Brief me on a place before I go

Background on somewhere you've never been, with the uncertain parts marked.

Give me a briefing on this place, written for someone who wants to arrive already understanding it.

Cover:
1. The shape of it: how the city or region is laid out, and which parts I will realistically spend time in.
2. What it is actually known for, as distinct from what it is marketed for.
3. The rhythm: when things open and close, when people eat, what happens on Sundays and public holidays, and how the season I am visiting changes things.
4. Two or three things visitors consistently get wrong.

Split your answer into **Durable** (geography, history, culture, general rhythms) and **Needs checking** (anything involving prices, timetables, hours, current works, safety conditions, or whether a specific business still exists). Do not blur the two. If you are unsure which side something belongs on, put it in Needs checking.

Place and travel dates:

Before you leave. Packing lists, place briefings split into durable and unverified, and what to ask a host first.