Old town

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Stralsund in Germany, an old town designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. European old towns are often recognizable by their density, small alleys and buildings of different eras. Stralsund, Altstadt (2011-05-21) 4.JPG
Stralsund in Germany, an old town designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. European old towns are often recognizable by their density, small alleys and buildings of different eras.
The medieval old town of Porvoo on the Porvoonjoki river, Finland Porvoon tuomiokirkko Nasinmaelta.JPG
The medieval old town of Porvoo on the Porvoonjoki river, Finland
Traditional houses, with the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Cross in the background, in the walled city of Nicosia, Cyprus Cipro-Nicosia01.jpg
Traditional houses, with the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Cross in the background, in the walled city of Nicosia, Cyprus
A street in the old town of Limassol, Cyprus Limassol uliczka.jpg
A street in the old town of Limassol, Cyprus
Historical centre of Verona, Italy Verona - piazza Erbe from Lamberti tower.jpg
Historical centre of Verona, Italy

In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on the periphery of the original settlement may have become the town's principal commercial and/or residential hub, leaving the historic "old town" as a secondary focus. There are many places throughout the world referred to as the old town (sometimes construed as a proper noun and capitalized). This is a list of some famous old towns:

Contents

Africa

Algeria

Côte d'Ivoire

Egypt

Ethiopia

Kenya

Libya

Mali

Morocco

Niger

Senegal

Tanzania/Zanzibar

Tunisia

Asia and the Pacific

Australia

Bangladesh

Old Town of Lijiang 1 lijiang old town 2012a.jpg
Old Town of Lijiang

China

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

East China

Old Town of Qibao Bridge at Nanxi Street over Puhuitang River, Qibao (cropped).jpg
Old Town of Qibao
Street in the Dali Ancient City Ulicka v Dali - panoramio.jpg
Street in the Dali Ancient City

Southwestern China

Street in the Old Town of Kashgar Old Town Kashgar Xinjiang China Xin Jiang Ke Shi Lao Cheng - panoramio (1).jpg
Street in the Old Town of Kashgar

Northwestern China

South Central China

Fenghuang Ancient Town 1 fenghuang ancient town hunan china 2.jpg
Fenghuang Ancient Town

Northeast China

Fiji

India

The Stadhuis is an old building in Jakarta Old Town The Stadhuis of Jakarta Old Town, in North Jakarta.jpg
The Stadhuis is an old building in Jakarta Old Town
Keraton Kanoman is one of the oldest buildings in the historic town of Cirebon Komplek Keraton Kanoman.jpg
Keraton Kanoman is one of the oldest buildings in the historic town of Cirebon

Indonesia

Japan

Old Kyoto Pedestrian road with pavements, paper umbrellas and people in yukata, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan.jpg
Old Kyoto

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Chūbu

Chūgoku

Kansai

Post town of Narai Narai-juku-facing-south-west-2019-Luka-Peternel.jpg
Post town of Narai

Kantō

Kyushu

Shikoku

View on Ouchijuku from above Ouchijuku town like Edo era - panoramio.jpg
View on Ouchijuku from above
  • Yokaichi Merchant District
  • Kasashima Port Town

Tōhoku

Malaysia

Old Town of Ipoh Ipoh, Malaysia March 2023 90s Classic.jpg
Old Town of Ipoh

Nepal

New Zealand

Oamaru historic district Oamaru Historic Precinct (1).jpg
Oamaru historic district

Pakistan

Philippines

Philippines as the former colony of Spain has numerous heritage structures, most notably in:

Singapore

South Korea

Old town (Bukchon Hanok Village) in Seoul Area west of Bukchon Hanok Village B.JPG
Old town (Bukchon Hanok Village) in Seoul

Taiwan

Thailand

Rank of Sino-Portuguese shophouses on both sides of the road in Phraeng Phuthon of Sam Phraeng within Rattanakosin Island PHRAENG PHUTHON - panoramio (1).jpg
Rank of Sino-Portuguese shophouses on both sides of the road in Phraeng Phuthon of Sam Phraeng within Rattanakosin Island

Uzbekistan

Vietnam

Europe

Austria

Old Town Salzburg across the Salzach river Old Town Salzburg across the Salzach river.jpg
Old Town Salzburg across the Salzach river

UNESCO World Heritage old towns in Austria:

Other notable/famous old towns include:

Armenia

Abovyan street in the Old Town of Gyumri Abovyan street Gyumri.jpg
Abovyan street in the Old Town of Gyumri

Albania

A view of Gjirokaster Gjirokaster 2016-2017.jpg
A view of Gjirokaster

Azerbaijan

Old houses in the Inner city of Baku Old houses in Ichery Sheher.jpg
Old houses in the Inner city of Baku

Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria

Croatia

Czech Republic

Cyprus

Denmark

Estonia

Town Hall square in the Old Town of Tallinn Raekoja plats 2.jpg
Town Hall square in the Old Town of Tallinn

Finland

France

The Old Town of Albi, a UNESCO World Heritage site (Albi) North views of the Ste Cecile Cathedral and the Old Bridge.jpg
The Old Town of Albi, a UNESCO World Heritage site
The old city of Besancon and the meander of the Doubs River Besancon boucle Doubs.jpg
The old city of Besançon and the meander of the Doubs River

The equivalent of "Old Town" in French is vieille ville, although the more formal centre historique ("historical center") is usually written on road signs.

UNESCO World Heritage old towns in France:

Other notable/famous old towns include:

Georgia

Germany

Old town (Altstadt) of Regensburg in Bavaria, a World Heritage site Regensburg-steinerne-Bruecke.jpg
Old town (Altstadt) of Regensburg in Bavaria, a World Heritage site
Hanseatic old town of Lubeck, aerial view Aerial image of Lubeck (view from the southwest).jpg
Hanseatic old town of Lübeck, aerial view
Old town of Quedlinburg Quedlinburg asv2018-10 img11 Markt.jpg
Old town of Quedlinburg
Wittenberg during Luthers Hochzeit festival Wittenberg,Luthers Hochzeit.jpg
Wittenberg during Luthers Hochzeit festival
Old town of Wurzburg Dom R1.jpg
Old town of Würzburg

Other notable/famous old towns include:

Greece

A street in the Old Town of Corfu 20140418 corfu290.JPG
A street in the Old Town of Corfu

Crete

Attica

Macedonia

Thessaly

A street in Plaka, Athens Athens Plaka07.jpg
A street in Plaka, Athens

Thrace

Epirus

Peloponnese

A view of Monemvasia from above Kastropoliteia monembasias.jpg
A view of Monemvasia from above

Ionian Islands

Aegan Islands

Street in Mykonos Houses in Mykonos.jpg
Street in Mykonos

Central Greece

Italy

Old town of Siena Siena5.jpg
Old town of Siena
Historic Centre of Rome Forum Romanum Rom.jpg
Historic Centre of Rome
Venice as seen from the air Venice as seen from the air with bridge to mainland.jpg
Venice as seen from the air
Old town of Urbino Urbino-palazzo e borgo.jpg
Old town of Urbino
Genoa Genua - Piazza De Ferrari.jpg
Genoa
Vernazza, one of the towns of Cinque Terre in Liguria, Italy Vernazza - view.jpg
Vernazza, one of the towns of Cinque Terre in Liguria, Italy
Skyline of Assisi Assisi-skyline.jpg
Skyline of Assisi

I Borghi più belli d'Italia is an association of small Italian towns of historical interest.

Other notable old towns include:

Kosovo

Latvia

Vecriga Vistas desde la iglesia de San Pedro, Riga, Letonia, 2012-08-07, DD 04 (cropped).JPG
Vecrīga

Lithuania

Montenegro

Netherlands

Canal houses in Amsterdam Colorful canal houses at golden hour in Damrak avenue Amsterdam the Netherlands.jpg
Canal houses in Amsterdam

The standard term for 'Old Town' in the Netherlands is "binnenstad", which translates as "innercity", i.e. in city on the inside of the city walls.

North Macedonia

Norway

Poland

Poznan Old Town Poznan 10-2013 img10 Town hall.jpg
Poznań Old Town

Portugal

Romania

Russia

The embankment along the Moyka river, St. Petersburg 4A7A3069 Moika, Saint Petersburg (35468573803).jpg
The embankment along the Moyka river, St. Petersburg

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Central Federal District
Overview of the Old Town of Rostov Rostov Veliky panoramic crop.png
Overview of the Old Town of Rostov
Volga Federal District
Street in the Old Town of Kazan Ansambl' tserkvi Bogoiavleniia.jpg
Street in the Old Town of Kazan
Northwestern Federal District
Ensemble of Pskov Kremlin Pskov asv07-2018 Kremlin aerial1.jpg
Ensemble of Pskov Kremlin
Southern Federal District
Astrakhan Kremlin Astrakhan' Kreml' 23 fevralia 2017 01.jpg
Astrakhan Kremlin
North Caucasian Federal District
Street in Vladikavkaz Vladikavkaz. Prospekt Mira (Mira avenue) PA201508 2575.jpg
Street in Vladikavkaz
Ural Federal District
Tobolsk Kremlin Tobolsk Kremlin (February 2023) - 16.jpg
Tobolsk Kremlin
Siberian Federal District
Historical center of Tomsk Tomsk-Administration.jpg
Historical center of Tomsk
  • Historic center of Tomsk, historic settlement of federal importance
  • Historic center of Irkutsk, historic settlement of federal importance
  • Historic center of Krasnoyarsk
  • Historic center of Omsk
  • Old Town of Yeniseysk, historic settlement of federal importance
Far Eastern Federal District
A street in Old Vladivostok Teatr <<Zolotoi Rog>> (Primorskii krai, Vladivostok, Aleutskaia ulitsa, 20).JPG
A street in Old Vladivostok

Serbia

Slovakia

Spain

Other notable/famous old towns include:

Sweden

Switzerland

Turkey

Old Town of Safranbolu, UNESCO World Heritage site 20180107 Safranbolu 1943 (39779017602).jpg
Old Town of Safranbolu, UNESCO World Heritage site

UNESCO

  • Istanbul, Historic Peninsula (Fatih district), UNESCO World Heritage site
  • Bursa, Historic city center, UNESCO World Heritage site
  • Cumalıkızık, UNESCO World Heritage site
  • Safranbolu, UNESCO World Heritage site

Aegan region

Black Sea Region

Old Sirince Sirince (5).jpg
Old Şirince

Central Anatolia Region

Eastern Anatolia Region

Old Houses in Ankara Kale, Altindag, Ankara (4).jpg
Old Houses in Ankara

Marmara Region

Mediterranean Region

An overview of the Old Town of Mardin Mardin P1040555 20080424182114.JPG
An overview of the Old Town of Mardin

Southeastern Anatolia Region

Ukraine

United Kingdom

England

Scotland

Wales

  • Holyhead Old Town, a townscape heritage conservation area with the best surviving Roman Fort in Wales

Overseas territories

Middle East

Israel and Palestine

Old City of Jerusalem 2014-06 East Jerusalem 090 (14936890061).jpg
Old City of Jerusalem

Lebanon

Saudi Arabia

Historic houses of Jeddah Jeddah (6573541511).jpg
Historic houses of Jeddah

Syria

Yemen

Old Town of Sana'a Bab-ul-Yemen, Sana'a (2286002741).jpg
Old Town of Sana'a

Iran

Overview of Masuleh Masuleh, Fuman County, Gilan Province, Iran.jpg
Overview of Masuleh

Iraq

North America

Canada

Quebec

Other

Cuba

Dominican Republic

Mexico

Panama

Puerto Rico

United States

California

Painted Ladies in San Francisco San Francisco (CA, USA), Painted Ladies -- 2022 -- 3055.jpg
Painted Ladies in San Francisco

Florida

Northeastern USA

North Carolina

Tennessee

Virginia

New Mexico

Other US states

South America

Argentina

Brazil

Northeast

Historic center of Salvador Salvador-CCBY10.jpg
Historic center of Salvador

Center-West

Southeast

Patio do Colegio (left) and surrounding historic buildings in Sao Paulo Patio do Colegio Centro de Sao Paulo.jpg
Pátio do Colégio (left) and surrounding historic buildings in São Paulo

South

Colombia

Ecuador

Uruguay

Other uses

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Staro jezgro Zrenjanina proglašeno za zaštićenu prostorno kulturno-istorijsku celinu". 17 June 2021. Archived from the original on 13 September 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  2. ↑ "Neighbourhood: Old Town". Tourism Toronto. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
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