5. Top of St. Peter’s Basilica- Perhaps the most spectacular view of Rome is from the top of the Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. There are 551 steps through narrow, spiral staircases to reach the top. From the top, you have a 360 degree view of the city and a bird’s-eye-view of the Vatican City. St. Peter’s Basilica is the highest point in Rome because architects and citizens believed that no building in the city should stand taller than the Basilica. St. Peter’s is the largest Catholic Church in the world.