When the Spanish founded Mexico City in the 16th century, they built everything in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. In the historic center of the city are baroque monuments built from recycled pre-Columbian bricks, and next to the cathedral and the National Palace, the ruins of the Great Temple have been excavated. It sums up Mexico City as a fusion of European and indigenous cultures, which can be seen in the art of Frida Kahlo, who was born and died in Mexico City, and in the amazing murals of her husband, Diego Rivera.
The Palace of Fine Arts has Art Deco renderings of pre-Columbian motifs, and if you want to dig deeper into those historical roots, head straight to the National Museum of Anthropology and the monumental city of Teotihuacan, just outside the borders of Mexico City. He.
10 Top Things To Do In Mexico City Mexico
- National Anthropology Museum
- Frida Kahlo Museum
- Chapultepec Castle
- Bosque de Chapultepec
- Paseo de la Reforma
- Palacio de Bellas Artes
- Coyoacán
- Historic Centre
- Zócalo (Plaza de la Constitución)
- National Palace
National Anthropology Museum
The National Museum of Anthropology is the place to satisfy your interest in Mexico’s pre-Columbian culture with its rich collection of artifacts and anthropological exhibits spanning millennia. More than just a journey into Mexico’s past, the museum goes to the heart of contemporary Mexican identity and honors its indigenous people. There is in-depth information and artifacts (reliefs, statues, murals, and more) about every culture in pre-Hispanic Mexico, including the Olmecs, Mayas, and Aztecs.
Don’t miss the world-famous Aztec Sun Stone, a beautifully carved 20-ton calendar stone with an image of the sun god Tonatiu in the center. The museum is also a place to explore Tenochtitlan, the Aztec city that was demolished by the Spanish to make way for the modern capital.
Frida Kahlo Museum
Known as the “Casa Azul” with its cobalt blue walls, the Frida Kahlo Museum is home to one of Mexico’s most famous artists. She was born in this building in the Coyoacan district, grew up here, shared it with her husband Diego Rivera, and died in 1954 in an upstairs room. Except for the glass cases placed around some of the exhibits, the house remains much as it was in the 1950s, with items as diverse as traditional Mexican cookware, pre-Columbian artifacts, Diego Revi artwork by Diego Rivera, Paul Klee and Jose . María Velasco, as well as a papier-mâché figure of “Judas” used in traditional Mexican celebrations.
Upstairs is Kahlo’s bright studio, as well as the room where she died. Free admission on Sundays. On other days, tickets can be ordered online to avoid long lines on the streets.
Chapultepec Castle
Chapultepec Castle, located atop Chapultepec Rock in the forest of the same name, was built in 1783 and is the only castle in the Americas that has existed since the New Spanish era. Chapultepec is a bit like the Versailles of Mexico, with formal gardens and fantastic views of the city from the terraces, it was the summer residence of the Governor General and became the seat of Emperor Maximilian I after the Revolution. The complex has served as an observatory and military academy for the past 240 years and is now a National History Museum filled with artifacts such as weapons, murals, maps and imperial chariots.
You take a self-guided tour of the palace’s interior, which is decorated with stained glass windows, damask wallpaper, portraits, musical instruments, and furniture from the royal and imperial era.
Bosque de Chapultepec
The green area around the castle covers 686 hectares, making it the largest city park in the world.
Long before the arrival of the Spanish, the Chapultepec Forest was a green refuge and refuge for the Aztec rulers of Tenochtitlan. Among the cedars, redwoods, aspens and palms are many tourist attractions such as the Chapultepec Zoo, the Rufino Tamayo Museum of Contemporary Art and of course the National Museum of Anthropology.
Of course, you can participate in typical park activities such as picnics or sailing around Lake Chapultepec. Botanists can try to find the park’s oldest trees, the Montezuma Cypresses, which date back 700 years and have nicknames like “Sergeant” and “Sergeant”.
Paseo de la Reforma
Paseo de la Reforma is a wide avenue that runs diagonally through the city center. Built in the 1860s, it was inspired by the European fashions of the time. The route is lined with embassies, skyscrapers and the occasional stand selling tortillas and tortillas. For tourists, there is no better way to introduce the city than the Avenue of Reforms, which runs through the Chapultepec Forest and in front of the National Museum of Anthropology.
Other must-sees include the two main monuments that represent Mexico’s national identity: the first is the Monument to the Revolution, the world’s tallest triumphal arch, built in stages in the first half of the 20th century at the intersection of Avenida Insurrectionias. The impressive Angel of Independence statue was erected on the 100th anniversary of the start of the Mexican War of Independence in 1910 and stands on a 45 meter tall column.
Palacio de Bellas Artes
A cultural venue fit for the capital, the Palace of Fine Arts is an intriguing historian and Art Nouveau monument on the east side of Alameda Central Park. Construction began in 1904, but was delayed in 1913 and did not resume until the early 1930s. As a result, the interior takes on a later Art Deco style, using pre-Hispanic motifs such as Mayachal masks on the lamps and snake heads on the window arches.
To truly appreciate the auditorium in all its glory, come and watch a performance, preferably a Mexican folk ballet, behind an incredible glass curtain designed by Tiffany. On a normal day, you can go up to the first floor to admire the Diego Rivera mural.
Coyoacán
The southern administrative district of Coyoacan was a separate municipality from Mexico City until 1857, but still feels like its own city. It became famous in the 20th century as the home of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, as well as Leon Trotsky, who were given asylum after Kahlo and Rivera petitioned the government. Counterculture thrives here, and Coyoacán is still associated with art and bohemian style.
Coyoacan’s historic center consists of squares and parks connected by cobbled streets. This is a great place to browse arts and crafts markets and try street food. The central square is the Plaza Hidalgo, shaded by Indian laurels and palms, and surrounded by gardens surrounded by low hedges. In the nearby Plaza Centenario, you can see a bronze sculpture of two coyotes, referring to the name Coyoacan, which means “land of the coyotes” in Nahuatl.
Historic Centre
The oldest part of Mexico City is built on the former island where the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan once stood.
In 1521 it was besieged by the Spanish and after the conquest it was completely razed to the ground. The lakes around Tenochtitlan were drained, which is why the ground under Mexico City is so soft.
Many of the historic center’s monuments are located in places that were once important to its pre-Columbian inhabitants: the cathedral sits on the ruins of the main Aztec temple, while the National Palace is where the Aztec ruler Montezuma once lived. Location of the castle. The historic center is a World Heritage Site with baroque and historic buildings including churches, palaces (Iturbide, Post Office (Correos), Inquisición, Arzobispado) and many museums.
Zócalo (Plaza de la Constitución)
The Zocalo was once the ceremonial center of Tenochtitlan, but is now Mexico City’s main square.
The scale of this space is hard to describe in words, it is the second largest city square in the world after Moscow’s Red Square. To the north is the Mexico City Cathedral and to the east is the National Palace, both of which we will talk about later.
Just as local Mexican ceremonies took place in the Zocalo before the arrival of the Spanish, it is now the main gathering place in Mexico City to celebrate Mexican Independence Day (El Grito on the evening of September 15), Corpus Christi, and Holy Week. . At the square metro station, you can see a scale model that shows how the Zocalo looked before the conquest and how it has evolved over the last 500 years.
National Palace
The facade of the National Palace, which occupies the entire eastern border of the Zocalo, features an iconic balcony from which the president sang the “Song of Dolores” to celebrate Mexican independence.
When you look at this huge building complex, built in the 16th century for the conquistador Hernán Cortés, you can feel excited because some of its materials came from Montezuma II. The earliest Aztec palace of Moctezuma II. Be sure to go through the central portal to visit the botanical garden and the large courtyard.
There’s a fascinating Diego Rivera mural on the stairs, which we’ll get to in a moment.
