10 things to do in Rome in April

April is one of the most eagerly awaited months in Rome, a metropolis with thousands of things to see and do. After the cold and frost of the winter season, spring and the longed-for good weather (or almost) are knocking at the door of this imperial city.

Rome's Holy Week is celebrated (which is even noticeable on the palates), the parks bloom and the terraces recover their usual pulse and bustle. So that you can enjoy the Eternal City to the full, in this article I'll tell you the 10 best things you can do during this month. Check it out!

Living Holy Week in Rome is one of those experiences that you should have at least once in your life. Do you like the idea? Then take a look at this article in which I explain how to get tickets for Holy Week in the Eternal City and the main events taking place.

For your peace of mind, you should know that attendance to the religious events of Holy Week in Rome is completely free, however you will need to get a ticket in advance. Keep in mind that thousands of believers want to attend this unique celebration!

And if you are looking for more religious activities, I recommend you book tickets to the Papal Audience at the Vatican. It's not usually easy, but this ticket is the easiest way to do it.

The most important religious events during Holy Week

• The celebration begins on Palm Sunday
• Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ.
• On Good Friday, the Stations of the Cross take place.
• Holy Saturday is a day of silence and meditation.
• Easter Sunday and Christ's resurrection

Every year, on the weekend closest to 21 April, the anniversary of the founding of the Italian capital is celebrated: the Natale di Roma.

At this event you will find a parade of thousands of men decked out with spears and shields for the occasion. The women, meanwhile, wear flattering tunics and elaborate flower crowns on their heads. Not a detail is missing!

At this festival you will relive the wars between the Roman battalions, you will see the spectacle of fire and the historical re-enactments in the Circus Maximus and the Roman Forum. It's so real! In addition, the programme includes dancing, fireworks and shows all over the city.

Can you think of a better plan for your holiday than sampling local produce? For me, as a good foodie, it doesn't get any better than this. The Romanesco Artichoke Festival has been held annually since 1950 in Ladispoli, and is a national fair dedicated to this foodstuff.

For three days, the city of Ladispoli sets up an exhibition in the streets and welcomes 100 stands including associations, producers and artists. Yes, you read that right. At this fair you will also meet artists and their works of art, such as animal sculptures, created with this unique plant.

The festival is preceded by a gastronomic event: the 'Gastronomic Bi-Week', an initiative in which the best restaurants in the town offer different fixed-price menus based exclusively on artichokes. And if you're left wanting more you can always book a gastronomic tour of Rome

One of my favourite pastimes was to sit on the terraces of Rome and watch the hustle and bustle of its streets, taking advantage of the pleasant temperatures this month. In other words, I gave myself over completely to "dolce far niente", the pleasure of doing nothing. Does this plan sound great to you too?

My favourite neighbourhood for this is the district of Trastevere, a charming suburb with lots of things to see and do. In this post I leave you a guide to eat in Trastevere based on pastas, pizzas and lots of signature food. You'll want to take the Italian nonas home with you!

But, besides relaxing, I also recommend you to book a tour of Trastevere and get to know all its history and secrets.

Despite the good weather in April, it is still low season in Rome, except for Easter. Therefore, it is one of the best times to explore the Villa Borghese Gardens at your leisure and without the crowds of other busier periods.

The spring light envelops it in beautiful colours! This is the green heart of the metropolis and one of the largest urban parks in Europe. It is to Rome what Central Park is to New York.

Here, nature and works of art come together to create dreamy corners. You can walk around it or book a Segway tour of Villa Borghese to be a little more agile, as the site is quite large.

Spring is the best season to visit Rome and other must-see cities in Italy. So if you have time and you're spending at least a week in the Italian capital in April, I recommend you save a day of your holiday to book an excursion to Florence.

Ideally, time your trip to this cradle of art to coincide with Easter Sunday, when the Scoppio del carro festival takes place. It is a tradition that has been celebrated since the 11th century in honour of Pazzini de Pazi, who dedicated himself to keeping the fire burning on a holy Saturday.

On Easter morning a traditional parade takes place with a cart pulled by a pair of white oxen with garlands that leaves from Piazza del Prado escorted by soldiers and musicians until it reaches Piazza Duomo, where the fireworks on the wagon are lit, representing the sacred fire.

If you find yourself in the Eternal City at the end of April, you can attend Liberation Day, which has been celebrated every year on 25 April since 1946 and is a bank holiday in the country.

It commemorates the liberation of Italy from the Fascist regime and Nazism after the Second World War. Every year since then, public events have been organised in memory of this landmark event in Italy's history.

Among the events on the programme is the solemn tribute at the tomb of the unknown soldier, located at the monument to Victor Emmanuel II, where a laurel wreath is laid in memory of the fallen and the Italians who disappeared in the wars. It will make your hair stand on end!

Nuria's Traveller Tip

Please note that as it is a bank holiday, many tourist attractions and some shops may be closed to the public on this day.

Piazza di Spagna is one of the most elegant and magical places in Rome. Its majestic staircase makes this corner one of the busiest and liveliest spots in the city. Every year between March and April, depending on the year, the square is decked out to celebrate the Spring Festival.

This celebration fills the steps of the square with thousands of white, pink and violet azaleas. And if you're too tired after a day of sightseeing, you can take the lift to the top for a breathtaking view.

Nuria's Traveller Tip

Relax in the literary café Greco, opened in 1760 and considered the oldest in the city, it's full of memorabilia from great writers such as Maria Zambrano!

Every year at Easter, the Bompiani patisserie (Via Largo Benedetto Bompiani, 8) exhibits its 'chocolate sculptures', created by its master pastry chef and chocolatier Walter Musco, an artist who fuses food and art.

In recent years, the Roman patisserie has paid tribute to the most famous fashion designers of our time with a display of 50 chocolate eggs inspired by Chanel, Balenciaga, Dior, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana, among other big names in haute couture.

You don't have to fly all the way to Japan to see the cherry blossom. One of the most beautiful sights I immortalised in Rome in April was the scenery at EUR Lake Park, one of the best parks in the Eternal City. By the way, access is free!

From mid-March in Rome until the end of April in Rome, the Sakura cherry trees, which were donated by Tokyo to Rome, begin to sprout in this garden. It is one of the secret corners that you can discover in the Eternal City.

In this month Mother Nature gives us the gift of her marvellous blossom and the possibility of practising Hanami, the art of observing these trees. A good plan is to have a picnic under the Sakura trees in bloom, as in Japan, and enjoy the first rays of spring sunshine.

The best thing about spring in Rome is that there are more daylight hours and temperatures are very pleasant, which invites you to spend more hours than in winter in Rome in the streets and stroll around its picturesque neighbourhoods.

In general, the highs are as high as 19°C and the lows are around 9°C. Fortunately, there are many sunny and warm days in this month.

However, the saying "Aprile non ti scoprire" (don't undress yet) is absolutely true. So I advise you to take a thin coat and an umbrella just in case, as it usually rains for about 8 days.

If you're a savvy traveller, April is one of the best months for a budget trip to Rome, when you'll enjoy milder temperatures than in winter.

In this article I'll tell you the keys to organising your trip to Rome and how to get super-cheap flights using a few little tricks. I'll summarise them below:

• Use search engines like Skyscanner.
• If you can, be flexible with your dates.
• Always use the incognito profile so you don't get a price hike.
• The best time to search for flights is lunchtime, when there is less demand. Avoid searching on weekends and evenings!