The Trastevere neighborhood offers a pleasant diversion from the heavily touristed historic center of Rome. It is largely residential, and characterized by narrow, cobbled streets, medieval-era structures, and a large university student population. As you explore Trastevere on this 3-hour tour you’ll find an impressive selection of restaurants, bars, and cafés that are frequented by locals. Explore the boutiques and studios for some unique gifts. Trastevere literally means beyond the Tiber, and it was originally connected to the main city of Rome by a tiny wooden bridge. Immigrants, mainly Jews and Syrians, arrived from the East and settled in the area. The center of public life in the neigbhorhood is the Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, a large square outside of the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere, one of the city's oldest churches and one of the most visited in Rome. Visit the site of Rome’s Jewish Ghetto, which is located near the Tiber in an area surrounded by today's Via del Portico d'Ottavia, Lungotevere dei Cenci, Via del Progresso, and Via di Santa Maria del Pianto. In Italian, the ghetto was called Serraglio delli Ebrei, which mean the enclosure of the Jews. See the Synagogue of Rome in what is today a charming area, known for its restaurants and some of the best food in Rome.