Villa Borghese

Eighty hectares of umbrella pines and gravel walks on the hill above the centre, and the easiest escape there is from a hot afternoon in Rome. Rent one of the four-wheeled pedal things by the lake if you have children with you, or row on it if you do not. The Pincio terrace at the south end looks straight down onto Piazza del Popolo, and the Galleria Borghese sits inside the park — book that one days ahead, not on the day.