South of Plaza Mayor, Madrid

The areas south of Plaza Mayor have traditionally been tough, working-class districts, with tenement buildings thrown up to accommodate the huge expansion of the population in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In many places these old houses survive, huddled together in narrow streets, but the character of La Latina and Lavapiés has changed as their inhabitants, and the districts themselves, have become younger and more fashionable. The streets of Cava Baja and Cava Alta, for example, in La Latina, include some of the city's most fashionable bars and restaurants. These are attractive barrios to explore, particularly during the Sunday morning flea market, El Rastro, which takes place along and around the Ribera de Curtidores (Métro: La Latina or Tirso de Molina).

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