An impressive – if rather confusing – spread of ruins, the Roman Forum was ancient Rome's showpiece center, a grandiose district of temples, basilicas and vibrant public spaces. It can be hard to picture this nowadays but if you can get your imagination going, there’s something truly magical about walking in the footsteps of Julius Caesar and other legendary figures. Signature sights include the Arco di Settimio Severo, the Curia, the Tempio di Saturno and the Arco di Tito.

The site, which was originally a marshy burial ground, was first developed in the 7th century BCE, growing over time to become the political, religious and commercial hub of the Roman empire. On any given day, it hummed with activity as shoppers thronged its teeming streets, senators debated affairs of state, and lawyers hustled in its busy law courts. Like many of ancient Rome's urban developments, the Forum fell into disrepair after the fall of the Roman Empire until it was eventually used as pasture land. In the Middle Ages, it was known as the Campo Vaccino (Cow Field) and extensively plundered for its stone and marble. The area was systematically excavated in the 18th and 19th centuries, and excavations continue to this day.

From the basilica, Via Sacra, the Forum’s main thoroughfare, leads into the heart of the Forum, where you’ll find some key temples. You’ll see the circular Tempio di Romolo and, beyond that, the columned Tempio di Antonino e Faustina, a 2nd-century CE temple that was subsequently converted into a church. Opposite, the Tempio di Giulio Cesare (also known as the Tempio del Divo Giulio) stands on the spot where Julius Caesar was cremated after his assassination in 44 BCE. Nearby, three white columns are all that remain of the 5th-century BCE Tempio di Castore e Polluce. Tucked away on the far side of the Forum is the 6th-century Chiesa di Santa Maria Antiqua, the oldest and most important church on the site. A treasure trove of early Christian art, it contains some exquisite 6th- to 9th-century frescoes and a hanging depiction of the Virgin Mary with child, one of the earliest icons in existence. From inside the church, you can also access the Rampa di Domiziano, an underground passageway the emperors used to enter the Forum from their Palatine palaces. 

An atmospheric area of towering pine trees, majestic ruins and memorable views, the Palatino (Palatine Hill) is the birthplace of Rome. This is where Romulus supposedly founded the city and where ancient Rome’s emperors lived in unabashed luxury. Archaeological excavations have unearthed evidence of Iron Age settlements on the hill, but much of what you see today dates to Roman times. In fact, much of the site is covered by the ruins of a 1st-century CE royal residence which served as the main imperial palace for 300 years. Augustus lived here all his life and successive emperors built increasingly opulent palaces – in fact, the word "palace" derives from the hill's Latin name, Palatium. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the area was pretty much abandoned until rich Renaissance families reclaimed the land, building villas in the ruins and laying out gardens and vineyards.

The ruins can be complicated to decipher, but look out for the stadio (stadium), the Domus Flavia and Domus Augustana (the public and private parts of the palace), and the Orti Farnesiani (a Renaissance garden with swoon-inducing views over the Roman Forum).

Housed in two stately palazzi (palaces) on Piazza del Campidoglio, the Capitoline Museums are the world’s oldest public museums. They date to 1471, when Pope Sixtus IV donated a number of bronze statues to the city, forming the nucleus of what is now one of Italy’s finest collections of classical sculpture.

The museum’s entrance is in Palazzo dei Conservatori, where you’ll find the original core of the sculptural collection and the Pinacoteca (picture gallery), with works by many big names. Before you head upstairs, take a moment to admire the ancient masonry in the courtyard, most notably a mammoth head, hand and foot from a 12m-high statue of Constantine. Of the sculptures, the Etruscan Lupa Capitolina is the most famous piece, depicting a bronze wolf standing over her suckling wards, Romulus and Remus. Until recently, the wolf was thought to be a 5th-century BCE Etruscan work but carbon dating has shown it probably dates to the 1200s.

Upstairs, the picture collection boasts masterpieces aplenty. These include Pietro da Cortona’s Ratto delle Sabine (Rape of the Sabine Women), and two important canvases by Caravaggio: La buona ventura (The Fortune Teller; 1595) and San Giovanni Battista (St John the Baptist; 1602). Palazzo Nuovo also contains some real showstoppers. Chief among them is the Galata morente, a touching sculptural depiction of a dying Gaul warrior.

Housing what’s often dubbed the ‘queen of all private art collections’, this extraordinary gallery contains some of Rome’s greatest treasures, including several sculptures by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and paintings by Caravaggio, Titian, Raphael and Rubens.

Things get off to an impressive start in the entrance hall, decorated with 4th-century floor mosaics and a 2nd-century Satiro combattente (Fighting Satyr). High on the wall is a basrelief of a horse and rider falling into the void by Pietro Bernini. The next few rooms harbor the museum’s most prized sculptures. In Sala I, you’ll find Antonio Canova’s daring depiction of Napoleon’s sister, Paolina Bonaparte Borghese, as Venere vincitrice. Sala III features Bernini’s Apollo e Dafne, which captures the exact moment Daphne’s hands start morphing into leaves, while Sala IV houses his great masterpiece, Ratto di Proserpina.

Caravaggio dominates Sala VIII. Look for his self-portrait, Bacchino malato (Young Sick Bacchus) and the much-loved Giovane col canestro di frutta (Boy with a Basket of Fruit). Upstairs in the pinacoteca, don’t miss Raphael’s extraordinary La Deposizione di Cristo (The Deposition) and his Dama con liocorno (Lady with a Unicorn). Other highlights include Lucas Cranach the Elder’s Venere e Amore che reca il favo di miele (Venus and Cupid Carrying the Honeycomb) and Titian’s masterwork, Amor sacro e amor profano (Sacred and Profane Love).

Nothing screams Roman style more than a pair of shoes from the city's best-known shoe designer, Fausto Santini. He is famous for his beguilingly simple, architectural shoe designs, with beautiful boots and shoes made from butter-soft leather. The colors are beautiful, and the quality is impeccable.

A striking 2000-year-old temple, now a church, the Pantheon is the best preserved of Rome’s ancient monuments and one of the most influential buildings in the Western world. Built by Hadrian over Marcus Agrippa’s 27 BCE temple, it has stood since around 125 CE, and while its greying, pockmarked exterior might look its age, it’s still an exhilarating experience to pass through its vast bronze doors and gaze up at the largest unreinforced concrete dome ever built.

Hadrian’s temple was dedicated to the classical gods – hence the name Pantheon, from the Greek pan (all) and theos (god) – but in 608 it was consecrated as a Christian church, and it’s now officially known as the Basilica di Santa Maria ad Martyres. Its monumental entrance portico is a massively imposing sight with 16 Corinthian columns, each 11.8m high and each made from a single block of Egyptian granite, supporting a triangular pediment.

Inside, in the cavernous marble-clad interior, you’ll find the tomb of the artist Raphael alongside those of kings Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I. The real fascination of the Pantheon, however, lies in its massive dimensions and awe-inspiring dome, the harmonious appearance of which is due to a precisely calibrated symmetry – its diameter is exactly equal to the Pantheon’s interior height of 43.4m. At its center, the 8.7m-diameter oculus plays a vital structural role by absorbing and redistributing the dome’s huge tensile forces.

In 2023, the Pantheon introduced a €5 entry fee, and tickets can be purchased online or at an on-site ticket office.

In a city of outstanding churches, none can hold a candle to St Peter’s, Italy’s largest, richest and most spectacular basilica. A monument to centuries of artistic genius, it boasts spectacular works of art, including three of Italy’s most celebrated masterpieces: Michelangelo’s Pietà, his sky-scraping dome, and Bernini’s 29m-high bronze baldachin (canopy) over the papal altar.

The original St Peter’s – which lies beneath the current basilica – was built in the 4th century on the site where St Peter was supposedly buried. The current church was consecrated in 1626 after a turbulent 120 years of construction. Its immense facade, designed by Carlo Maderno, gives on to a cavernous marble interior. At the head of the right nave, you’ll find Michelangelo’s hauntingly beautiful Pietà, the only work he ever signed. A red floor disc marks the spot where Charlemagne and later Holy Roman Emperors were crowned by the pope.

Dominating the basilica’s center is Bernini’s baldachin, which towers over the high altar, positioned on the site of St Peter’s grave. Above, Michelangelo’s dome soars to a height of 119m. This titanic cupola is supported by four stone piers named after the saints whose statues adorn their Bernini-designed niches – Longinus, Helena, Veronica and Andrew. At the base of the Pier of St Longinus is Arnolfo di Cambio’s much-loved 13th-century bronze statue of St Peter, whose right foot has been worn down by centuries of caresses.

The basilica is open daily from 7 am to 6.30 pm (7 pm in summer). Entry is free but you’ll have to go through security checks on the piazza outside. The line for these can be long but it usually moves fairly quickly. To limit waiting time, come at lunchtime or in the late afternoon. Guided tours are available throughout the week for €15; check the website for details. Watch what you wear: vigilant security guards enforce a strict dress code so if you want to get in, no micro shorts, miniskirts or bare shoulders.

Up to a third of the Vatican is covered by the perfectly manicured Vatican Gardens, which contain fortifications, grottoes, monuments, fountains, and the state’s tiny heliport and train station. Visits are by guided tour (two hours, including a visit to the Sistine Chapel) or open-air bus (45 minutes), and should be booked well in advance. 

This family-run deli is a fantasyland of Italian edibles. Whole prosciutto hams hang in profusion. Cheeses, olive oil, dried pasta, balsamic vinegar, wine and truffle pâtés crowd the shelves, and can be bubbled-wrapped and vacuum-sealed for travel. Patriarch Antonio Paciotti and his three affable sons merrily advise customers in both Italian and English.

Sprawling across wide-open meadows, this 2nd-century villa is one of Rome's least-visited major sights. Once the lavish home of two consuls, the Quintili brothers, its luxurious excess was ultimately their downfall. The emperor Commodus had them both killed and seized the villa for himself. Under the emperor's control, he expanded the complex, and the remaining ruins retained their opulence. Don't miss visiting the bath complex, which has a pool, caldarium (hot bath), and frigidarium (cold bath). Stop by the small museum, which offers useful context and insight into the villa's history.

These are the largest and busiest of Rome’s catacombs. Founded at the end of the 2nd century and named after Pope Calixtus I, they became the official cemetery of the newly established Roman Church. In the 20km of tunnels explored to date, archaeologists have found the tombs of 16 popes, dozens of martyrs and thousands upon thousands of Christians.

Tours (in English and many other languages) last about 45 minutes and give a good idea of the seemingly endless corridors stretching underground. The patron saint of music, St Cecilia, was also buried here, though her body was later removed to Basilica di Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. When her body was exhumed in 1599, more than a thousand years after her death, it was apparently perfectly preserved, as depicted in Stefano Maderno’s softly contoured sculpture, a replica of which is here. On tours, the guides offer many good details of early Christian life. 

Extending beneath the Basilica di San Sebastiano, the Catacombe di San Sebastiano is a warren of tunnels that lie beneath the church and beyond. These underground burial chambers were the first to be called catacombs ⁠— the name deriving from the Greek kata (near) and kymbas (cavity) ⁠— because they were located near a cave. The catacombs extend for more than 12km and once harbored more than 65,000 tombs.

The 1st level is now almost completely destroyed, but frescoes, stucco work and epigraphs can be seen on the 2nd level. There are also three perfectly preserved mausoleums and a plastered wall with hundreds of invocations to St Peter and St Paul, engraved by worshippers in the 3rd and 4th centuries. During the persecution of Christians by the emperor Vespasian from AD 258, some believe that the catacombs were used as a safe haven for the remains of Peter and Paul. There's even a section of pagan Roman tombs.

Above the catacombs, the basilica, a much-altered 4th-century church, preserves one of the arrows allegedly used to kill St Sebastian and the column to which he was tied. Tours (€12) are offered in several languages and last about 45 minutes, with moderate stair climbing.

This secluded basilica, fronted by a leafy courtyard and 18th-century facade, is the last resting place of Cecilia, the patron saint of music. The saint, who was supposedly martyred in a house buried beneath the current church, is represented by a sculpture under the main altar. The work of Stefano Maderno, this delicate marble statue is said to show how her miraculously preserved body looked when it was discovered in 1599 in the Catacombe di San Callisto. The basilica’s other great masterpiece is Pietro Cavallini’s exquisite 13th-century fresco in the nuns’ choir, showing a section of the Last Judgement.

Admission to the basilica is free but to visit the frescoes and underground excavations, there’s a €2.50 entrance charge.

Fior di Luna (Italian for 'moon blossom') is a contender for some of the best handmade gelato and sorbet in the city. The choice is limited but the taste is sensational: their gelato is produced in small batches using natural, seasonal ingredients. Flavors include seasonally driven classics as well as "gastronomic" inventions such as parmesan and apricot.

Located in the heart of Trastevere, Villa Farnesina has long been known as one of Rome’s Renaissance masterpieces. The interior of this gorgeous 16th-century villa is fantastically frescoed from top to bottom. Several paintings in the Loggia of Cupid and Psyche and the Loggia of Galatea, both on the ground floor, are attributed to Raphael.

Tuscan banker Agostino Chighi commissioned the palace’s construction to architect Baldassarre Peruzzi in 1505. The project would take 15 years to complete and over time the well-connected banker financed various artists to adorn his residence with exceptional artwork that could be admired by princes, politicians, and intellectuals that were often invited for lunch at the property. The palace was purchased by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese the Younger in 1590 and renamed Villa Farnesina to distinguish it from the family’s other property, Palazzo Farnese.

Once home to Queen Christina of Sweden, whose bedroom reputedly witnessed a steady stream of male and female lovers, the palazzo takes its name from the Florentine Corsini family who took it over when Lorenzo Corsini became Pope Clement XII in 1730. Nowadays, it’s one of two seats of the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica (the other is Palazzo Barberini).

Highlights of its stellar art collection include Caravaggio’s San Giovanni Battista (St John the Baptist), Guido Reni’s Salome con la testa di San Giovanni Battista (Salome with the Head of John the Baptist), and Fra’ Angelico’s Corsini Triptych, plus works by Rubens, Poussin and Van Dyck. Note that you’ll need to book online at barberinicorsini.org to visit at the weekend.

This wonderful and often overlooked museum is considered Italy's finest collection of Etruscan treasures and resides in Pope Julius III's 16th-century palace in Villa Borghese. Housing what’s often referred to as the ‘queen of all private art collections,’ this extraordinary gallery contains some of Rome’s greatest art treasures. These include a series of sensational sculptures by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and important paintings by Caravaggio, Titian, Raphael and Rubens.

But the museum’s most famous piece is the 6th-century BC Sarcofago degli Sposi (Sarcophagus of the Betrothed). This astonishing work, originally unearthed in a tomb in Cerveteri, depicts a husband and wife reclining on a stone banqueting couch. Although called a sarcophagus, it was actually designed as an elaborate urn for the couple’s ashes.

Treat yourself to a classic cocktail at Stravinskij Bar, part of the historic Hotel de Russie. There are sofas inside, but the sunny courtyard is the fashionable choice, with sun-shaded tables overlooked by terraced gardens. In the best dolce vita style, it’s perfect for a pricey cocktail or beer accompanied by appropriately posh snacks. Dress up and make a reservation at weekends.

Opened by designer Cristina Bomba over four decades ago, this gorgeous boutique is now operated by her fashion-designing children Caterina (womenswear) and Michele (menswear). Using the highest-quality fabrics, they are known for their sharply tailored pieces cut into classic styles. You can peek through the window for a look at their next-door atelier. Bomba’s timeless woollens are produced at a factory just outside the city. Pricey but oh so worth it.

One of Rome's four patriarchal basilicas, this 5th-century church stands on Esquiline Hill's summit, on the spot where snow is said to have miraculously fallen in the summer of 358 CE. Every year on August 5, the event is recreated during a light show in Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore. Much altered over the centuries, the basilica is an architectural hybrid with a 14th-century Romanesque campanile, Renaissance coffered ceiling, 18th-century baroque facade, largely baroque interior and a series of glorious 5th-century mosaics.

The exterior fronting Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore is decorated with glimmering 13th-century mosaics that are screened by Ferdinand Fuga's baroque loggia (1741). Rising behind, the campanile – Rome's tallest – tops out at 75m (246ft).

The vast interior retains its original structure despite the basilica's many overhauls. Particularly spectacular are the 5th-century mosaics in the triumphal arch and nave, depicting Old Testament scenes. The central image in the apse, signed by Jacopo Torriti, dates from the 13th century and represents the coronation of the Virgin Mary. Beneath your feet, the nave floor is a fine example of 12th-century Cosmati paving.

The 18th-century baldachin over the high altar is heavy with gilt cherubs; the altar itself is a porphyry sarcophagus, which is said to contain the relics of St Matthew and other martyrs. A plaque embedded in the floor to the right of the altar marks the spot where Gian Lorenzo Bernini and his father Pietro are buried. Steps lead down to the confessio (a crypt in which relics are placed), where a statue of Pope Pius IX kneels before a reliquary that is claimed to contain a fragment of Jesus' manger.

The sumptuously decorated Cappella Sistina, last on the right, was built by Domenico Fontana in the 16th century and contains the tombs of Popes Sixtus V and Pius V. Not as sumptuous but far more beautiful is the Cappella Sforza on the left, which was designed by Michelangelo.

Through the souvenir shop on the right-hand side of the church is the Museo del Tresoro (Treasury Museum), with a glittering collection of religious artifacts. Most interesting, however, is the Loggia delle Benedizioni (upper loggia), accessible only by 30-minute guided tours (in English; book at the basilica entrance). Here, you can get a close look at the 13th-century mosaics on the facade, which were created by Filippo Rusuti.

Authentic pizza ⁠— super-thin and swiftly cooked in a wood-fired oven ⁠— is what keeps locals and tourists filling this traditional Roman pizzeria. But the outdoor seating on a cobbled cul de sac, friendly service, fair prices and good fritti (fried things) all add to the compelling reasons why Romans pile in here at weekends. Consider beginning your feast with some fried supplì (risotto balls) or baccalà (salted cod).

Sublimely cut and whimsically retro-esque, Tina Sondergaard's creations for women are a hit with Rome's fashion cognoscenti. The beautifully handmade creations are a unique buy; you can have adjustments made (included in the price).

This baroque palace, commissioned to celebrate the Barberini family’s rise to papal power, impresses before you even start on its art collection. Many high-profile architects worked on it, including rivals Bernini and Borromini: the former contributed a square staircase, the latter a helicoidal one.

Of the masterpieces on display, don’t miss Filippo Lippi’s Annunciazione e due donatori (Annunciation with Two Donors) and Pietro da Cortona’s ceiling fresco Il Trionfo della Divina Provvidenza (The Triumph of Divine Providence). Other must-sees include Hans Holbein’s famous portrait of Henry VIII and Raphael’s La Fornarina (The Baker’s Girl), thought to be a portrait of his mistress. Works by Caravaggio include Narciso (Narcissus) and the mesmerisingly horrific Giuditta e Oloferne (Judith Beheading Holophernes).

The remains of the emperor Caracalla’s vast baths complex are among Rome’s most awe-inspiring ruins. Inaugurated in AD 212, the original 10-hectare site, which comprised baths, gyms, libraries, shops and gardens, was used by up to 8000 people daily. To evoke what the site would have looked like in its heyday, hire a virtual reality headset (€7) from the ticket office.

The focal point is the central bathhouse, a huge rectangular edifice bookended by two palestre (gyms). The bathouse was centred on a frigidarium (cold room), where bathers would stop after the warmer tepidarium and dome-capped caldarium (hot room). While the customers enjoyed the luxurious facilities, below ground hundreds of enslaved people sweated in a 9.5km tunnel network, tending to the complex plumbing systems. The baths remained in continuous use until AD 537, when the Visigoths cut off Rome's water supply. Excavations in the 16th and 17th centuries unearthed important sculptures, many of which found their way into the Farnese family's art collection. In summer, the ruins are used to stage spectacular music and ballet performances.

This neighborhood trattoria is renowned for its unswerving dedication to Roman soul food. Though its decor is contemporary, the menu is unrelentingly old school, including dishes such as filled ravioli, fried baccalà (cod), involtino (beef rolls in a tomato sauce) and saltimbocca (veal escalopes with proscuitto and sage). Make sure to try their signature cacio e pepe, Rome's simple, mouthwatering classic dish made with Pecorino Romano cheese and freshly ground pepper mixed with al dente spaghetti or tonnarelli. Vegetable sides include seasonal delights such as artichokes, asparagus and puntarelle (a type of chicory). There's also a far-better-than-average wine list. Booking well in advance is recommended, but you may have success in scoring a walk-in table.

Nowhere better illustrates the various stages of Rome's turbulent past than this fascinating multilayered church. The ground-level 12th-century basilica sits atop a 4th-century church, which, in turn, stands over a 2nd-century pagan temple and a 1st-century Roman house. Beneath everything are foundations dating from the Roman Republic.

The street-level basilica superiore features a marvelous 12th-century apse mosaic depicting the Trionfo della Croce (Triumph of the Cross) and some wonderful 15th-century frescoes by Masolino in the Cappella di Santa Caterina showing a crucifixion scene and episodes from the life of St Catherine.

Steps lead down to the 4th-century basilica inferiore, mostly destroyed by Norman invaders in 1084, but with some faded 11th-century frescoes illustrating the life of St Clement, a 1st-century bishop who became the fourth pope in AD 88. Follow the steps down another level and you'll come to a 1st-century Roman house and a dark 2nd-century temple to Mithras, with an altar showing the god slaying a bull. Beneath it all, you can hear the eerie sound of a subterranean river flowing through a Republic-era drain.

With its trio of flamboyant fountains, baroque palazzi, and a colorful cast of street artists, hawkers, and tourists, Piazza Navona is central Rome's elegant and active showcase square. The horseshoe-shaped piazza, built over the 1st century Stadio di Domiziano, hosted the city’s main market for nearly 300 years (and still plays host to an annual Christmas market).

The piazza’s grand centerpiece is Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Four Rivers Fountain), a flamboyant masterpiece featuring an Egyptian obelisk and muscular human personifications of the Nile, Ganges, Danube and Plate rivers. But the Four Rivers are not the only fountains bubbling on the square, the Fontana del Moro, designed by Giacomo della Porta in 1576, and the 19th-century Fontana del Nettuno, which depicts Neptune fighting with a sea monster, surrounded by sea nymphs.

While the fountains are the anchors of the piazza, there are a host of monuments, museums, and churches as well, many containing masterpieces by the likes of Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Bernini, and Raphael. Do not miss the Chiesa di Sant’Agnese in Agone and the elegant Palazzo Pamphilj with its impressive frescoes (pre-book this tour).

Just when you think you’re done seeing everything on the piazza, head to the Via di Tor Sanguigna to access the subterranean remains of the Stadio di Domiziano. The former 30,000-seat stadium used to host athletic meets until its crumbling remains were paved over and replaced in the 15th century by the market. After your time underground, venture for a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants and cafes that dot the edges of the piazza, along with several gelaterie and street food joints. You are never at a loss for choices around here, but there are plenty of overpriced tourist traps as well. For a reliable lunch choice, head to the ground floor of Palazzo Braschi which houses the charming Vivi Bistrot, or walk south to the atmospheric Ghetto for traditional Roman-Jewish cuisine.

This beautiful church in central Rome boasts a trio of Caravaggio paintings. In 1597, Caravaggio painted three canvases for the Contarelli chapel in San Luigi dei Francesi: The Vocation of St Matthew, The Martyrdom of St Matthew and St Matthew and the Angel.

These three canvases, housed in the Cappella Contarelli, are among the earliest of Caravaggio's religious works, painted between 1600 and 1602, but they are inescapably his, featuring a down-to-earth realism and the stunning use of chiaroscuro (the bold contrast of light and dark).

Caravaggio’s refusal to adhere to the artistic conventions of the day and glorify his religious subjects often landed him in hot water, and his first version of San Matteo e l’angelo, which depicted St Matthew as a bald, bare-legged peasant, was originally rejected by his outraged patron, Cardinal Matteo Contarelli.

Frescoes by Domenichino are generally outshone by the three Caravaggio, but before you leave the church, take a moment to enjoy Domenichino’s faded 17th-century frescoes of St Cecilia in the second chapel on the right. St Cecilia is also depicted in the altarpiece by Guido Reni, a copy of a work by Raphael. The Chiesa is a working church, so it is occasionally closed for religious functions.

Hub of Rome’s cultural scene, and home to the world-class Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the auditorium was designed by starchitect Renzo Piano and inaugurated in 2002. It’s an audacious work of architecture consisting of three silver-grey pod-like concert halls set around a 3000-seat amphitheater. These provide a stage for everything from classical music and jazz to lectures and film screenings. To learn more about the complex, which also has two small museums – one displaying artifacts found during construction, and one exhibiting musical instruments – there are English-language tours on Saturday and Sunday mornings.