ROME RIVER RUN – 9 KM

Description

This predominately flat tour, with a few flights of stairs to start/end or head up to road level to catch a sight, leads us along the winding banks of the Tiber River and through the heart of Rome. The River Run will take you under 19 of Rome’s most famous bridges, which also illustrate the rich history and contemporary developments of an ancient city in constant transition. Ponte Milvio, also known as the “lover’s bridge”, is our most northern point of the run, where we can both grab a glimpse of Corso Francia bridge, which was constructed in the late 1950’s as part of preparation for the 1960 Rome Olympics. The square adjacent to Ponte Milvio has a blend of old school Roman and posh teens all hanging out and grabbing an aperitivo. On many Sundays, half of our path is dedicated to an open – air antique market.

Among the many bridges we will see and cross are; Ponte S. Angelo, often hailed as Rome’s most beautiful bridge with it’s eight Bernini angels. Ponte Sisto, once covered in shops and booths is now the pedestrian point linking the neighborhood of Trastevere with the eastern bank. This walking only bridge now is home to street vendors, musicians and couples walking from Piazza Trilussa to Campo di Fiori. Our run takes us past one of the more obscure and forgotten pieces of Roman history, the Cloaca Maxima (the Greatest Sewer), one of the world’s oldest sewer systems still in use today. Mainly used to move rainwater and prevent flooding, this system is still in partial use today, helping Rome deal with it’s ever more troubling runoff issues.

This private tour offers the opportunity to fit everyone’s interest. With desire to see sights near the river and the willingness to climb stairs, we can pop up to ground level to checkout Trastevere, Castel Sant’Angelo, St. Pietro, the Olympic Stadium or more! This tour can be run as a loop and duration varies based on your personal pace, approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.