Suspended between antiquity and modernity the area of Ostia Lido is full of attractions and places to enjoy unforgettable experiences: from good food to windsurfing, from a stroll through history to relaxing on the beach.
Ostia, Rome’s “gateway to the Mediterranean,” is the place where Romans traditionally escape to find refreshment on the beaches during torrid summer days or eat a good seafood dish by the sea on winter Sundays, which can provide warm weather and spectacular sunsets here. But Ostia offers much more than that, and staying at the Lido is certainly a viable alternative for those wishing to visit Rome, which is about 23 kilometers away and can be reached via the Roma-Lido train, in a decidedly more relaxing setting.
Founded ex novo at the beginning of the 20th century, Ostia is an almost unique case of particular interest in the Italian architectural and urban planning scene. In fact, the birth of the “marine” district makes it possible to analyze the transitional phase between an idea of a garden-city inspired by late 19th-century models and the instances of young planners inspired by European rationalism. Over the course of the 20th century this large neighborhood of Rome grew and today can be compared to a small city, with its restaurants, beach bars and discos, bathing establishments, stores and markets. From a naturalistic point of view, Ostia is home to the Castel Fusano pine forest (the largest green area in the capital) and the beaches of Capocotta (the largest free beach in Europe), where a variety of outdoor activities can be enjoyed, from jogging to biking and horseback riding to windsurfing and kitesurfing, ideal sports on this sandy and often windy coast. At the mouth of the Tiber River, where old taverns and brand new starred restaurants now coexist, a marina has recently been built that can accommodate up to 840 boats. The more traditional seafaring atmosphere can be relived in the delightful little fishermen’s village, overlooking the canal of the same name and dominated by the statue of St. Nicholas, which every year hosts a now famous festival dedicated to a typical product of “poor” cuisine: the tellina.
Finally, the proximity of the archaeological site of Ostia Antica and the adjacent Renaissance village complete the tourist offer of this area at once ancient and modern, just waiting to be rediscovered.