Trastevere (neighbourhood)

Rome's most atmospheric neighbourhood — a tightly-woven medieval district across the Tiber from the historic centre, whose name literally means 'across the Tiber'. Trastevere has been continuously inhabited since antiquity and retains a village-like character almost unique in the city: narrow cobblestone alleys, ochre-coloured buildings with shuttered windows and ivy, laundry strung between floors, and neighbourhood cats sleeping on warm stone. The heart is Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, anchored by one of Rome's oldest churches. By day, Trastevere is calm and photogenic; by evening it becomes the city's most lively and social neighbourhood — a dense concentration of Rome's best trattorias, wine bars, craft beer pubs, and aperitivo spots. Self-described 'true Romans' have lived here for generations. Walk every alley you find.