Via del Governo Vecchio (Street of the Old Government), Rome

Located near Piazza Navona, this cobbled street is the place to come to find unusual items you're not likely to find anywhere else in Rome. Home to several cute wine bars (Cul du Sac and Il Piccolo), Via del Governo Vecchio is packed with lovely shops – old and modern boutiques ranging from reasonable to splurge worthy, plus a good choice of vintage stores as well.

Among the latter are the true vintage treasure troves like Omero & Cecilia offering great value leather and other vintage items; Cinzia – specialized in clothing and homeware from the years gone by; Penny Lane, Civico 93, Arsenico 36 and Kolby (to name but a few) – offering upmarket fashions: leather brogues, stylish knitwear and sharp accessories. Also well-worth perusing, if you're keen on movies, are the shelves at Altroquando, an engaging bookshop specialized in cinema, straddling both sides of the street. Here you can buy screenplays, posters, etc.

A true asset of this street is that it is still unknown to tourists – ideal for a walk without chaos.