Since the end of the jubilee of Rome held in they year 2000, the majority of Rome, in cooperation with the Coast guard of Fiumicino, agreed that the river of Rome, the Tiber deserves more attention for its historical importance.

In fact since that year it has been inaugurated to the boat entrepeneurs the competition to apply for licenses and permissions to perform cruises on different parts of the tiber.

As many people do not know yet, not all the Tiber river is navigable, for the presence of marble steps, remains of old roman bridges and other hidden treasures like lead anchors.

It's so weird to see how Rome is no more noisy when you go down the travertine steps to join a cruise tour. In fact the white marble walls to protect the city of Rome against the floods from the Tiber river were built during the period of the unification of Italy at the end of the 19th century. These shields are long 6 miles and provide in assuring the security of the city against bad weather and insisting rain.

That Rome was indebted, if not for its origin, at any rate for its importance, to these commercial and strategical advantages of its position, there are accordingly numerous further indications, which are of very different weight from the statements of quasi-historical romances. Thence arose its very ancient relations with Caere, which was to Etruria what Rome was to Latium, and accordingly became Rome's most intimate neighbour and commercial ally. Thence arose the unusual importance of the bridge over the Tiber, and of bridge-building generally in the Roman commonwealth. In this sense, then, certainly Rome may have been, as the legend assumes, a creation rather than a growth, and the youngest rather than the oldest among the Latin cities.

The tiber is also the third biggest river of Italy after the Po and the Adige that flows in the romantic city of Verona.

The river of Rome has also a very important island, the Tiber Island ( isola Tiberina ) that has the shape of a boat because it remembers the transportation by boat of the sacred animal ( a snake ) and of the worship of the god of the healing Aesculapius from Greece in the IV century BC. The scholars says that this animal jumped off the boat and settled in the Island as signal for the Romans of the place where they had to built the sanctuary dedicated to the god of the healing.

Today this famous Island is connected to Rome with two roman bridges of the II century BC which allow pedestrians to cross very easily the side of the jewish synagogue with Trastevere.
Cruising the tiver river today means to visit three parts of Rome:

1- from Ponte Marconi to Ancient Ostia, famous roman colony and strategic salt harbor for the roman ships arriving from the mediterranean sea;

2- From Ponte Risorgimento until the Tiberina Island with the possibility to see also the bridge wanted by the same pope who built the sistine chapel, sistus IV

3- From ponte Umberto cruising to the northern districts of Rome, with the possibility to admire a wonderful panorama of the dome of saint peter's basilica designed by Michelangelo in the renaissance period.

About the Author

Cruising the Tiber river is a new deal in Rome for people who desire to visit the eternal city off the beaten paths. If you want to know more about the tiber river visit http://www.tiber-river.com

 

I'm not sure why on scenic train rides you can have a beer, but you can't on a bus. In any case, this is one of the reasons to take a train ride. Another reason is that they go where the roads don't, so you'll see scenery you miss when driving. Trains don't have to stop at traffic lights, and you can get up and walk around. Finally, trains are relaxing for all the reasons above AND the rythym of the rails.

Amtrak has scenic sections, and there are also numerous dinner trains operating around the United States now. However, the most scenic train rides are the classics. Below are a few to whet your appetite.

The Silverton-Durango Narrow Gage

I first caught this train far from any road. I was in the Weminuche Wilderness Area, next to a footbridge over the Animas river, where they stop if backpackers there flag them down. More recently, my wife and I took the train from Silverton to Durango. Wherever you catch this train, it will be an experience you won't forget.

It is a classic steam locomotive that goes through Colorado's San Juan Mountains, along the Animas river. At times you'll look out the window, over the edge, to the water hundreds of feet below. In Silverton you can eat good food, buy souvenirs, and see an old-west mining town that hasn't much with time.

La Nariz Del Diablo

Train rides on this line, which goes from Riobamba to Alausi, Ecuador, are scenic and adventurous. On our recent trip, my wife stayed inside, but I rode on the roof for the first half of the ride. Despite the occasional rain, there were twenty other travelers up there. I highly recommend you pay the dollar to rent a pillow to sit on. Your final destination is a valley with a view of a rock formation high above, called "La Nariz Del Diablo," or "The Devil's Nose."

Be careful of tree branches if you're on the roof, and be prepared for a five-hour ride. It starts in downtown Riobamba, in the highlands of the central Andes Mountains. You'll travel through "cloud forests" and finally down to a much warmer climate. Interestingly, the train descends some streches of track caboose-first. There's a lunch stop in one of the small mountain towns. When we took the train (May 2004), it was limited to 40 passengers, and tickets sold out quickly.

Agawa Canyon Railroad

One of the more scenic train rides in the north, starts and ends in Sault Saint Marie, Ontario, Canada, just over the border from Sault Saint Marie, Michigan. It's an all-day trip that goes through a rocky and heavily-wooded wilderness, along the Agawa River, to Agawa Canyon. At the canyon, you can have a picnic in a beautiful meadow, or just relax and enjoy the scenery, before reboarding for the return trip.

Autumn, when the maples have all changed color, is the most beautiful time to take the train. It's also the most difficult time to get tickets, so plan far ahead. The route is also run as the scenic "Snow Train," in winter.

The Thunder Mountain Line

Thunder Mountain Line has scenic train rides that take several routes in Idaho, starting from Horseshoe Bend and Cascade. Depending on the route you choose, you'll travel through dramatic narrow canyons, sagebrush-covered hills, mountain meadows, or pristine evergreen forests. The tracks follow the mountain trails settlers used a hundred years before. You may see deer, fox, elk, blue herons, osprey, and bald eagles. Rides vary from three to five hours, depending on the route.

Amtrak's Scenic Train Rides

The California Zephyr, Amtrak's train from Chicago to San Francisco, passes through the Rocky Mountains and the more beautiful (in my opinion) Sierra Nevadas. The Coast Starlight goes from Seattle to Los Angeles, with views of snow-covered mountains, thick forests, and long stretches of Pacific Ocean shoreline. Amtrak's Auto Train is a unique scenic train ride that allows you to take your car with you from Lorton, Viginia, to Florida.

About the Author

Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and Mexico alone at 17. Now 42, he travels with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. For travel stories, tips and a free Travel Secrets e-book, visit: http://www.EverythingAboutTravel.com