 | ||
| Guanajuato | ||
| State | Guanajuato | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 184.239 | |
other value for residents on Wikidata: 72237   | ||
| height | 2,045 m | |
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | ||
| location | ||
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Guanajuato is a city in central Mexico with approximately 184,239 inhabitants. It is the administrative seat of the Municipio Guanajuato and the capital of state of the same name.
Guanajuato is one of the legendary silver cities in Mexico, which established part of the Spanish wealth in the early modern period. The cityscape is characterized by a lot of architecture from colonial times, as well as narrow and winding streets. The city has been a World Heritage Site since 1988.
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background
The good agricultural conditions and mineral resources in the northern highlands attracted Spanish settlers early on, despite hostile Chichimecs. Cattle breeders may have settled in the Guanajuato Valley as early as 1539. The Taraskan name Guanajuato comes from a river of the same name and means frog hill. The first silver deposits were probably discovered in 1552 by a military patrol, which is why a small garrison was built two years later on the Cuarto Hill, also to secure the road coming from Mexico City.
In 1557, when parts of the largest mineral deposit, the San Barnabé vein, were finally discovered, a rush of prospectors and workers of indigenous descent began. In 1558 the Melado and Rayas mines went into operation. In 1559, the viceroy Perafán de Rivera installed as juez and superintendente of Guanajuato to settle disputes between local officials about the administrative sovereignty over the mining camp, which consists of scattered mines and ore mills. The community was now called Santa Fe y Real de Minas de Guanajuato. The garrison on Cuarto Hill served as the administrative center and was also important to ward off occasional attacks by the Chichimecs, which took place until they settled down in 1590. 1560–1565 the first church was built as part of the hospital area.
In 1570 Viceroy Martín Enríquez de Almansa counted around 600 Spanish mine owners. The following year he founded the city of Celaya in the Bajío, a fertile plain further south, to supply Guanajuato with agricultural products. In 1574 Celaya became alcaldía mayor, a municipality with its own administration. Around 1600 there were 4,000 people living in the settlement. On the one hand, further administrative buildings were built in the following period, on the other hand, silver mining fell due to exhausted deposits, flooded mines, lack of money and the chaotic mining methods, in which large parts of the ore mined were withheld from the hired graves. In 1639 there were only 85 Spanish landowners left. It was not until the Franciscan convent established in 1663 that a kind of town center emerged. In 1671 the construction of a large main church, today's Basílica Colegiata de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato, and a chapel began the following year. In October 1679, Guanajuato initially received provisional city status.
At the beginning of the 19th century, it was the third largest city in the western hemisphere after Havana and Mexico City with a population of 65,000.
getting there
By plane
The Del Bajío Airport
(IATA: BJX)Aeropuerto Internacional de Guanajuato is about 50 km northwest of Guanajuato near the city of Leon. There is no bus connection between the airport and the city of Guanajuato, so you have to resort to taxis, rental cars or a complicated connection with multiple changes with local intercity buses.
By bus
Is possible from Mexico City from the Central del Norte. These are high quality, air-conditioned coaches with reasonable prices.
The bus station is a few kilometers outside on Carretera 110 D. A city bus commutes from there to the city center.
In the street
By bicycle
mobility
Tourist Attractions
Churches, mosques, synagogues, temples
Castles, chateaus and palaces
Buildings
A building worth seeing from the middle of the 20th century is the Universidad de Guanajuato. There are also numerous churches from the colonial era - such as the cathedral at Plaza de la Paz - as well as several theaters, of which the Teatro Juarez, built by Antonio Rivas Mercado in the city center, is the best known. The folk hero El Pípila, who became famous during the struggle for the still well-preserved Alhóndiga de Granaditas, is commemorated by a large statue from 1939 on a hill above the city.
Monuments
Museums
- Museo de las Momias (Mummy museum))
- Alhóndiga de Granaditas
- Museo Casa Diego Riviera
- Don Quixote Museum
Streets and squares
Parks
various
activities
Events
The highlight of the year is the Festival Internacional Cervantino, a three-week festival that has been held every October since 1972 and is known as the Ventana Cultural de México (“Mexico's Cultural Window”). More than 2000 artists of the genres theater, opera, music and dance from all over the world perform here.
shop
kitchen
Mexican cuisine is characterized by the synthesis of mainly pre-Columbian and Spanish, but also French, Arabic and Caribbean traditions. Corn, beans, (mild) chilies, fruits and certain types of vegetables play a dominant role. There are various regional cuisines in Mexico that differ significantly from one another. In the north, the influence of Spanish cuisine predominates, while in the south the indigenous cuisine has been more preserved. Mexican cuisine is recognized as an intangible world heritage site.
Cheap
medium
Upscale
nightlife
accommodation
Cheap
medium
Upscale
Learn
Work
security
The city is relatively safe. It is well developed for tourism, albeit mainly by local Mexican tourism. Furthermore, there are no real slums like in Mexico City. There is a lively nightlife among the residents, so that you can move safely on the streets even at night. Prostitution is little if not nonexistent.
health
Practical advice
Do not walk into the higher-lying narrow streets at night!
trips
- San Miguel de Allende (approx. 1.5 hours)
- Leon (approx. 1h)
- Dolores Hidalgo (approx. 1.5 hours)
- Christo Rey statue (approx. 0.5h)
literature
Web links
- http://www.guanajuatocapital.gob.mx - Official website of Guanajuato
