For many visitors, taking a tour of the city means riding on a bus. But buses give off pollution, which may be a concern for you if you're the green-minded owner of a growers supplies store. They also cut you off from the sounds and smells of the city and you spend the entire time sitting down. Well, if you're visiting Austin, Texas, you'll be pleased to know there's an alternative way to tour the city - via walking tour.

The city of Austin designed its walking tours specifically to appeal to history buffs, since the area of downtown covered by the walk contains some of the oldest and most historically significant sites in the city. You can learn all about what life was like when the gold bullion prices plunged during the recession, or when brothers went to war with brothers during the civil war, or when Texas was a wild frontier. You'll also hear about more modern history, like its film festival and connection to country music.

Even if you wouldn't necessarily identify yourself as a history buff, you might enjoy the walking tour anyway. It gives you a chance to see the city at ground level. To touch things, smell them, and hear the ambient sounds of the city. You might smell some fantastic food at Orillia Catering and want to come back for lunch, or run into a local who can tell you about some great out-of-the-way places to go shopping. Walking tours connect you with the city much better than bus tours.

There are several different tours to choose from. There are two guided tours which are ideal for casepackers unfamiliar with the city: Sixth Street Historic District, and Bremond Block Historic District. Both leave from the south entrance of the Capitol Building. Sixth Street takes you to modern skyscrapers and historic opera houses and leaves at 9am Thursday to Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. The Bremond District is a Victorian residential district. That tour leaves at 11am Saturday and Sunday. Each one lasts about 90 minutes.

Tours are free of charge. To take a guided tour, simply book 48 hours in advance. You can do this on the city's tourism website, www.austintexas.org/visitors. There are also a number of self-guided walking tours you can do that will take you to parks, old neighborhoods, and cemeteries where people famous for song writing or building design keeled over. To take a self-guided tour, pick up the brochure at the Visitor's Center.