The walk from the Piazza di Spagna up to the Piazza del Popolo is one of the most fashionable shopping streets in Rome where one finds all the top brands from Chanel to Petit Bateau (the French upmarket infants shop). It is a small cobbled street still best pedestrianed in good walking shoes but at the end of the Via del Babuino, there is the 5-star Hotel de Russe as well as many outdoor cafes. You can also stop in Santa Maria del Popolo, built in the 11th Century on the site of Nero's family tomb, with its many beautiful works of art. Its feast day is July 9 so if you're a summer visitor, the church will be especially beautifully decorated. This square is directly below the Pincio Gardens, which offer a beautiful view over this part of the city (and worth climbing the hill for). The Pincio Gardens also lead into the Borghese Gardens if you've had enough of city streets and long for an idyllic green park.

I can't believe how you wanted to go there not once, (once is ok)..but twice? I understand different strokes for different folks. Im from New York City too, btw...and I feel that if you want to feel like the Romans did.. relive some history, etc- then there are more historical attractions than you can ever see just on a single trip. They are JUST STEPS with blah history.! Nothing happened there!!!! To rest your weary feet, and grab a gelato- yes, great. Anything more than that--well.. its over rated totally. I'd rather go see th Sistine Chapel or the Vatican museum 20 more times than go waste it on the STEPS! They were actually built by the French to make it easier to get to the french court. However, the Spanish embassy was at the bottom- and voila.. SPANISH STEPS!
However, ppl will always still want to see the Spanish Steps. Period! I did and ONLY because of reading reviews that you must see this place! But I would recommend seeing them as the last thing on your to do list- and only if you plan on just passing through there to get to another place!

I agree with most of the other posters in that the Spanish Steps are nothing spectacular, especially when you consider everything else that Rome has to offer. Granted, when we visited in March 2007 in was cold and rainy, so maybe on a beautiful day they'd have been a little better. But they are just steps.

Certainly don't plan to spend a lot of time here and don't sacrifice something like the Colosseum, Roman Forum or Borghese Gallery to see the steps. I understand if you must see them (I did despite the disappointed reviews on TA) but make them a "fly-by" location for something else, even if it is to catch the Metro at the Spagna station. There is nice, high-end shopping in the area which would have been o.k. to stroll past if the weather was nice and you had time to blow.

We were disappointed in the Spanish Steps but I'm not sure what you can really expect. There's no beauty here, but it appears to be a gathering/lolling place for people. Some atmosphere with chesnut sellers on street corners in the winter. All in all it just left us.. well. ..... wondering why we had used our precious time up to walk there. Having said that, we are all different and you just have to experience it.

Much better to spend the time up at the Borgess Villa park above the city which has wonderful views; or going to the coleseum.


Teesside
England.