Cultural information on Chile
Sightseeing in Santiago
For a full day:
The best starting-point is the Plaza de Armas, in the colonial period and still today the heart of the city with its roughly 6 million inhabitants (i.e. more than a third of the entire population of Chile). With its plane trees it gives you the impression of an oasis. Here are also the Cathedral and the Palacio de la Real Audiencia (with a historical museum) and the Casa Colorada, a building from colonial times with the city museum. A short detour to the north takes us to the Mercado Central, which is worth seeing, particularly for its glass- and steel- construction manufactured in England in the late 19th century.
The Paseo Ahumada (main shopping street, pedestrian area) links the Plaza de Armas to the south with the Avenida Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins. From here it is not far to the Palacio de la Moneda, the presidential palace built in 1805 (in
1973 the scene of General Pinochet’s coup d’état against President Allende). A bit further east we get to the baroque Iglesia San Francisco with a convent and a colonial museum.
In the afternoon
By taxi we reach the bottom station of the «Funicular» which takes us to Santiago’s local mountain, the Cerro Cristobal, 800m above sea-level, with its 14m statue of the Virgin Mary. From here we have a splendid view of the city and – with good visibility – of the snow-capped Andes. Then we walk down to the elegant Providentia District with boutiques and antique shops, as far as Banquedano metro station. Then further out of the city by line 1 to the final station Esquela Militar. After a short taxi ride we reach the post-colonial museum village El Pueblito de los Dominicos/Artesana with its numerous arts and crafts shops. This is an absolute must for those who want to get to know more about Chile’s cultural diversity!
