What has changed for visitors in recent years is just how incredibly crowded the Colosseum has become. The Colosseum ranks as the number one tourist attraction in Rome. Even St. Peter’s and the Vatican aren’t that crowded (although they are pretty much overrun).
Although I have no way of knowing for sure, I get the feeling during my most recent visit to the Colosseum that many people are ticking it off their must-see list, whether they are enjoying it or not. What a shame! Rome is so much more fabulous than the Colosseum.
The Colosseum is amazing, for sure. But is it worth your time to go inside when you can snap a photo like the one below with zero effort?
Should You Visit Rome and Not Go to the Colosseum?
Gasp! Should you do it? If you want to enjoy this marvelous city and you’re visiting between April to October, then I say yes, give the Colosseum a miss. Also forget the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. You might consider visiting St. Peter’s since in my experience, the line moves fairly briskly and at least you’re outdoors for most of the wait.
But back to the Colosseum. In this post, I’ll describe my latest visit. You can then decide for yourself if it’s worth several hours of your precious sightseeing time. Or, would you be better off skipping the crowds and heading for some of the city’s quieter and infinitely more lovely sights such as the cosy Keats-Shelley House near the Spanish Steps?
Signing Up for a Colosseum Tour: Smart Idea or ?
As a savvy traveler (or at least so I like to think!), I know that the early visitor beats the crowds. The two-hour guided tour of the Colosseum I sign up for starts at 8 am and guarantees first entry into the site.
I imagine wandering through deserted passageways, the morning sun slanting pleasingly across the ancient ruins. The only sounds are the murmurs of the guide, a few tweeting birds, and perhaps the whispers of long-gone gladiators wafting up from the cells beneath the arena.
I mean, who starts sightseeing so early in the morning? For sure, I’ll have the place to myself along with a handful of other intrepid travelers willing to sign up for an early morning tour.
Finding the Tour
Promptly at 7:50 am, I arrive at the meeting point across the street from one of the entrances to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. A small crowd of at least fifty people all proffering cell phones is my clue that I’m in the right place. I wait patiently for the beleaguered guide to check my phone, declare me valid, and press a small white sticker onto my chest. It’s now about 8:10 am, so obviously the tour doesn’t actually start at 8 am.
While waiting, I snap a photo of the Roman Forum across the street. It looks splendid in the early morning sun of one of the first really warm days I’ve experienced in Rome on my current trip in early May.
Waiting to Enter the Colosseum
Several minutes later, we are ushered across the road to the entrance gate and told that the ticket takers open at 8:30 and that we will be first! (said with enthusiasm, like it is a rare treat and not what we’ve signed up for).
Ticket takers? I’d neglected to read the fine print of the tour. The cost does not include the cost of entry into the archaeological site which includes the Forum and Palatine Hill in addition to the Colosseum.
A word of warning: Check what’s included in your tour and opt for a tour that includes the entry cost so the guide already has your tickets.
Lesson learned, I prepare to wait in line (at least I am close to the front) until the ticket booths open at 8:30–another fifteen minutes. After all, the guide has assured us that we’ll be first into the Colosseum. Isn’t that worth waiting a few extra minutes for?
Remember the tweeting birds, the silence of the ancient stones, the gladiator ghosts reminiscing about gladiator fights, the glorious isolation!
Buying a Ticket to the Colosseum
At precisely 8:40 am, the ticket takers open the two wickets and the first people in line eagerly step forward to buy their tickets. Yahoo! The line will surely go quickly and I’ll be inside the Colosseum communing with history and getting tons of inspiration for my next novel in no time flat.
8:50 am: The first people in line are still at the ticket booth.
9:00 am: The first people in line are still at the ticket booth. Oh wait! One of the groups has left and another couple has stepped forward. But at the other booth, the same four people are still talking with the attendant. What can they be talking about? What’s the holdup? Are they sharing recipes? Have they found a long-lost cousin? What gives?
The guide comes by and tells us to have our passports out and ready to show the ticket takers. What? I don’t have my passport with me although fortunately I do have my driver’s license. I ask the guide if that will do. Yes. Phew.
Another five minutes goes by and the first group of four finally leaves the booth. They are looking weary but relieved. I’d love to ask them what went down, but of course I don’t dare risk losing my place in line.
The next group steps forward. I take to counting to gauge how long they stay at the booth. Sixty seconds, another sixty, another sixty…five minutes and they’re done. Another ten minutes goes by during which time a few more groups get to the booth and then several minutes later step away, tickets in hand. Their per wait time is marginally decreasing.
Progress is being made.
My Turn Getting Tickets for the Colosseum
Finally, it’s my turn. I’m about to find out why it takes almost five minutes to process each person in a line that is now stretching back to the road and a considerable way along it. Did all these people book a group tour that required them to buy tickets?
I find out later that yes, they are all group tour people. The “regular” people who just want a ticket to the Colosseum without a tour buy their tickets at another booth. I’ll soon discover that many, many hundreds of them get inside the Colosseum long before we arrive.
So much for us being first!
Anyway, I’m at the booth.
“One for the Colosseum, per favore.”
“One?”
“Si.”
The attendant shakes her head as if to say what kind of a loser visits the Colosseum all by themselves first thing in the morning? I don’t share that my husband has elected to do the smart thing and spend a leisurely morning enjoying cappuccino and a walk about the chic ‘hood we’re staying in up near the Piazza del Popolo.
Instead, I push my driver’s license under the glass barrier and she places it in front of her keyboard. Then, with two stiff fingers, she laboriously starts to type. No wonder this whole process is taking forever! She has to physically enter the ID for every single person in line and she can’t touch type.
Oh dear.
After about two minutes (possibly a record), she hands me back my driver’s license, I pay with my credit card, and then I go stand with my fellow line waiters for the tour to begin.
It’s now 9:30 am.
Starting the Tour of the Colosseum–Almost
Promptly at 9:45 am, only 1 hour and 45 minutes past the tour start time, our guide leads those of us who have Colosseum tickets marked 9:15 am to another loooooong line. This is the line for all the Skip-the-Line group tours. As I said, it’s long.
Security Line at the Colosseum
We wait for another twenty minutes while the guide finally explains why progress that morning has been unusually slow. I’m at least heartened to find out that the current process is not normal. Apparently, there was a security incident (bomb scare?) a few days earlier, and since May 1 (it’s May 3rd), new procedures using a new security firm are being instituted.
Unfortunately, thorough testing is lacking so chaos reigns as the Colosseum ticket takers are obliged to enter everyone’s ID information into the computer and new security personnel are stationed at the entrances to the actual Colosseum to again check IDs and tickets.
Entering the Colosseum
We finally reach the front of the Skip-the-Line group tour line and enter the outer perimeter of the Colosseum.
It’s big. Really big—much bigger than it looks from the road with massive columns that soar way up into the blue Roman sky. Inside, the arches are truly impressive. Roman engineering is a marvel.
The guide starts her spiel while leading us to yet another line. She tells us that construction of the Colosseum began between 70 and 72 CE during the reign of the Emperor Vespasian. Before then, the area had been a lake on the grounds of Nero’s Domus Aurea (golden house).
Nero was not popular, to say the least, and so the decision to replace his private lake with a public amphitheater hosting thousands of locals was a great way to erase him from recent history.
The next line moves a little quicker. The security people check IDs and then we line up for the security screening. As usual, people walk through the scanner with their pockets bulging with Euros so back they must go while everyone waits. Sigh.
Not Everyone Loves Rome
The guide takes a break from her history lesson and cheerfully asks two people in the group where they are from. They reply that they are from Austria and that never again will they come to Rome because it is horrible and dirty. I am offended on behalf of both myself and the guide who smiles gamely but I can see is a trifle nonplussed. I mean, rude much? Apparently, the Austrians booked into a hotel that is less than stellar and that has colored their whole opinion of one of my favorite cities in the world.
I want to tell them that the place we’re staying in is absolutely wonderful—clean, spacious and in an excellent location. Here’s the link to our serviced apartment called Viam 6B. It truly is one of the best places we’ve stayed in Rome, ever.
Perhaps the Austrians decided to cheap out. Rome is a fabulous place to visit, but accommodations are not budget friendly. But then you can say that about just about every destination in Europe in recent years. The days of Europe on $5 a day (or even $100 or $200 a day) belong to the middle of the last century.
The guide decides not to ask the rest of the group about their experience. The mood is already a bit iffy considering we’ve all stood in lines for more than two hours for our first-into-the-Colosseum tour and haven’t actually started touring the Colosseum. We are in it, but only just.
The next line moves a little quicker. The security people check IDs and then we line up for the security screening. As usual, people walk through the scanner with their pockets bulging with coins so back they must go while everyone waits. Sigh.
Climbing to the Top of the Colosseum
And then, finally, we’re in and the tour officially begins. The guide talks to us for quite a while about the history of the Colosseum and then invites us to trudge up three flights of very steep steps to look out over the arena.
We emerge into a surging Sargasso Sea of visitors all packed cheek by jowl along the railing much like the spectators must have done during the Colosseum’s heyday. Everyone’s snapping selfies (something that wasn’t done during the days of the Roman empire) and I suppose communing with their inner gladiator.
We walk and walk and walk some more around the perimeter to a slightly less crowded stretch of railing, and get our one minute of time to snap pics of the ancient amphitheater.
Yes, it’s an impressive place for sure. In its day, up to 70,000 screaming Romans watched gladiatorial combat, executions, triumphal celebrations, and other spectacles. Today, approximately 16,000 people visit the Colosseum every single day. So although the place feels very crowded to me, it is positively empty compared to what it would have been back when the arena floor was covered in sand to better absorb the blood.
The guide talks about how wild beasts were starved for days before being let loose to gnaw on convicts, Christian martyrs, and anyone else the Emperor didn’t like. It’s the odd interesting fact such as this that you get from a guided tour.
Is A Guided Tour of the Rome Colosseum Worth the Wait?
So, should you opt for a guided tour of Rome’s most famous monument, check it out on your own, or forget about it and do something that doesn’t involve rubbing shoulders (literally) with thousands of strangers?
You may have guessed my opinion, which is Door #3. The entire tour/ordeal lasted about three hours, with the smallest number of minutes devoted to the tour and the largest to waiting for the tour.
Now, to be fair, the extra security measures ate up a goodly chunk of that three hours. I don’t know if these measures will become the norm going forward, in which case be prepared for waits, or if it’s temporary. You’ll have to check that out before you book.
I don’t blame the tour guide for all the waiting. She was doing her best in difficult circumstances and to her credit remained cheerful and upbeat throughout. I gave her a 5 Euro tip which appeared to surprise her, but hey, I figure she’d earned it.
Most people either didn’t tip or gave her 5 euros for their entire party which I thought was a bit cheap of them. Tips are not required, but I think it’s a good idea to give the guide a little extra considering they probably don’t get paid all that much, and it’s a challenging job at the best of times.
Touring the Colosseum On Your Own
What about the second option—see the Colosseum on your own? I think it may be marginally the better option because you don’t need to arrive at a location two hours ahead of when you get in. Instead, you can go straight to the ticket line and take your chances. The wait could be 10 minutes or two hours.
You could also buy your ticket online. You’ll still need to stand in line-ups, but not for quite so long. It’s difficult to say. We bought our “skip-the-line” tickets to Pompeii online and still had to wait in line about 20 minutes to exchange the online tickets for real tickets.
When To Visit the Colosseum
I think the moral of the story is that whatever way you slice it, sites like the Colosseum are really, really popular. You can try to beat the crowds, but I don’t think in any universe you’ll get around waiting in long lines.
My advice? Either visit the Colosseum during the off-season (November to March) when crowds are thinner, or forget about it and go see some of the city’s other awesome sites.
Tours of the Colosseum
If you do opt for a tour (and I’m just saying, buyer beware), then GetYourGuide has plenty of tours to choose from. I suggest choosing a tour that includes a ticket to the Colosseum and the Forum so you won’t need to line up to buy your ticket separately.
Also, you may be better off booking a tour in the late afternoon or opt for one of the evening tours instead of the morning. I felt like everyone fueled up on their hotel breakfast as early as possible and made a beeline for the Colosseum as their first stop of the day. Possibly later in the day may be less frantic.
Rome is chock-a-block full of amazing things to see and do. Here are some of my favorite sites in Rome. You’ll note that I don’t include big ticket items like the Vatican Museum, St. Peter’s, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain, all of which are over-run with visitors.
Walking tour of the Jewish Ghetto
Capitoline Museum
Etruscan Museum
Keats/Shelley House at the Spanish Steps
Modern Art Museum
Borghese Gardens
Baths of Caracella
These are just a sampling. There are also a ton of fabulous churches, some with Roman foundations.
My Favorite Activity in Rome
For me, my favorite Rome activity is walking around the various neighborhoods and avoiding the bottleneck areas around the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, St. Peter’s Square, and especially the Trevi Fountain. If you want to experience any of those places crowd-free, either swing by late at night or go for a very early morning stroll.
Here’s a shot taken on our way home after a scrumptious dinner in a restaurant on an atmospheric side street just steps from where we stayed at Viam 6B, which was not far from the Spanish Steps.
Accommodation Options in Rome
In 2024, we stayed in two places in Rome because we broke up our 2-week stay with a 5-day trip south to Naples and Paestum (read about my visit to the incomparable Naples Archaeological Museum).
When we first arrived, we stayed at Sant’Angelo Apartments in the Jewish Ghetto area of Rome, very close to a lot of Roman ruins in addition to the Capitoline Museum and the Piazza Venezia, site of the Victor Emmanuel monument. The apartment was very atmospheric and in an excellent location for exploring ancient Rome.
When we returned to Rome, we stayed at Viam 6B located between the Spanish Steps and the Piazza Popolo–a very upscale and chi-chi part of Rome with lots of designer stores. I preferred the location of our first place because the area was much less touristy and very medieval-feeling. However, the accommodations at Viam 6B were very modern and comfortable and included a beautiful outdoor terrace. It was also staffed which is nice for getting directions and ordering taxis.
But both places were great and I’d cheerfully stay in either on our next trip to Rome.
More Tour Options for the Colosseum
Here are some tour options to consider sold through Tiqets.com:
Walking Tours of Rome
If you enjoy walking tours, I can recommend the tours offered by GuruWalks. Here are a few of the tours available in Rome.
Conclusion
Have you visited the Colosseum in Rome recently and not found it crowded? Do you have any tips for how to have an enjoyable visit? Please share in the comments below.
Posts About Rome
Here are some more posts about Rome, one of my very favorite cities in the world. I’ve visited eight times, and I’m not done yet!
Naples in southern Italy has long been on my list of places to visit, mostly because I wanted to tour the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli aka the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, and then visit Pompeii.
Both Gregg and I had visited Pompeii twice each–Gregg in 1958 when he was eleven, me in 1974 when I was 18 and then together with our daughter in 1994. In all those trips, we’d never managed to visit the Naples National Archaeological Museum. We came close in 1994 when we took a taxi from our hotel to the museum on our way to Pompeii only to find it closed. In those pre-Google days, I’d neglected to read the guide book.
So we were determined to finally see the museum because it houses the vast majority of the art excavated from ancient Pompeii and Herculaneum and is considered one of the best archeological museums in the world.
The cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, with excavations starting at far back as the 16th century.
See the National Archaeological Museum of Naples First!
Now that I’ve toured the National Archaeological Museum, I can without hesitation recommend that you go there first and then tour the ruins of Pompeii. As you’ll discover, Pompeii is pretty much all ruins (quel surprise!) with the vast majority of the frescoes, mosaics, and statues long ago removed to the National Archaeological Museum.
Also, to be honest, wandering around Pompeii in the heat (we visited in late April and it was 30 degrees) with thousands of other visitors is not as comfortable an experience as strolling through room after room in the thoughtfully air conditioned museum.
Overview of the National Archaeological Museum in Naples
In this post, I’ll share some of my favorite parts of the National Archaeological Museum in Naples (MANN) with the proviso that the museum is chock-a-block with amazing objects from antiquity. I’ve rarely seen such a beautifully appointed museum where just about every item in it is worth a stop and a good long look.
You can easily visit the National Archaeological Museum in about two to three hours, depending on your energy level. You’ll also find a good cafe so you can take a break for refueling after touring a floor or two. We did, and it made all the difference to our enjoyment of the museum.
Exterior of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples
When we toured MANN in late April, the crowds were light (unlike the next day in Pompeii!) and we waited only a few minutes at the entrance to buy tickets. In busier times of the year, you may want to skip the ticket line by buying your tickets online from the museum’s website or through resellers such as Get Your Guide.
The museum is organized according to type of art, so you’ll find rooms full of artifacts from Pompeii, including sculptures, mosaics, everyday objects, frescoes, and coins. We saw most of what was on display in the sculpture, mosaic, everyday objects, and fresco areas. The quality of the work is awe-inspiring.
I suggest starting with the sculptures on the ground floor and then going to the top floor and working your way down. Doing so minimizes stair climbs (there’s an elevator to whisk you to the second floor) and conserves energy.
Sculptures
Start with sculptures because they are the first things you see when you enter the museum. Wowza! They are stunning. I didn’t expect to see so many really large sculptures that looked like they were chiseled yesterday when in fact they were almost 2000 years old.
Here’s a selection of my favorites.
Hercules at Rest
Even big guys like Hercules can use some time off now and again. This massive sculpture of old Herc shows him leaning on his club. The sculpture is a Roman copy from the end of the 2nd/beginning of the 3rd Century CE of a Greek statue from the second half of the 4th century BCE. The subject of Hercules at rest is a very popular one. It shows him exhausted and pensive after having undertaken yet another labor for his cousin Eurytheus.
While the top half of Hercules sags with fatigue, his legs and feet still look dynamic, as if he was ready to spring into action (yet again) at any moment. The sheer size of the statue took my breath away–and it’s just one of many dozens of sculptures in MANN.
Hercules is part of the Farnese Collection, which was one of the first collections of artistic items from Greco-Roman antiquity. It was started by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (he later became Pope Paul III) back in the 16th century when collecting antiquities started being all the rage. Many of the works in MANN are from his collection.
Dog Sculptures
Large sculptures dominate the rooms, but they are by no means the only sculptures worth admiring at MANN. Here are three incredibly charming sculptures of Roman pooches. They look like they could come to life at any minute and run toward you, tails wagging.
Athena
Athena is the Goddess of Wisdom, along with warfare and handicrafts. The next time you pick up a knitting project, call on Athena for some extra guidance! This sculpture (bigger than can possibly be portrayed in a photo) really shows off Athena’s robes in all their pleated glory.
Bust of a Woman
I don’t know who this is but I love her hair! At least I think the bust is of a woman’s head. She looks a bit careworn, perhaps from having to cope with all those corkscrew locks every day. I also loved the black stone used–an interesting break from the predominantly cream-colored marble used to create most of the other sculptures in MANN.
It’s hard to believe this sculpture dates back two millennia. Like most of the sculptures in MANN, the bust is in near perfect shape.
Petite Figure
This small statuette of a child is one of several equally adorable pieces. You can understand how the artists descended from the ones who sculpted these pieces came up with cupids! The pieces look incredibly lifelike.
Everyday Objects
For me, a highlight of the MANN collection is the vast array of household and everyday objects that were salvaged from Pompeii during excavations that began in the late 18th century. Many of the objects were remarkably preserved–pots, glassware, small statues of household gods, combs, jewelry, cooking utensils–you name it.
The ancient Roman versions of pretty much everything humans need to cook, clean, and live in houses is on display. It turns out that Romans aren’t all that different from us when it comes to the stuff they had in their houses. Take away our electronics and indoor plumbing, and we’re left with similar objects to those used by the average Pompeii resident: wine bottles, cooking pots, jewelry, cups, combs, chairs, and the like.
Here are some particularly fine examples of the household objects salvaged from the ruins of both Herculaneum and Pompeii.
Glass Cup
Can you believe this cup is 2000 years old? I was astonished to see it in the display, but yup, according to the description. the object is a “so-called millefiori ribbon small cup” from Pompeii in the 1st century CE. It looks like something I could buy today in Venice.
Terracotta Frog
Is this little guy not the sweetest thing? It’s a statuette of a frog made from lead-glazed terracotta. I’m not sure what he was used for, but he sure caught my eye. And he was just one of many, many such objects artfully displayed in room after well-lit room at MANN.
Deep Wine Cup
Look at the handiwork on this lead-glazed terracotta wine cup! It’s decorated with vegetable motifs and doves. Imagine drinking your wine out of that!
Cosmetic Jar
Ladies in Pompeii wore cosmetics just like women do today. But with plastic rather lacking, they stored their cosmetics in glass containers such as the one shown below. Again, it looks brand new! The jar is described as free-blown glass from the 1st century CE.
Blue Glass Pitcher
And last but not least, I have to include this perfect example of a free-blown glass pitcher. Look at the color! There were also many, many more examples of pitchers blown in darker tones as well as clear glass. I still can’t get over how they survived the blast, but I guess the ash buried things so thoroughly that they were preserved during the 1800 odd years they lay undisturbed. Remarkable!
Mosaics
The people of Pompeii and Herculaneum sure liked their mosaics. The floors of many houses, particularly those belonging to rich people (of which there were quite a few in Pompeii), were decorated with mosaics. The mosaics in MANN give just a taste of just how opulent the homes must have been. The intricacy of the mosaics really is breathtaking.
Zootopia Mosaic
Here is a series of three mosaics, displayed in horizontal format, but shown here in three parts to better check out the imagery. Each of these mosaics includes a bevy of wild animals–from hippos to snakes to ducks to crocodiles. What a tour de force!
Dog Mosaic
The Romans definitely liked dogs! Here’s another depiction of a dog–this time in mosaic form. This image is very popular; it’s on various products sold in the gift shop, including bags, fridge magnets, and mouse pads. We did buy a fridge magnet at the MANN gift shop, but of Sappho (see below) not the dog!
Sea Creatures
Can you imagine the imagination that concocted this delectable cornucopia of sea creatures? Wow! I particularly like the giant octopus in the middle. The mosaic also reminds me of the kinds of displays you’d see in 19th century natural history museums.
Frescoes
Paintings galore! You won’t believe how many paintings and frescoes you’ll find at MANN. This is because the Romans lavishly painted the inside walls of their villas and added painted embellishments just about anywhere there was a blank wall.
That so many of these paintings survived the eruption of Vesuvius is truly remarkable.
The Romans were unbelievably good painters. They’d mastered perspective and realism 1500 years before the Renaissance. So many of the paintings in MANN look like they could have been painted in the past few hundred years, particularly the gorgeous still lifes.
Here’s my best picks at MANN.
Isis & Snakes
Snakes are quite a recurring theme in the paintings in MANN. I’m not sure why that is; perhaps sea serpents were bigger and more threatening back in the day. For whatever reason, you’ll see snakes depicted in mosaics and frescoes, and included as details on pots, urns, and other objects.
This fresco, which had once graced the wall of a villa in Pompeii, shows Isis hauling the boat with the body of Osiris along the Nile accompanied by snakes lurking below the surface. Cheerful.
Still Lifes
I couldn’t believe the quality and quantity of still life paintings at MANN. The realism truly is incredible. I have a soft spot for still lifes (see my post about the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam where some of my fave still lifes are exhibited). I never knew that the ancient Romans were so adept at creating them.
Here are two still lifes–one of dead birds and mushrooms, and the other of a bunny with onions.
Erotica
Don’t miss the Secret Room if you’re inclined to view the museum’s extensive collection of erotic and sexually-themed objects and paintings salvaged from Pompeii and Herculaneum. The room was finally re-opened in 2000 with a display that organizes objects according to their function and material.
It’s a bit of an eye-opener, but definitely interesting and proving there is nothing new under the sun!
Portraits
MANN includes several portraits of Romans in its collection. One of the most famous is the portrait of the baker Therentius Neo and his wife. Don’t they look contemporary? Walking along the streets of Naples after visiting MANN brought us face to face with several of their descendants!
Here is another very famous portrait, this one of the poet Sappho, or at least that’s how it’s billed. The truth is that we don’t know if the portrait is actually of Sappho. It’s rather a “typological” representation of a young woman holding a stylus and a wax tablet–two things the real poet Sappho would likely have.
Anyway, it’s nice to think the portrait really is of Sappho which is probably why the image is everywhere in the gift shop, including on the fridge magnet I bought.
Could This be My Next Character?
And finally, I came across this lovely mosaic portrait of a young woman. According to the description, the mosaic dates to the Julian-Claudian era (27 BCE to 68 CE) in Pompeii. She’s likely pretty high born (check out the necklace). I love how she looks directly out at the viewer. If I do decide to write a novel set in ancient Rome (and I am toying with some ideas), then this mosaic could be the image of my main character!
Tour Options in the Naples Area
Here are some Get Your Guide and Tiqets.com tickets and tours you may wish to consider while in the Naples area. I frequently purchase tours and tickets from Get Your Guide and Tiqets.com and have yet to be disappointed. The tours they include on their website are, in my experience, reasonably priced and interesting.
If you enjoy walking tours, then you can’t go wrong with GuruWalks. Check out their tours in Naples.
Conclusion
In this post, I’ve just scratched the surface of the collection at the National Archaeological Museum. I recommend you make time in your itinerary to visit, preferably as I said earlier, before you visit Pompeii. In fact, if I had to choose between visiting Pompeii and visiting the museum, I’d choose the museum. Yes, I know that the ruins are way more famous–and they are pretty impressive. However, they truly are mobbed with visitors.
And they are BIG! If you can, visit very early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid the heat. Alternatively, visit at a time of year when temperatures are less ferocious. There is virtually no shade anywhere.
Have you visited the National Archaeological Museum in Naples? What were some of your favorites? Share in the comments below.
I’m a huge fan of taking cooking classes when I travel around interesting locales that have unique cuisines. So far, I’ve taken a market class and a French sauces class (sweet and savory) in Paris, a tapas class in Madrid, and a pasta & tiramasu class in Rome (see my post about that awesome class here).
Choosing a Class in Rome
With two weeks to spend in Rome in 2024 (with a few days off to visit Naples and Paestum), I decided to take yet another cooking class. Most of classes available were variations on the pasta/tiramasu class I’d already taken, but after a bit of searching on Get Your Guide, I discovered a pizza and gelato-making class.
Perfect! I signed up on Tuesday for the class on Friday.
EnjoyCooking.com with Crown Tours
In 2022, I’d taken the pasta/tiramisu class with InRome Cooking, which I highly recommend. But this time, I decided to go with EnjoyCooking.com for the sake of variety and having a new company to write about on Artsy Traveler. EnjoyCooking.com partners with Crown Tours to offer cooking classes in a lovely, brick-arched space next door to their tour office and across the street from the Colosseum.
The day before the class, I got a WhatsApp call from the company. The family that had signed up to take the class at the same time as me had canceled, leaving me on my own. Did I want to postpone the class to the evening slot? I could not because in the evening, we had the opening of Gregg’s art exhibition at Il Leone Galleria in Rome. I was assured that they were happy to still offer the class at the 10 am time slot even if I was on my own. Lucky me!
Arrival at EnjoyCooking.com
I arrived on Friday morning and was ushered into the cooking space. There was room for eight people in a class so it was much more intimate than the class I took at InRome Cooking in 2022 which hosted I think twelve people. To my delight, there was one other woman in the class. Over the course of the next three hours, we bonded and had an awesome time.
Chef Marco!
But the biggest surprise was meeting the chef. In walked Marco–the same chef who had taught the pasta/tiramisu class at InRome Cooking. I couldn’t believe it! I told him I’d taken his class and showed him the blog post. He was so excited!
Back again with Chef Marco, this time at EnjoyCooking.com
So that was a great way to kick off the morning. Over the next three hours, Chef Marco led my new friend and me in a lively, hands on and informative class. I’m always amazed at how much I learn about cooking technique in these classes.
Gelato Making
We started with gelato. I discovered to my relief that the ice cream maker I’d purchased several years earlier could be dragged out, dusted off, and used to make gelato. Who knew?
We heated several pints of fresh milk in a pot over an electric hot plate. Marco informed us that the milk should be as fresh as possible–so fresh that it would spoil after three days. Of course, getting milk that fresh is pretty much impossible in North America unless you live on a farm, which I don’t. But the next best thing is high quality organic milk.
We heated the milk and whisked in sugar followed by ten egg yolks and grated lemon zest to make limone gelato. The lemons had come from the Amalfi coast and smelled divine.
After mixing the gelato, we poured it into the commercial gelato maker that would produce perfect gelato within thirty minutes. What an impressive looking machine!
Marco informed us that we would also make raspberry sorbetto to go along with the limone gelato. Sorbetto is even faster and easier to make than gelato. We mixed water with raspberries and once the gelato was made, we poured it into the gelato-maker (after the limone gelato was done, of course).
Here’s a video of the raspberry gelato being extruded from the gelato maker–an exceedingly beautiful and satisfying sight.
Suppli Making
I had never heard of suppli–a Roman street food that is widely available all over the city. Marco showed us how to take rice cooked in tomatoes and form it around fresh cubes of mozzarella cheese, then bread and deep fry it. The result was a log-shaped rectangle that when still hot and pulled apart stretched the warm mozzarella cheese. It was yummy but a bit rich for me at only 11 am!
But when in Rome!
Pizza Making
The main event of the cooking class was making pizza the proper way–aka like they make piazza in Napoli where Marco was from.
I learned that the pizza dough should be rested for two hours after mixing and then rested in the refrigerator for up to three days. That was something new to me. I’d always let my piazza dough rise for about an hour, if that, and then cooked it. Apparently, doing so results in dough that is still fermenting when it enters your tummy. Not good!
Mixing the Pizza Dough
We mixed the dough and kneaded it for about six minutes–a very satisfying process. The dough was light and very elastic. It was then put away to rest and presumably used for a class the next day. Marco then produced dough that had already been rested and risen for a day, and we proceeded to learn how to shape the dough into a pizza. Handling the soft, pliant dough was such a pleasure. We didn’t learn how to throw it in the air, but we did learn a few tricks I can apply back home.
Baking the Pizza
Another tip I learned was to slather on the tomato sauce first, bake the pizza for about six minutes in a home oven (much less in a high temperature commercial oven) and then add the toppings and cook for another three to four minutes. Who knew? I also learned that certain toppings such as prosciutto should not be cooked, but added after the pizza came out of the oven.
For best results, I was told that I should get myself a pizza stone so that’s going on my Christmas list for next year!
Topping the Pizza
After baking the pizza with the sauce, we were offered a wide array of toppings to dress our pizza. My companion chose mozzarella cheese and fresh sausage. I chose anchovies, mushrooms, olives, and of course mozzarella cheese. Here we are making our pizzas in front of the scrumptious assortment of toppings.
Finishing the Pizzas
The pizzas went back in the oven and voila! Within minutes they were being served to us. The first bites were wonderful–the crust slightly charred and very puffed up (the sign of a good pizza) and the toppings fresh. I managed to get through three pieces before having to give up. Marco thoughtfully put the remainder in a pizza box for me to carry home to Gregg.
After pizza, we were served the gelato we’d made earlier. OMG! The limone gelato, in particular, was truly to die for. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a fresher and more delightful-tasking gelato. It puts the run-of-the-mill gelatos found in gelato stores to shame. As Marco said, it’s all about using the freshest ingredients.
The class ended with me receiving my certificate and posing for a picture with Marco. I was thoroughly satisfied with my second Rome cooking experience in EnjoyCooking.com and Crown Tours.
A smile was on my face as I threaded my way through the crowds of tourists streaming past the Colosseum and Forum on my way back to our comfy little apartment in the Jewish Ghetto.
Thank you, EnjoyCooking.com and Marco for an excellent experience.
EnjoyCooking.com Class
Here’s a link to the cooking class I took through Crown Tours. As I’ve mentioned often on Artsy Traveler, I’m a very big fan of Get Your Guide. I booked my class with Crown Tours through Get Your Guide. If you click on the link below (or the links in the next section) and take any tour (not just the ones listed), I get a small commission. Thank you.
I love Amsterdam, which is why on almost every trip to Europe I make it my first stop. Since 1970 on my epic first trip to Europe with my mom, I’ve visited Amsterdam fifteen times. You’d think I’d have run out of places to see by now, but I haven’t. On my most recent visit to AmsterdamX, I discovered two new-to-me museums that I highly recommend.
First is the National Maritime Museum (#1 on the map below) and second is the Rembrandt House Museum (Rembrandt Huis – #2). Both deliver an excellent bang for your euro. The map below also shows the location of my recommended hotel (#3) and for context, Amsterdam’s two heavyweight museums: the Rijksmuseum (#4) and the Van Gogh Museum (#5).
Despite all my visits to the city, I’d never heard about Amsterdam’s excellent Maritime Museum. On my latest trip, the taxi drove us right past the massive replica of an 18th century Dutch three-master sailing ship (the Amsterdam) moored in the harbor. I asked him what it was and he told us it was part of the National Maritime Museum. Intrigued, I looked it up when we got to the hotel, which turned out to be only a six-minute walk away.
Arriving at the National Maritime Museum
The National Maritime Museum is housed in a stately three-storey building on the edge of Amsterdam’s massive harbor and adjacent to the Amsterdam ship moored in the harbor. After entering at the south side of the building, we walked into a spacious covered atrium with entrances leading to the north, west and east.
Outside the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam
Touring The Amsterdam
We headed first for the north door that led straight out to a wharf and the docked replica of the Amsterdam. What a sight! The huge hull rose several storeys above our heads, above which soared three masts.
A replica of the East Indiaman Amsterdam at the National Maritime Museum
We boarded the ship and were immediately engulfed by a posse of schoolchildren all wearing yellow safety vests and swarming through the sailors’ quarters. Apart from the kids, the quarters looked spacious until I realized the space would house a crew of 191 sweaty sailors. The smells and swells on a rough day at sea would not have been pretty.
Sailors quarters in the Amsterdam tall ship at the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam
Information about the Amsterdam
Throughout the ship, descriptions in both English and Dutch provided fascinating glimpses into the history of the original Amsterdam and Dutch trade back in the 17th and 18th centuries. I learned that on one voyage, the Amsterdam carried one captain, 191 sailors, 128 marines, 11 artisans, and 3 women passengers for a total of 334 people. That’s a lot of bodies to squeeze onto a ship that, while large, wasn’t that large. I found it a bit crowded with a school group of maybe 30 kids!
Eating on the Amsterdam
In the galley at the front of the ship, the cook would prepare meals for everyone on board, who would then take turns eating in groups of seven. The captain and passengers got the best and freshest food, leaving the crew to half starve and fall prey to diseases such as typhus, dysentery, and scurvy. It must have been pretty grim, particularly since long voyages to destinations in the East Indies took many, many months.
Women Dressed as Men
I was particularly taken by a description of women dressed as men who sailed on the Dutch ships. Some were forced by circumstances to earn money; some were likely trying to escape an unhappy marriage; some maybe just wanted adventure. Unfortunately, any woman who was trying to pass herself off as a man on a ship was severely punished.
In 1770, a woman called Margereta Reymers dressed as a man and joined the crew of the East Indiaman Schoonzicht under the name Hans Hendrik Reymers on a ship sailing to Asia. Margereta was discovered two months into the voyage and put ashore at Cape Town where a man who had promised to marry her left her pregnant.
Eventually, Margereta managed to find a place on a ship returning to the Netherlands. Her daughter was born at sea. No one knows what happened to Margereta and her daughter afterwards. Hmmm – therein lies an interesting idea for a novel!
The Maritime Museum Exhibits
The museum itself is quite vast and beautifully curated. If you are into ships, navigation, and sailing, you could spend many happy hours there. I particularly enjoyed the displays of figureheads and model ships.
For more information about the National Maritime Museum, check out their informative website: https://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.com/
After touring the National Maritime Museum, we enjoyed lunch in a typical Dutch pub, then headed to the Rembrandt House Museum, which was about a ten minute walk from our hotel.
The Rembrandt House Museum
Unlike the National Maritime Museum, I had heard about the Rembrandt House Museum, but had never managed to visit it. I thought it would be a rather dusty old place with little to recommend it beyond the fact that Rembrandt once lived there.
I discovered that I was wrong and that the Rembrandt House Museum is well worth an hour of any artsy traveler’s time.
Renovated Museum
The museum has been recently renovated to include an adjacent building containing the entrance area, a gift shop (of course), and two floors of exhibition space.
We entered the airy modern foyer, purchased our tickets and picked up our audio guides. We don’t usually go for audio guides, but the man at the desk told us they were essential to our enjoyment of the museum and so we dutifully donned the earphones and headed for door leading into the house that Rembrandt called home for 19 years.
Touring Rembrandt House
For the next hour or so, we drifted from room to room and up several sets of winding staircases to explore the nooks and crannies of what was—and still is—a large and comfortable home. Rembrandt was flying high when he and his wife purchased the house. He was receiving many commissions in addition to earning a sizable chunk of his income from teaching wannabe Rembrandts.
But regrettably, Rembrandt was not the best of businessmen. After nineteen years of enjoying the good life, Rembrandt’s many creditors forced him to sell just about everything not nailed down and move across town.
Rembrandt’s Misfortunes are History’s Gains
I learned that it was thanks to Rembrandt’s financial misfortunes that his house has been so immaculately recreated. When Rembrandt was forced to liquidate all his assets, he left behind an extremely detailed inventory of the house contents. Historians were able to use this inventory to faithfully recreate the rooms in his house so that today we can wander through them secure in the knowledge that they looked more or less the same as they did in Rembrandt’s day—except with electric light and tourists listening to audio guides.
The comprehensive audio guide provided us with a wealth of information about each of the rooms we entered—from grand salon to the room of curiosities to Rembrandt’s gorgeously bright and airy painting studio. In each room, audio commentary described the room and its uses, and provided information about Rembrandt’s life and work.
Rembrandt House Highlights
Box Beds
One of several box beds in the house was situated in the main salon, and like every box bed in the house (there were several) was much shorter than would seem reasonable to accommodate an average-sized human. I learned that back in Rembrandt’s time, people slept sitting up and so had no need of a bed that extended their full height. Apparently, the prevailing medical wisdom of the day dictated that sleeping completely prone was very bad for the health. Peering into the box beds, I shuddered at the thought of actually sleeping in one. If you are at all prone to claustrophobia, you wouldn’t last ten minutes.
The box bed shown below was in the main salon and would be for visitors.
Box bed for visitors
Etching Studio
Rembrandt was known for his etchings, many of which he made in the etching studio. Nowadays, a rubber-gloved attendant demonstrates the art of etching. Unfortunately, we missed her demonstration but it was likely very similar to the one we saw at the house of Albrecht Dürer in Nuremberg. In fact, the setup of the Rembrandt House Museum reminded me of the Dürer museum. You can read about our visit there in my page about Artsy Sightseeing in Germany.
Painting Studio
Stepping into Rembrandt’s large painting studio feels quite magical. Although now filled with visitors all listening intently to their audio guides, it’s salutary to remember that you are actually treading the same floor boards and looking out the same windows as Rembrandt did four hundred years previously.
The room faces north, an aspect favored by painters because the light varies the least throughout the day. The studio is at the top of the house and so would have been as bright and airy as any room in a 17th- century house could be.
The studio includes a large video screen that shows a demonstration of how Rembrandt and his assistants made pigments. I’m familiar with the process of grinding and mixing the pigments from my research for The Towers of Tuscany. But whereas my characters in 14th-century Italy mixed their pigments with egg yolks, Rembrandt and his contemporaries mixed pigments with linseed oil.
Small Painting Studio
I was quite taken with the second painting studio which was partitioned into four sections to accommodate four students.The whole setup looked so modern. Apparently, Rembrandt made 30% of his annual income from students, but even that income wasn’t enough to keep him afloat. I wonder what became of the students after Rembrandt had to liquidate!
But check out these studios. Many artists would feel quite at home in one today!
The Room of Curiosities
Like many people of his time, particularly artists, Rembrandt was an avid collector. His many collections fill the room of curiosities–from parrot feathers and stuffed caimans and armadillos, to tortoise shells, butterflies, rocks, and a hundred other exotic bits and pieces he accumulated over the years. Amsterdam, of course, was a port, and so Rembrandt was able to acquire objects from around the globe that had been brought to Amsterdam by the sailors.
Exhibition Center
After touring Rembrandt’s house, we funneled back into the exhibition center. There wasn’t much on when we were there, but I did appreciate the projection of a montage of Rembrandt’s greatest hits.
Visiting Rembrandt’s House
For more information and to purchase tickets, check out the Rembrandt House website: https://www.rembrandthuis.nl/en/
You can also purchase your tickets in advance from Get Your Guide. As I’ve mentioned many times on Artsy Traveler, I’m a big fan of Get Your Guide. Click the image below to go to their website.
On my stopover in Amsterdam in 2024, I stayed only two nights, but still managed to log several kilometers of wandering. Amsterdam is a fantastic city for walking, so long as you keep a very sharp eye out for cyclists. They go very, very fast! I wonder how many tourists who stepped off a curb without looking ended up in Emergency.
In the evening of our only full day in Amsterdam, we met Gregg’s artist friend Rik Lina in his home and went out for a wonderful Caribbean dinner. Here Rik is with Gregg in front of one of his paintings. He and Gregg have been collaborating for years. Notice the collection of masks. Like Rembrandt, Rik is an avid collector.
Dutch artist Rik Lina in front of one of his paintings with Canadian artist Gregg Simpson
Amsterdam at Night
After dinner, we strolled through Amsterdam in the moonlight, crossing many canals and passing an endless number of intriguing storefronts. Amsterdam has an admirably eclectic variety of stores carrying everything from Old Master knock-offs to rubber duckies to high fashion to painted cows. I adore window shopping in Amsterdam.
Painted cows in a shop in Amsterdam
Amsterdam at night truly is magical! The side streets are quiet, the canals serene in the moonlight, the bike traffic considerably calmed. You can wander for hours, imagining yourself into a cityscape that hasn’t changed appreciably for four hundred odd years.
Other Tours in Amsterdam
There’s so much to see in Amsterdam for the artsy traveler! I highly recommend booking one of the Get Your Guide tours, if only to skip the line at the most popular museums. I’ve consistently found Get Your Guide tours to be good value, and have taken them in Rome, Venice, Paris, Madrid, and Sirmione. Here are links to Get Your Guide tours in Amsterdam.
I also often purchase tickets and tours through Tiqets.com. Here are some options for Amsterdam.
And finally, check out a walking tour with GuruWalks. They offer these tours in Amsterdam:
Staying in Amsterdam
Over the years, I’ve stayed in many different places in Amsterdam–from Airbnbs to hotels on the outskirts. Our stay in 2024 was one of the best–and also the most reasonably priced considering the location and amenities.
I’m not usually a big fan of chain hotels, but to my surprise the Holiday Inn Express – City Hall in Amsterdam, steps from the harbor and within walking distance of old Amsterdam, was a perfect choice. The view of the canal from our window was endlessly fascinating depending on the time of day and the shifting April weather, the room was comfortable, and the staff friendly and helpful.
View of canals from the window of a room at the Holiday Inn Express – City Hall in Amsterdam
I also appreciated the large urn full of citrus fruits and water in the lobby. Every time I came into the hotel, I helped myself to a refreshing glass of citrus water.
Here are other options for staying in Amsterdam. I recommend you resist the temptation to opt for the cheaper places outside the city center. Amsterdam is worth the splurge. Book a place as close to the ring of canals as you can and enjoy many happy hours of wandering–particularly after dark.
Conclusion
Have you visited Amsterdam? What are some of your best picks? Share your experiences in the comments below.
