This is as essential to your experience as learning about the history, art, and architecture. The centro storico is the focus of the city. It's great to walk the old streets, narrow and picturesque, shop-lined and filled with people taking a passeggiata. But walking is often a challenge as pedestrians compete with cars, buses, vespas, and mopeds, in a vibrant, noisy and congested atmosphere. Everything is on a small scale and close together.
Stores are tiny.
You will find more small piazzas than large parks, few public gardens but many outdoor fruit and vegetable stands and open-air markets. Personal Safety for Women Foreign women get a lot of unwanted attention from Italian men. Most of the time there is no harm intended, it is just annoying. We recommend that you stay in groups of three or more late at night. Adopt an Italian mode of bearing and appearance - do not acknowledge attempts to get your attention.