Barrio Concha y Toro is a tiny, anomalous neighbourhood of winding medieval-style streets in the heart of the Barrio República, built in the early 20th century by the Chilean architect Josué Smith Solar under the influence of the Viennese urban theorist Camillo Sitte, who argued against the monotony of grid plans. The result is a few blocks of narrow, curved streets and small plazas that feel nothing like the rest of Santiago — more like a corner of a European hill town than a South American city.
The neighbourhood is quiet and largely residential, with a few small cafés and galleries. It is worth a 30-minute detour for the architectural curiosity alone. The central fountain square is the point of orientation; the alleys radiate from it in unusually organic directions. It is an easy walk from the Toesca metro station.