After our trip through the amazing landscape in the west of Bolivia, we travelled east and north through three of Bolivia’s most important cities. After finishing the amazing three day 4×4 experience we went straight to Potosi. This was founded in 1545 when the Spanish discovered silver in the Cerro Rico, or “Rich Hill” behind the city.
It was a lovely city as it had a couple of beautiful main squares beside each other, with some great architecture. The main museum was the National Mint, which tells the story of why this city was so important to the Spanish, as it made all the coins and much of the silver for the Spanish Empire.
The rest of the city was quite pretty. Built on the side of a hill, it had some interesting buildings, including many with first floor enclosed balconies with ornate ironwork or wood. As it was the first town to be established in Bolivia it was considered an important place in Bolivian history, but the second city we travelled to is much more significant today.
We stayed in a nice hotel as a treat, and were amongst courtyards and underground dining rooms filled with lovely pieces of furniture and antiques. The main city museum was dedicated to Generals Bolivar and Sucre, who helped make Bolivia independent and were the first two presidents of the company. This was a place every Bolivian should go to, and helps understand the history of this landlocked country.
Sucre is technically the capital city, although La Paz is the de facto capital with the Executive and Legislature sitting there, whilst the Judiciary is based in Sucre. It is a beautiful, colonial city, which was where Bolivia declared its independence from Spain in 1825. The white-washed buildings and large squares make it quite imposing.
We enjoyed our stay in the genteel beauty of Sucre, and then moved on to the bustling city of La Paz. The entry to the city is spectacular, as the main road descends from a very high plateau at 4,000 metres down a winding road into the valley. Brown brick buildings cling to the cliffs on all sides, as you descend into a modern centre in a ribbon at the bottom. These brick buildings melt into the cliffs behind, giving a rather ethereal look to the city.
Even in the valley, the city has lots of hills which make great viewpoints. But these pail into insignificance compared to the series of ten gondola routes criss-crossing the city, and up the hills. From here you can see the city in all its glory, including the snow-capped mountains that surround it.
The city is about the size of Birmingham and has all sorts to see. La Paz gained independence from Spain in 1809, sixteen years before the rest of the country. The original cobbled streets around Calle Jaen still remain, with their museums dedicated to Bolivia’s history. Nearby is Murillo Square which contains the President’s Palace. On the other side of the town is the Witches Market, which still sells items for pre-Christian rituals, including llama foetuses.
The city has a lively centre, and some great neighbourhoods like Sopacachi, where we stayed. La Paz is a great city to walk around and has some lovely cafes and restaurants in which to wile away the time. In the three cities we have visited, we have learnt all about the history of the country, and all its complexities, and look forward to seeing some more of the rural delights Bolivia has to offer.
