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- The ancient road itself (the basalt paving and milestones) — Walk, bike, or rent a scooter on stretches of original basalt that Romans laid two millennia ago. You can still spot mile markers and inscriptions; nothing beats the tingle of stepping on stones people actually used in antiquity. (Personal favorite — best early-morning vibe and surprisingly peaceful.)
- Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella — A massive, well-preserved cylindrical tomb that reads like a Roman billboard: powerful family, serious wealth. Its fortress-like silhouette on a hill gives great views and an immediate sense of how the road showcased elite power.
- Catacombs of San Sebastiano — One of the largest Christian burial complexes under the Appian Way, with frescoes, carved tombs and atmospheric underground passageways. It’s
- The ancient road itself (the basalt paving and milestones) — Walk, bike, or rent a scooter on stretches of original basalt that Romans laid two millennia ago. You can still spot mile markers and inscriptions; nothing beats the tingle of stepping on stones people actually used in antiquity. (Personal favorite — best early-morning vibe and surprisingly peaceful.)
- Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella — A massive, well-preserved cylindrical tomb that reads like a Roman billboard: powerful family, serious wealth. Its fortress-like silhouette on a hill gives great views and an immediate sense of how the road showcased elite power.
- Catacombs of San Sebastiano — One of the largest Christian burial complexes under the Appian Way, with frescoes, carved tombs and atmospheric underground passageways. It’s a hands-on history lesson about early Christian worship and burial customs — dim, cool and oddly moving.
- Circus of Maxentius (Villa of Maxentius complex) — A surprisingly intact chariot-race track and imperial villa complex where you can still trace the starting gates and track lengths. It’s quieter than the Colosseum but gives the same scale-up-close, and the brickwork is gorgeous.
- Villa dei Quintili — Big, rural Roman luxury: baths, mosaics, terraces and sweeping views over the countryside. Far from the bustle of central Rome, it shows how powerful Romans retreated to lavish estates along the Appian Way.
- Aqueduct arches (Aqua Claudia & Anio Novus) — Monumental stone arches cutting across the landscape — the infrastructure that kept Rome alive. They make for great photos and a reminder that the area wasn’t just villas and tombs but a functioning metropolis-support system.
- Domine Quo Vadis Church — Tiny, atmospheric chapel tied to the Peter legend (“Lord, where are you going?”) and set among olive trees. It’s intimate, quirky and full of local devotion — a nice contrast to the grand ruins nearby.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past decade, I’ve backpacked through 80+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.