How were medieval towns different from your towns?

Answer 1

Modern cities in Europe still have the bits and parts of the older town. You can see these if you look carefully. Middle ages towns were with narrow streets, with buildings built up on both sides of the street. They were often built along waterways so they could use the water. Many times they centered outward from a church or plaza as the central part of town. There were the merchant areas where merchants lived over their shop and street names today reflect this history in many cities. Sometimes the buildings were so close and tall that they blocked the sun on the streets. Later, these areas are built over and become underground streets and a second level to the city. You can still see these today. Many cities have layers under them of history and if you are able to follow these down you can go as much as a 1000 years back.