Discover Vatican City

The largest church in Christendom impresses with its enormous scale and precious interior, including Michelangelo's famous Pietà. Climbing the dome rewards visitors with one of the most beautiful panoramic views over all of Rome.

Michelangelo's monumental ceiling fresco with the Creation of Adam and the vast fresco of the Last Judgment on the altar wall rank among the most important and admired artworks in human history — an unforgettable highlight of any visit.

One of the largest and most significant museum collections in the world unites works spanning millennia — from Egyptian antiquities through ancient sculptures to Renaissance masterpieces along kilometers of lavishly decorated galleries.

At just 0.44 square kilometers, Vatican City is the smallest sovereign state in the world and entirely surrounded by Rome — yet it maintains its own administration, post office, coinage and the historic Swiss Guard.

Vatican City sits in the middle of Rome and is conveniently reachable by metro (Line A, Ottaviano station) or on foot from the Roman city center — no separate journey is needed, as it's part of a stay in Rome.

St. Peter's Basilica itself is free to enter, but for the dome and the Vatican Museums including the Sistine Chapel, booking online in advance is recommended to avoid the often very long entrance queues.

The official languages of Vatican City are Italian and Latin, with Latin used mainly for official church documents. English is well understood everywhere in daily tourist life.

At about 0.44 square kilometers, Vatican City is the smallest state in the world — entirely surrounded by the city of Rome, yet a full-fledged sovereign state with its own institutions.