Have a ride on a merry-goround or a funny little pony, the the Janiculum hill - a gree park with oaks and pines and full of surprises - is the place for you!

There is even a special theatre with puppet shows every day. And at noon on the dot, there is the city noisiest time signal: a cannon that is shot off beneath the terrace at Piazzale Garibaldi.

And that's not all. Here you an also discover a famous, miniature, circular temple (Tempietto del Bramante), a large fountain in the form of a triumphal arch, and many stone figures that look like they are playing "freeze tag".

At the foot of the Janiculum Hill is the city's greenes museum - the botanical garden. In this special place among lakes and paths, you can find collections of the rarest and most precious plants: 3,500 species, all to be discovered.

Extravagantly shaped cactuses, flying orchids, a bamboo forest, and both dwarf and towering palms. There is even a palm that crawls like an enormous snake. And the soapberry tree, whose leaves foam up when wet.

If you are looking for the most ancient plant check out the Bilboa Ginko, a species over 300 million years old! Make sure not to miss the greenhouse of the carnivorous, insect-eating plants, and the magical garden of scents: you go in blindfolded and try to recognize plants with your own nose!

Giuliano Stiglitz