The old Spanish heart of Manila, Intramuros is the one part of the metropolis where you get a real sense of history. It was established in the 1570s and remains a monumental, if partially ruined, colonial relic, a city within a city, separated from the rest of Manila by its overgrown walls. It’s not a museum; plenty of government offices are still located here, and many of Manila’s poorest call the backstreets home. A good way to see it is by arranging a walking tour with Carlos Celdran. The nearest LRT station is Central Terminal, from where it’s a ten-minute walk to the walls and a little further to General Luna Street (also known as Calle Real del Palacio), the main drag.