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The hollow-crowned tower of St Giles ' Cathedral presides over Parliament Square, the mid-point of Edinburgh's historic High Street. In its shadow, on the cobbled Royal Mile, street performers and Fringe acts strut their stuff in a daily feast of free entertainment; and it's here, down a side close, you'll find the central Fringe Box Office.

A short walk east along the Royal Mile, the no-less-impressive spire of the Tron Kirk marks the crossroads with North and South Bridges, a main artery for traffic and pedestrians heading south out of town. Behind the kirk, Hunter Square is another popular hang-out for street performers at Festival time; beyond, steeply-sloping Blair Street offers access to the Cowgate.

Heading west from St Giles brings you to the Lawnmarket. Here, a third spire - this time of the International Festival's Hub box office - towers over a cluster of small, atmospheric venues. C Too, across the road from the Hub, is one of the Fringe's most historic sites, while the quaint narrow alleyways off the Lawnmarket lead to tucked-away treasures at C Cubed and Diverse Attractions. Yet this is an area of contrasts: striking north from the Lawnmarket, you emerge onto the hillside beside Assembly Hall, perhaps the grandest and most visible venue of them all.