Lima

The Peruvian capital, Lima, is an elegant, modern city of approximately 8 million inhabitants. Despite pollution and poverty on the one hand, and expansion of modern suburbs on the other hand, Lima still maintains much of its colonial past and splendour. The city of Lima was founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535 on the banks of the Río Rimac (the Rimac River), on the Peruvian Coast of the Pacific Ocean. The city – that used to be called The City of Kings – holds the seat of the Peruvian government and is the economical and industrial power house of Peru. Back in time, the charming Lima was considered the most beautiful city of South America by the Spanish conqusitadores in the 16th century. Visitors in Lima can still feel this charm, especially in the colonial city centre, recognized as a world heritage site by the UNESCO.

Lima offers some great tourist attractions and fun things to see, including national museums, colonial churches, beautiful plazas and diverse neighbourhoods. In the city centre of Lima – also called downtown Lima –you certainly don’t want to miss the churches of San Francisco – with the famous catacombs – Santo Domingo and La Merced. The Plaza de Armas or Plaza Mayor – the main square of Lima – and the Plaza San Martin are important historical places and well worth a visit. Other important tourist attractions in the city centre of Lima are the Cathedral, the Archbishops’ Palace, the Governmental Palace and the National Palace, among others.

Surrounding the central Plaza de Armas you can find many beautiful wooden balconies in colonial style. Most were built by the Spaniards in the 17th and 18th century. A well-known example is the Palacio Torre-Tagle. Among the interesting neighbourhoods to visit in Lima are the hip and modern Miraflores and Barranco Districts. An important and popular tour in Lima is the visit of the pre-Inca site Pachacamac, an astonishing temple 35 kilometres southeast of Lima next to the Pacific Ocean.