Laghetto di EUR (EUR Lake)

An artificial lake at the centre of the EUR district — Mussolini's planned satellite city south of Rome — dug in the 1950s and surrounded by monumental Fascist-era architecture, including the Palazzo dello Sport (designed by Pier Luigi Nervi and Annibale Vitellozzi for the 1960 Rome Olympics). The lake is lined with weeping willows and Roman umbrella pines, with rowing boats available to hire and a pleasant promenade around the perimeter. On clear days the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (the Square Colosseum) is visible from the southern end. An entirely different Rome from the historic centre — serene, geometric, and less visited. The EUR neighbourhood is worth a half-day if you're interested in architecture, urban design, or 20th-century Italian history.