Ourense is a city of about 100,000 people, so it has the feeling of a bustling city but on a much smaller scale. As is the case in almost all cities in Spain, there is a casco viejo, an older part of the city, where you can find the major plaza, the cathedral, and other beautiful buildings made of old stone. As the city has grown and expanded over the centuries, it has spread far beyond the casco viejo. The streets within the casco viejo are much narrower and made of stone, while the surrounding area has wider, more modern streets. Since it is not a necessity to be able to drive, Spaniards have to be 18 years old to get a driver's license.
Most people walk around the city, especially within the casco viejo where the streets are very narrow and there isn't any space to park. However, in the rest of the city, public buses and cars are very common. Most people walk when going somewhere close by, but almost all families own a car for when they want to travel further away. It's also very common to see public buses come barreling down the street just to arrive at a screeching stop at a bus stop at every other street corner. When people want to go to other big cities, they either drive or take the train.
