Uraguay has many attractions and places of interest for visitors to explore and learn about the country’s history and culture. The capital, Montevideo, has places to captivate the imagination as well as the beaches that tourists can relax and take in the sun.
The ciudad vieja, the old city, starts at the Plaza Independencia and ends towards the port. Visitors will find Spanish and Italian buildings here and it is a popular place to visit day and night. During the day you will find artists and craft people selling their wares and at night the cafes, pubs and discos open, making the Plaza the ideal place for people to gather and meet up.
In the ciudad vieja visitors can enjoy the old world charm of the blend of Spanish, Italian and Art Deco architecture. The area has iron gates and old fashioned street lamps, containing many antique shops, restaurants and attractions. Visitors can tour the Cabildo and the Iglesia Matriz, built in 1799. Also of the Plaza Independencia visitors will also find the Museo Historico Nacional and the Museo del Gaucho y la Moneda where they can view unique objects and artefacts from the Uraguayan Gauchos. Mercado del Puerto is a lively spot where visitors will find lots of restaurants to sample local fare and artists.
Plaza Independencia visitors here will see some impressive architecture, including Montevideo’s best known landmark the Palacio Salvo which looms over the Plaza. This structure is a massive Italian edifice designed by Mario Palanti, an Italian architect living in Buenos Aires. This edifice was built 1925 on the site where Gerardo Matos Rodriguez is meant to have written the first tango in 1917. Visitors will also find a statue of Uraguay’s national hero General Artigas with its 26 floors.
The Museo Historico Nacional will provide visitors with a glimpse into Uraguay’s past, spread amongst four different historic houses. Most of the restored homes housed at some time Uraguay’s military leaders and politicians. The museo Romantic holding paintings and antiques, the Casa Rivera, the Casa Garibaldi the house of the famous Navy commander in the mid 1880s. The main section of the Museo Historico is topped by an octagonal cupola and was once the home of Fructuoso Rivera, Uraguay’s first president. The museum’s collections traces the history of Uraguay from before it’s colonization to the mid 20th Century.
Museo del Gaucho y de la Moneda celebrates the Uraguayan cowboy, chronicling the history and lifestyle of the gaucho. It contains artefacts and has many interesting educational displays.
Iglesia Matriz is the city’s oldest public structure dating back to 1804 and is located near the Plaza Constitucion. Here visitors can tour the church that contains the remains of politicians and religious leaders of Uraguay. Domed bell towers grace the top of the building.
Finally visitors will enjoy the rambla with its white sand beaches that run the length of it and reaches from the ciudad vieja to the trendy Carasco neighbourhood.
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