guanajuato

Guanajuato is a fascinating town. Narrow streets, tunnels, and idyllic corners invite the visitor to stay.

The Plaza Allende lies amidst the old town of Guanajuato, and its colorful corners impress every visitor. Close by it is the Teatro Cervantes – a former hacienda of the 18th century, which was rebuilt in 1978 and today is the heart of the annual Festival Internacional Cervantino, one of the best-known theater and music festivals in Middle America. The birth of the festival in 1972 is commemorated by a monument appropriately showing Don Quixote of la Mancha and Sancho Panza.

Another point worth seeing is the Plazuela del Ropero where you will also find the birthplace of the El Charro singer Jorge Negrete. He made his mark not only as a singer, but also as an actor (e.g., in Luis Buñuel’s “Gran Casino” and in the interpretation of well-known mariachi songs) and is considered one of the most popular Mexican artists of all times.

The neoclassicist Teatro Juárez is one of the most beautiful buildings of Mexico. From its roof, the muses are watching over Guanajuato. Passing the large basilica of 1696 and the famous University of Guanajuato, the interested visitor reaches the main square of the town to admire the façades of the large town houses where, among other people, Alexander von Humboldt and the Count of Valenciana once lived. Visitors should then take the way to the underworld: Following the famous tunnel streets – old canals and remains of present Guanajuato’s predecessors, which were destroyed by floods – they finally reach the Callejón del Beso, the Kiss Lane, where they can listen to the legend of an unhappy love that was doomed to tragic failure. Via the picturesque Plazuela San Fernando and Plazuela San Roque, the visitor reaches the bustling Mercado Hidalgo. The market building in the style of late 19th-century French architecture was designed by Ernest Brunel, the steel was produced by Eiffel in Paris. The steady market bustle, the shouting of the market people, the many colors and fragrances in combination with the unique architecture – all this is an unforgettable snapshot of Mexico.

The church of San Cayetano, also called La Valenciana, is awaiting the visitor outside the town limits; red cedar wood, stuccowork, and an incredible amount of gold combine in three altars to a unique work of art in Churrigueresque style. Apart from visiting the inside and outside of this sumptuous church, going “below” the church is also recommended. The Valenciana mine, without which the splendor of the church above it would never have been possible, is open to visitors. Guided by a retired mine worker, they learn to know the formerly richest silver mine of Mexico, whose high-yield ores decisively supported the Spanish Empire and its colonies in the 18th and early 19th centuries.