old town

{{Other uses|Old Town (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}

File:Stralsund, Altstadt (2011-05-21) 4.JPG 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.]]

File:Porvoon tuomiokirkko Näsinmäeltä.JPG on the Porvoonjoki river, Finland]]

File:Cipro-Nicosia01.jpg in the background, in the walled city of Nicosia, Cyprus]]

File:Limassol uliczka.jpg, Cyprus]]

File:Verona_-_piazza_Erbe_from_Lamberti_tower.jpg, 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:

Africa

=Algeria=

=Egypt=

= Ethiopia =

  • Old Town of Harar, UNESCO World Heritage Site

= Ivory Coast =

= Kenya =

= Libya =

= Mali =

= Morocco=

= Niger =

  • Historic Center of Agadez, UNESCO World Heritage Site

= Senegal =

  • Historic Center of Saint-Louis, UNESCO World Heritage Site

=Tanzania/Zanzibar=

= Tunisia =

Asia and the Pacific

= Australia =

= Bangladesh =

= Cambodia =

= China =

== UNESCO World Heritage Sites ==

== East China ==

File:Bridge at Nanxi Street over Puhuitang River, Qibao (cropped).jpg

File:Ulička v Dali - panoramio.jpg

== Southwestern China ==

File:Old Town Kashgar Xinjiang China 新疆 喀什 老城 - panoramio (1).jpg

== Northwestern China ==

== South Central China ==

File:1 fenghuang ancient town hunan china 2.jpg

== Northeast China ==

=Fiji=

= India =

File:Jodhpur, India, Blue City.jpg

File:The Stadhuis of Jakarta Old Town, in North Jakarta.jpg

File:Komplek Keraton Kanoman.jpg

=Indonesia=

= Japan =

== UNESCO World Heritage Sites ==

== Chūbu ==

== Chūgoku ==

== Kansai ==

File:Narai-juku-facing-south-west-2019-Luka-Peternel.jpg

== Kantō ==

== Kyushu ==

== Shikoku ==

File:Ouchijuku town like Edo era - panoramio.jpg

  • Yokaichi Merchant District
  • Kasashima Port Town

== Tōhoku ==

= Malaysia =

File:Ipoh, Malaysia March 2023 90s Classic.jpg

= Myanmar =

= Nepal =

= New Zealand =

File:Oamaru Historic Precinct (1).jpg

= Pakistan =

=Philippines=

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

=Singapore=

=South Korea=

= Taiwan =

=Thailand=

=Uzbekistan=

=Vietnam=

Europe

= Austria =

{{main|Altstadt}}

File:Old Town Salzburg across the Salzach river.jpg

UNESCO World Heritage old towns in Austria:

Other notable/famous old towns include:

=Armenia=

File:Abovyan street Gyumri.jpg

= Albania =

File:Gjirokaster 2016-2017.jpg

= Azerbaijan =

File:Old houses in Ichery Sheher.jpg

=Belgium=

=Bosnia and Herzegovina=

= Bulgaria =

=Croatia=

= Czech Republic =

= Cyprus =

= Denmark =

= Estonia =

File:Raekoja plats 2.jpg

= Finland =

= France =

{{See also|Historical quarters of Paris}}File:(Albi) North views of the Ste Cécile Cathedral and the Old Bridge.jpg, a UNESCO World Heritage site]]

File:Besancon boucle Doubs.jpg 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 =

{{main|Altstadt}}

File:Regensburg-steinerne-Bruecke.jpg) of Regensburg in Bavaria, a World Heritage site]]

File:Aerial image of Lübeck (view from the southwest).jpg, aerial view]]

File:Quedlinburg asv2018-10 img11 Markt.jpg]]

File:Wittenberg,Luthers Hochzeit.jpg during Luthers Hochzeit festival]]

File:Dom R1.jpg]]

Other notable/famous old towns include:

= Greece =

File:20140418 corfu290.JPG

== Crete ==

== Attica ==

== Macedonia ==

== Thessaly ==

File:Athens Plaka07.jpg

== Thrace ==

== Epirus ==

== Peloponnese ==

File:Καστροπολιτεια μονεμβασιας.jpg

== Ionian Islands ==

== Aegan Islands ==

File:Houses in Mykonos.jpg

== Central Greece ==

= Italy =

File:Siena5.jpg]]

File:Forum_Romanum_Rom.jpg]]

File:Venice_as_seen_from_the_air_with_bridge_to_mainland.jpg as seen from the air]]

File:Urbino-palazzo_e_borgo.jpg]]

File:Genua - Piazza De Ferrari.jpg]]

File:Vernazza_-_view.jpg in Liguria, Italy]]

FIle:Assisi-skyline.jpg]]

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

Other notable old towns include:

= Latvia =

= Lithuania =

= Luxembourg =

= Montenegro =

= Moldova =

= Netherlands =

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

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 =

File:Poznan 10-2013 img10 Town hall.jpg]]

= Portugal =

= Romania =

= Russia =

== UNESCO World Heritage Sites ==

=== Central Federal District ===

File:Rostov Veliky panoramic crop.png

=== Volga Federal District ===

File:Ансамбль церкви Богоявления.jpg

=== Northwestern Federal District ===

File:Pskov asv07-2018 Kremlin aerial1.jpg

=== Southern Federal District ===

File:Астрахань Кремль 23 февраля 2017 01.jpg

=== North Caucasian Federal District ===

File:Vladikavkaz. Prospekt Mira (Mira avenue) PA201508 2575.jpg

=== Ural Federal District ===

File:Tobolsk Kremlin (February 2023) - 16.jpg

=== Siberian Federal District ===

File:Tomsk-Administration.jpg

  • 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 ===

File:Театр «Золотой Рог» (Приморский край, Владивосток, Алеутская улица, 20).JPG

= Serbia =

= Slovakia =

= Spain =

Other notable/famous old towns include:

= Sweden =

= Switzerland =

= Turkey =

== 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 ==

File:Şirince (5).jpg

== Central Anatolia Region ==

== Eastern Anatolia Region ==

File:Kale, Altındağ, Ankara (4).jpg

== Marmara Region ==

== Mediterranean Region ==

File:Mardin P1040555 20080424182114.JPG

== 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 =

File:2014-06 East Jerusalem 090 (14936890061).jpg of Jerusalem]]

=Lebanon=

= Saudi Arabia =

=Syria=

=Yemen=

= Iran =

File:Masuleh, Fuman County, Gilan Province, Iran.jpg

  • Historical Center in Yazd, UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Historical Center in Isfahan, UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Historical City of Masuleh
  • Historical City of Meybod
  • Old Abyaneh

= Iraq =

North America

=Canada=

== Quebec ==

== Other ==

  • Old Town Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Old Town, Toronto, Ontario{{cite web |url=http://www.seetorontonow.com/explore-neighbourhoods/old-town/ |publisher=Tourism Toronto |title=Neighbourhood: Old Town |access-date=September 6, 2016 |archive-date=18 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918085322/http://www.seetorontonow.com/explore-neighbourhoods/old-town |url-status=live }}
  • Old Town Victoria

= Cuba =

= Dominican Republic =

= Mexico =

{{Main|Pueblos Mágicos}}

= Panama =

= Puerto Rico =

= United States =

== California ==

==Florida==

== Maryland ==

== New Mexico ==

== New York ==

== Northeastern United States ==

==North Carolina==

==Tennessee==

==Virginia==

==Other US states==

South America

= Argentina =

= Brazil =

== Northeast ==

File:Salvador-CCBY10.jpg

== Center-West ==

== Southeast ==

File:Pátio do Colégio Centro de São Paulo.jpg (left) and surrounding historic buildings in São Paulo]]

== South ==

= Colombia =

= Ecuador =

= Uruguay =

Other uses

See also

{{Wikivoyage|Old towns}}

References

{{Reflist|30em}}