Medieval towers nearly 700 years old pierce the sky of the Tuscan village of San Gimignano in northern Italy. From the moment you walk inside through a gateway in the old wall you feel magically transported into another time and place. Sometimes called a medieval Manhattan because of its ancient skyscrapers. The highest tower reaches 170 feet, and you can climb to the top of several of these towers. From there of course you get a splendid view of the old town and the beautiful countryside around it. We'll take you on a walk through the main lanes and little side alleys. It doesn't take very long – the village is so small it's just 700 meters from north to south, and about 350 meters from east to west, so you could walk it from top to bottom in 20 minutes, and yet there are many wonderful things to see. This proud resident of town likes to come out and walk her dog, show off this pretty little terrier, and draws a crowd because this dog has got some charisma. So often when you're traveling and visiting these historic sites it's the little surprises, the local touches that mean just as much or more than the history – always fun to run into these little unexpected bonuses. The tall gateway is the Arch of Becci that was formerly an entrance to the old medieval town, but then the town grew little bigger, they expanded the walls, and this arch became a passageway from the main lane into the central square of the Piazza della Cisterna.