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TRENTINO-ALTO ADIGE

Rome's night tourism experiment offers a model for the Alps

Eternal City opens sites after dark to beat heat and crowds

Klara Hofer342 wordsEdition88Wednesday, 19 August 2026 — Edition № 88

Rome is testing a new approach to tourism this summer: opening its museums, archaeological sites, parks and historic villas at night, according to France 24. The initiative is a direct response to the heatwaves that have scorched southern Europe and the crowds that saturate the capital's landmarks during the day, the outlet reported.

The night-time programme is being billed as a revolution in how visitors experience the Eternal City, with monuments, villas and historic residences illuminated after dark. The goal is to spread visitor pressure away from the peak daytime hours and offer a cooler, calmer alternative to the traditional sightseeing schedule.

For Trentino-Alto Adige, the experiment carries a particular resonance. The region's Dolomite landscapes and alpine resorts face the same twin pressures of summer heat and visitor congestion, though on a different scale from Rome's historic centre.

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