Let's take a break from Belgrade and go to another country. For example, Rome, because it is home to the even more interesting state of Vatican City. Vatican City is a state within a state, but not only is it special in that way, but it is also special in that it is the smallest state in the world. Everything is close by, the size of a large village, and there is a street where only embassy buildings are located. It is also home to, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful museums in the world. I visited it for you. But of course, a photo and seeing it with your own eyes are two different things, so I recommend you visit the Vatican and its museum.

A full day should be set aside for visiting the Vatican and the museums. You need to buy museum tickets at least a month before your trip. The price for the museum with a guide is around 50e per person, we had to go with a guide because we bought the tickets later, so I'm telling you if you want a better deal you have to buy them earlier. Now that you know what you need for the visit, go on a virtual visit with me, and assess whether it's worth it for you to go, but I highly recommend that you go. I've included a few photos :D, I'm not going to show you everything so that you have something to look at.

Let's go on a museum tour

As you can see, the museum is packed with people, how could it not be when it is truly beautiful, I am not exaggerating when I say that it is incredible. And the numbers say so, about 30,000 people visit this museum every day, making it the second most visited museum in the whole world. I honestly thought it was the first, but that place is taken by the Louvre, I am getting ready to go to Paris.

As soon as I stepped into the museum, apart from the number of people, I was amazed at how decorated it was, at every step, every centimeter of this museum they have some frescoes, the ceilings are drawn, drawings or frescoes, I don't know what they are called, help me in the comments :D. But every ceiling has something unusual about it, which you will see later in the post, if there is no photo then there is something even crazier on the ceiling, they made figures on the ceiling, and you will see how much detail they went into.

Besides the incredible drawings, statues, figures, and various pieces of art, I came across this incredible view of Rome. The view is incredible, you have to agree, it fits in with the whole ambience of the museum.

As I said, the ceilings are incredible, it may sound funny when I say it, but when you see it with your own eyes, it's amazing, my eyes were wide open the whole time, I could barely blink so I wouldn't miss anything, because there's so much to see, I took videos, and a million photos so I could look at everything and admire it again. I'm starting to digress. But you see how this ceiling, unlike the others, has a hole in it. That hole has to do with the fact that when it rains, it creates a special phenomenon where raindrops scatter and form a cloud inside the building itself, in this case, water collects in this huge saucer that is located in the middle of this space. That huge bowl in which rainwater is collected is surrounded by various statues of Roman rulers and heroes.

At every step of this museum, you will see interesting statues, figures and pieces of art, some of which certainly had some use, and some are pieces of art. But today it is all art that is very well preserved and very well protected because every corner is covered by video surveillance and there is security at every step.

I was interested in this carpet, although it doesn't seem that big, believe it or not, one carpet is about 50 square meters. Each carpet is handmade and there is an entire corridor that is about 200m long, on the left and right side there are carpets ranging in size from 30 to 50 square meters. This is one of many, as I said, I won't show you so that you have something to visit.

Just as there is a hallway that has giant carpets along its entire length, there is also a hallway that has giant handmade maps along its entire length, like the map of our world once looked like. That hallway had a ceiling decorated with various paintings along its entire length. Honestly impressive, I don't know where they got so much inspiration to create so many photos :D

Sistine Chapel

I intentionally left the Sistine Chapel for last, last but not least. You know what they say, "save the best for last."

If there is a place that leaves you breathless, it is certainly the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. This magnificent building is not only a religious shrine but also one of the greatest artistic achievements of all time. Anyone who steps inside feels the power of history and the genius of the artists who decorated it.

The chapel was built in the 15th century by order of Pope Sixtus IV, after whom it was named. However, what makes it truly special are the frescoes that cover its walls and ceiling. The most famous among the artists who worked on it is, of course, Michelangelo. His masterpieces, such as The Creation of Adam and The Last Judgment, still attract millions of visitors a year.

The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is something that cannot be described in words - it is a combination of art, philosophy and spirituality. Michelangelo spent four years painting this masterpiece, lying on his back on scaffolding, under constant tension and physical exertion. When he finally finished, he created one of the most famous works of art in human history.

Another masterpiece is located on the altar wall - "The Last Judgment", a fresco depicting an apocalyptic vision of the last judgment. This painting caused admiration, but also controversy, because Michelangelo's figures were so realistic and expressive that some considered them too bold for the time.

Today, the Sistine Chapel is not just a tourist attraction – it is still the place where the cardinals choose the new pope during the conclave. When the doors of the chapel are closed and the smoke from the chimney shows a white color, the world knows that a new head of the Catholic Church has been elected.

Whoever finds himself in Rome, a visit to the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel is something that should not be missed. It's not just art - it's an experience that changes the way we look at human creativity and faith.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and that you had a break from touring Belgrade. All the information I provided in this post can be found online.

About museum tickets again

If you are planning a visit to the museum, be sure to buy your tickets in advance, the earlier the better. What benefits do you receive?

• you avoid crowds and hours of waiting in line
• tickets are a lot of cheaper if you buy it in advance
• buy them online and choose your own departure time

Buy them on a verified website like the Vatican Museum website, it's the only website I recommend.