A little bit “The Notebook”

Today we are taking a trip to Rome to Villa Borghese.

When I came to this place, an image immediately came to mind: Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in a canoe on the lake. Almost everyone knows the scene from the film “Like a Single Day” (OT: “The Notebook”). For my generation, the entire film is the epitome of romance.
And this place is also quite romantic, and the atmosphere there fascinated me so much that I would like to tell you a little about it today.

Villa Borghese

The small lake is located in Rome and belongs to Villa Borghese. But Villa Borghese is not a villa at all, as one might initially assume. Because “Villa” is the Italian word for city park. This is located directly north of the center of the city and is hard to miss on the map. It is valid at 5 km2 as one of the most beautiful green spaces in the city. It not only contains some temples and fountains, but also a zoo and a museum with an art collection worth seeing. And of course the little lake I spoke about at the beginning.

After walking around Rome all day and exploring the many churches, squares, obelisks and other sights, you'll probably want to rest a bit. At least that's how my family and I felt when we visited Rome a few weeks ago. So we headed to Villa Borghese to get some nature and relax. But the park is not only popular with tourists - the Romans themselves also like to spend their free time there.

SOURCE: VILLABORGHESETOURS.COM

History

The current complex was once the estate of the noble Borghese family at the beginning of the 17th century. There were stables, gardens, vineyards and enclosures with rare animals. Water games also took place there. Cardinal Borghese opened the park to the public back then. He was a passionate art collector, and his private collection can now be seen in the park's own museum, the Galleria Borghese. After the cardinal's death, his heirs had the estate converted into an English garden at the end of the 18th century, giving the park its current appearance.

View over the city

The park has several entrances, but most visitors probably head to Villa Borghese via the directly adjacent Piazza del Popolo. From there you climb a few steps to the Pincio hill, on which the park is built. Due to this elevated location, a wonderful panorama stretches out in front of you. From there you can not only see the Piazza del Popolo, but also St. Peter's Basilica and some of Rome's other sights across the old town.

Lake of Villa Borghese

Of course the park has some nice corners and it is definitely worth exploring the entire park. But one part that you definitely shouldn't miss is the artificial lake Laghetto di Villa Borghese, which reminded me so much of the scene from “The Notebook”.

On a small island on the lake there is a temple of Asclepius, dedicated to the god of healing. Inhabitants of the lake are not only ducks and geese, but also many small turtles that can be spotted in every corner of the lake.

And if you want to get even more “The Notebook” feeling, you can rent a rowing boat and explore the lake. 

If you want to get more travel tips or learn something about healthy eating, mindfulness or sustainability, take a look here over.