Littler squares that dare

CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA

Plaza de la Trinidad

A laid-back, welcoming square in the heart of the ancient city’s arty quarter. Full of bars, restaurants, music and popular with students and locals, families and visitors. You can even join a free Zumba class here every Sunday evening. A Colombian carnival of colour.

HAVANA, CUBA

Plaza de Armas

Not exactly the smallest or most secret square in the Cuban capital, Plaza de Armas trumps the showier Plaza de la Revolución for pure charm. Lined with booksellers and colonnaded colonial buildings, it’s the city’s oldest square, and probably its greenest. Filled with lush palms and native plants, it’s a birdsong-rich urban oasis.

KOTOR, MONTENEGRO

Pjaca od Dvar (Wood Plaza)

This quiet fountained space a few hundred metres from the Old Town Square – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – feels like a bit of a secret. Just off the Northern Gate, it’s the perfect, serene spot for a coffee, a rest and bit of cat communion – it’s a magnet for the town’s feline population. And so quiet you can almost hear the square’s VIP residents purring for their supper.

KRAKOW, POLAND

Maly Rynek (Little Market Square)

Krakow is tiny, and visitors will likely hit every one of its city squares on a walking tour. The most charming though is Maly Rynek aka Little Market Square. Quiet, colourful and grand at the same time. Easy to fall in love with.

ROME, ITALY

Piazza di Santa Maria

When in Rome, one must of course cruise past the Trevi Fountain for a baroque eyeful – if you can push past the crowds. But for the real beating heart of this city of cities, cross the river Tiber into the Trastevere quarter and let the heat from the sun-baked cobbles warm you into the shank end of the day, when this neighbourhood square comes alive around a pretty central stepped fountain against the backdrop of the Basilica Santa Maria and its looming tower. Restaurants stay busy well after dusk as people of all the ages stroll past on their evening passeggiata