A stroll down San Telmo’s cobblestone lanes is a lesson in history and culture as well as an opportunity to shop. Settled by Jesuits in 1748, the barrios fortunes have ebbed and flowed throughout the city’s history. San Telmo or Altos de San Pedro Telmo as it was originally called was occupied by the English during the Invasiones Inglesas and, as a result of a yellow fever epidemic, abandoned by the upper class in the early 1870s. For the next century, the barrio’s opulent mansions were converted into tenements and occupied by the city's new immigrants from Europe. In the 1960s, ateliers were established in the barrio creating the bohemian atmosphere that prevails today. Of the many colonial wonders scattered throughout the neighborhood, the La Casa Mínima is a must see. Visit the Pasaje de la Defensa, a colonial mansion that has been converted into a commercial gallery. And when the kids need a diversion, head to the picturesque Calle Balcarce with its bars, restaurants and tango salons. Visit the area on a Sunday and take in the city’s largest antique fair and souvenir market, Feria de San Telmo.