Vatican City


With a total area of 0.44 sqkm and just over 800 inhabitants, Vatican City is the world's smallest independent state.

The tiny city-state is the world center of Catholicism and most of its territory is an impressive museum. More than half of the surface is occupied by the beautiful Vatican Gardens. Impeccably kept and with a mythical feel to them, the Gardens are a must see and were one of my favorite experiences in Vatican City. You need to get a (very informative) guided tour for access to the gardens - buy your tickets online to save yourself time.

Continue with visits to the Sistine Chapel, beautifully painted by Michelangelo, and the Vatican Museums with the iconic Spiral Stairway and 6km of galleries. Your Vatican Gardens guided tour ticket will let you explore both sites on your own.

Saint Peter's Basilica is freely accessible and is spectacular in size, architecture and decorations (you can allegedly fit the entire Statue of Liberty below the main dome). The Basilica also includes the tomb of St. Peter. One cool experience is the climb to the top of the Basilica's cupola, don't miss it.

Read a detailed account of my trip to Vatican City here (a part of my series on Europe's Microstates)

Additional info:
- country entry on Wikipedia
- country profile on Wikivoyage

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Vatican

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