Your Travel Experience with Galapagos PRO
Bogota city tour: Historic old town (half day)
You will visit the Plaza de Bolivar, where the statue of the liberator Simon Bolivar is located. This square, originally called Plaza Mayor, was used for civil and military purposes, e.g. as a marketplace and bullring.
The cathedral is located on the east side of the square. It was built on the site where Bogota's first church was erected in 1539 and houses an important collection of religious objects such as textiles and works of art that have been built up over more than four centuries. The Sagrario Chapel is located right next to the cathedral and is a jewel of religious architecture. The Capitol was built between 1847 and 1926 and is the first example of republican civil architecture. Around the Plaza de Bolívar are other buildings such as the Palace of Justice, the offices of the Bogotá Mayor's Office, the Edificio Liévano, the oldest school in the country and the Casa de los Comuneros (named after the leaders who fought for Colombian independence in the late 17th century).
The visit continues in the Botero Museum, an old colonial house where some of Fernando Botero's works and pieces from his personal collection are on display. Works of art by the master Fernando Botero and additional pieces from his collection, including works by Picasso, Renoir, Dali, Matisse, Monet and Giacometti.
The tour then continues to the Gold Museum, which houses a permanent exhibition of around 32,000 pieces of gold and 20,000 pieces of stone, ceramics and textiles; all jewelry from the Quimbaya, Calima, Tayrona, Sinú, Muisca, Tolima, Tumaco and Magdalena cultures. The Gold Museum is considered one of the most important museums of its kind in the world and has been open since 1939. In 2007, it was completely renovated to offer visitors an interactive museum experience.
NOTE: The Gold Museum is closed on Mondays and the Botero Museum is closed on Tuesdays.