Sightseeing in Bogota - what to see. Complete travel guide

Bogota is located on the western slope of the Cordillera, in a ditch much above the sea level. The city was initially founded on the bank of the Rio San Francisco River. Nowadays this river simply doesn’t exist. The climate in this country is moderate and in summer the temperature doesn’t raise above fifteen degrees by Celsius. In winter the temperature can fall down up to minus eleven degrees by Celsius. We should also mention that this city suffers from earthquakes very often due to its geographic location.

Sometimes it freezes in Bogota, but it snows rarely. You can see many trees and bushes on the territory of the city. Here also live pumas, jaguars, monkeys, porcupines, armadillo and other animals.

Bogota also has some architectural and historical sights. Among them is Caterdal Cathedral that was built in 1572-1610, and renovated in 1998. This cathedral is located on Plaza Bolivar. Also don’t forget to visit the President Palace as here you can see a picturesque ceremony of changing the guard.

Finally, we simply cannot fail to mention Santa Clara church and San Ignacio church. Tourists also like visiting “the hill of miracles” – it’s bright and truly fascinating.

There is the world famous Gold Museum in Bogota, which is unique cultural institution of its kind. This museum contains artwork and ornaments made of precious metal. All of them were made by Indian craftsmen back in the pre-Columbian era, there is no other museum like this in the world. Hundreds of rings, bracelets, gold masks, and various ritual attributes - these are just a part of the exhibits, which can be seen in this museum.  Copyright www.orangesmile.com

For those fond of exploring unusual, Carrera 3 street is the go to place. This street is considered to be one of the most colourful and creative places in the city, virtually all the buildings here are decorated with bright pictures or graffiti. This street has been long loved by the local artists; there are many bohemian cafes, there are art workshops and handicraft shops, and even more shops where you can buy jewellery and handmade accessories. It is here that tourists buy the popular national souvenir – hand crafted “mochila” handbags. 

For fans of unusual excursions the climb to the top of the mountain of Montserrat is worth suggesting, its height reaches 3150 meters and it is the highest point in the city. To get to the top of the mountain you can either travel by foot, or you can take the cable car. A great view of the city opens up from this mountain, here you can take great memorable photos. Tourists should take into account that it is almost always rainy on top of the mountain, so a raincoat or an umbrella are always handy. 

Nature lovers will be interested to visit the area of El Salitre, it is one of the greenest and most picturesque districts in the city. There are many beautiful parks, open-air sports grounds, and even a water park. It is here that a Jardin Botanico, the botanical garden is located. One of the most attractive places for picnic is considered to be Unidad Deportivo El Salitre park. 

Beautiful architectural sights can be admired in the neighbourhood of Chapinero, here is an old church of Nuestra Señora del Lourdes, as well as the popular theatre Libre. Many of the architectural monuments in the area were built in 19th - 20th centuries; there is a spectacular building of the National Capitol, and the National University of Colombia, which was opened back in 1867. In this picturesque historic district several prestigious hotels are also located.