Practically at sea level, Lima has around ten million inhabitants. It is know as the City of King. Declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Lima was founded by the Spanish more than four centuries ago and its historic centre retains the beauty and charm of the colonial age, when it was the capital of the greatest and wealthiest viceroyalty on the contient.
Main attractions in Lima:-
Main Square- A beautiful open space bounded by the presidential palace, the archbishops palace, the cathedral, the municipality and the Club de la Union. The central fountain dates from the middle of 17th Century.
The Presidential Palace-The residence of President of Peru, it is also know as the Casa de Pizarro after the founder of Lima, Francisco Pizarro. Before that it was where the local ruler Taulichusco exercised power.
The Cathedral- The Cathedral church of Lima is almost as old as the city itself, although it was rebuilt and remodeled after earthquakes in 17th and 18th Centuries. The main façade contains statues of the apostles. A central niche contains a representation of the sacred heart of Jesus. Inside there are altars in the baroque, rococo and neoclassical styles; paintings and sculptures from 17th and 18th Centuries and carved wooden choir stalls that are a masterpiece of Hispano-American colonial art. During the week guided tours are available of the church which also houses the tombs of Francisco Pizarro and Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo.
Desamparados Station- Desamparados was the main railway station in Lima, from which a train to the highlands departs once a month. Today it is the seat of the “Peruvian Literature House”. El Cordano, one of Lima’s oldest bars (1905) can be found on the right hand side of the Presidential Palace.
San Francisco monastery – It was built by the Spanish in 1674, and it is considered the best example of the Baroque style of architecture in Lima. The central nave is known for its beautiful ceilings painted in a style called mudejar (a blend of Moorish and Spanish designs). The monastery has an immense collection of antique texts and colonial paintings, You can also visit the catacombs, the city's first cemetery, that contains the bones of some 75,000 people.
Other attractions in the historic centre of Lima includes La Muralla park, the Congress Building, La Merced church, San Pedro church, San Agustin church, Santo Domingo church, Chinatown and many colonial houses.
Museums- The national Archaeology and Anthropology Museum is the district of Pueblo Libre contains a marvelous exhibition of textiles, ceramics and mummies from the pre-Inca and Inca periods and colonial and republican art.
Very near you can find the Larco Museum and its large collection of the most representative pieces gold artefacts and jewellery of ancient Peru. Both museums are connected by a blue line of pedestrians to follow.
Several galleries of the Museo de la Nacion in San Borja contain Inca and pre-Inca representations, including a life-size replica of the famous tomb of the Lord of Spain.
The Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI), recently renewed, is the historic centre of the city and shows extraordinary exhibitions of Peruvian and international art.
Also the Museum of Mineralogy Andres del Castillo with a great collection of crystallized minerals, Chancay ceramics and precolombian textiles.
The Sala Museo Oro del Peru is composed of eight different rooms that display a priceless selection of Pre-Columbian artifacts made of gold, silver, copper and other different metals where you will get a rich understanding of the sacred value they hold, and the complexity of the ancient Peruvian metal-work.
Burial Mounds- Imposing archaeological monuments from pre-Inca times in the middle of modern Lima. The best, in the district of San isidro, is the Huaca. Huallamarca temples on the coast of Peru. Located in Miraflores, Huaca Pucllana is a ceremonial centre from the ancient Lima culture. Both have an on-site museum.
Miraflores and Barranco-Enjoy Lima’s nightlife in the modern pubs and discos of these two districts. Miraflores has some beautiful parks and squares as well as entertainment centres with a view of the sea.
In Barranco, Lima’s bohemian neighbourhood, the Bridge of Sighs is a favourite place for lovers and the nostalgic.
Pachacamac- It is the nearest archeological site from Lima located in the south, only 31 kilometres from the capital. Pachacamac was an important religious centre of the coast since more than 1000 years before the Inca empire. It was a complex of palaces and pyramid temples where people came to adore the Pachacamac God. Under the Inca reign, the site kept its importance and certain buildings were built at that time. When the Spanish arrived, Pachacamac was the religious centre and the largest city of the coast.
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