ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- That clip-clopping sound you hear in Old Town Alexandria? It's no longer George Washington's horses, but the sound of shoppers' shoes on cobblestone.

Old Town, one of the largest historic districts in the nation, has more than 4,000 structures deemed historic, with more than 200 dating to the 18th century. But on King Street, leading to the Potomac River, it's not only the storefront facades that draw gawkers. It's also the goods inside, an eclectic mix of old and modern, artsy and antique.

Visitors coming from Washington, D.C., can take the Metro and walk the 17 blocks to the river. Walk 17 blocks? Yes, because there's window shopping virtually the entire way. Although the area does have its share of chain stores, it has dozens of unique shops in historic buildings.

One of the first stops is The Hangar, selling aviation specialties, including clothes and toys. Rich Davis, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was shopping with his sons Alex, 12, and Nathan, 7, on a Saturday morning. Davis, a former Navy helicopter pilot, had taken them to the Smithsonian in Washington. ''Air and Space, naturally,'' he said. Alex walked out of the store with a classic WWII model airplane to piece together.

The boys probably would have skipped right over An American in Paris, a clothing boutique the owner describes as French and Italian with an American twist. ''I hand pick the hottest pieces,'' says Joelle Solimano, who was born in the south of France. ``They look very expensive, but they're not.''

It's like this on practically every block of King Street: Stores selling handmade kilim bags from Turkey; troll beads from Denmark; body products from Florence; Italian linens; ceramics and artwork from Portugal and Italy; pewter, mobiles, shawls and jewelry from Bolivia; art glass, masks and jewelry from American artists.

THE TIME MACHINE

The last cross street before the river is Union Street, home to Old Town Coffee, Tea and Spice. Cross the threshold and you'll find yourself back in time. Stacked to the ceiling are jars of loose tea, teapots made from china and glass, spices, flavored cocoas, imported chocolates and hard-to-find old-time candies.

The floor is uneven and creaky. You almost expect the clerk to come out wiping his hands on an apron, and weigh your purchases on a balance scale.

Down the street is the Torpedo Factory, built in 1918 to manufacture -- you guessed it -- torpedoes. Now, the nondescript brick building on the waterfront houses the studios of more than 160 sculptors, painters, potters, jewelry makers and other artists. Most of them sell their creations and some make them to order.

When your credit cards are maxed out, you still can walk around and enjoy the sense of history. The city government, residents and business owners have worked hard to restore and re-create the area's history.

Wandering around Old Town, on brick sidewalks or on the occasional authentic cobblestone, visitors gain a sense of the past. Gadsby's Tavern, for instance, gives a real taste of the late 1700s. It's actually two buildings, a tavern built in 1785 and a hotel built in 1792.

The tap room was the men's domain, too rough for women, with a lot of smoking and drinking and the occasional fight. A visit to the restored rooms gives a good sense of what life was like 220 years ago.

Back then, food was laid out in the main room -- there were no menus. Everything served was fresh that day, whether it was oysters and rockfish from the river or Virginia ham, salted so that it would keep without refrigeration.

The men who entered the tavern took a plate, heaped on the food, drank beer and hard cider made in nearby back yards, and spent a lot of time discussing the young nation and their chances of successful commerce.

WALKING TOURS

Elsewhere in Old Town, visitors can follow a self-guided walking tour of houses in Georgian and Federal styles, Greek Revival, Colonial and early American.

The city also has several remaining examples of ''flounder'' houses. These were erected cheaply and quickly: One side is built straight up with no windows, because glass was expensive. A steep roof pitches to the side that does have windows, or ''eyes,'' which made residents liken the buildings to a flounder, which has both eyes on one side of its face.

On Saturdays, a farmer's market in front of City Hall runs from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. It has been operating for about 250 years in essentially the same place.

Because it was a river port, Alexandria was easily reached by farmers bringing produce, livestock and, for some time, slaves to be sold. The city basically grew around the market. Today's vendors set out tables with fresh fruit and vegetables, homemade breads, jams, cakes and crafts.

Enhancing that sense of history, Alexandria also has one of the most active archaeological programs of any city. Its Archaeology Museum has 2 million artifacts collected from more than 150 archaeological sites in the city. In addition to seeing artifacts on exhibit, visitors can watch videos of some of the digs.

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