City Orientation Walk

Transcription

1 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 - City Orientation Walk Aside from being Honduras's capital, Tegucigalpa is also the country's cultural center rich in historic, religious and artistic heritage. The city is endowed with interesting museums, presenting works in various media: picture, sculpture, literature, etc; plus a number of historic churches and parks. Take this orientation walk to discover Tegucigalpa's top attractions. Guide Location: Honduras» Tegucigalpa # of Attractions: 13 Tour Duration: 2 hour(s) Travel Distance: 3.5 km Please note: This walk is also featured in the ios app "GPSmyCity: Walks and Articles with Offline Maps" on itunes App Store and the Android app "Tegucigalpa Map and Walks" on Google Play. The apps provide GPS navigation to guide you from one tour stop to the next, so you will never be lost. The apps offer additional walking tours in Tegucigalpa. Check them out! GPSmyCity offers self-guided walking tours in over 1,000 city around the world. Please visit gpsmycity.com for more walking tour offers. List of attractions included in this self-guided walking tour: A) Antigua Casa Presidencial B) Iglesia La Merced C) Catedral San Miguel D) Iglesia de San Francisco E) Museo de Histórico Militar F) Parque Central G) Museo Para La Identidad Nacional H) Teatro Nacional Manuel Bonilla I) Iglesia El Calvario J) Parque La Concordia K) Villa Roy National Museum L) Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores M) Parque la Leona Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 -

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3 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 3 - A) Antigua Casa Presidencial (must see) For many years, the former President's house was the most impressive building in the center of the capital. It was not only the center of political and military power in the country but also one of the most impressive architectural works of the nineteenth century, with its dome in French Renaissance Revival style and its circular towers and crenellated walls in Neo-Medieval style. Now it houses the Museo de la Republica, which presents the history of the country through collectibles and artifacts, from the colonial period till the present. Address: Paseo Marco Aurelio Soto at Calle Salvador Mendieta, Tegucigalpa, Honduras B) Iglesia La Merced (must see) Iglesia La Merced was built in 1654 by parents and mercenaries. It has two buildings that make up a whole construction, known as Paraninfo and it is located in Plaza La Merced. The church is located in an impressive building, designed in colonial Renaissance style, with its flat facade devoid of any ornaments and its main entrance accented by columns. It also features a Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 3 -

4 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 - single rectangular nave and an interior decorated with ornaments of colonial character and beautiful pictures. Address: Iglesia La Merced, Tegucigalpa, Honduras Image Courtesy of Flickr and Davide Restivo C) Catedral San Miguel (must see) The Tegucigalpa Cathedral, dedicated to Archangel St. Michael, the patron of the city, was built in the eighteenth century between 1765 and 1786, but only in the nineteenth century did it become the city's cathedral. Since then, this impressive religious site has suffered damages and was restored many times, but its own Baroque style was retained. The cathedral interior is also remarkable for its frescoes of Jose Miguel Gomez, the leading painter of the colonial period in Honduras. Address: Catedral San Miguel, Tegucigalpa, Honduras Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Stefan Zeugner D) Iglesia de San Francisco (must see) Iglesia de San Francisco is the first established church in Tegucigalpa, founded in 1592 by the Franciscans and redecorated in Being the oldest existing church, it is very valuable in the religious life of the people and is an important part of the historical heritage. The church is designed in a single nave and is remarkable for its many colonial-era religious paintings, which beautify the interior. Address: Parque Valle, Tegucigalpa, Honduras Image Courtesy of Flickr and jrozwado Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 -

5 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 - E) Museo de Histórico Militar Located in Valley Park in Tegucigalpa, the Historical Military Museum boasts a great collection of items belonging to important personalities and military officers of Honduras, hence providing a retrospective on the military history of the country. Of great interest to visitors is the room with antique and modern firearms. The museum is open Monday through Friday between 8 am to 16 am. Address: Downtown Parque Valle, Tegucigalpa, Honduras Image Courtesy of Flickr and madmack66 F) Parque Central (must see) Parque Central, also known as Plaza Morazan, is a nice place to stop by. Sitting on a bench, you can observe the local people and their behavior, the little vendors and the nearby attractions such as Cathedral San Michael and the remarkable monument of General Francisco Morazán on horseback. Address: Avenida Cristobal Colon, Tegucigalpa, Honduras G) Museo Para La Identidad Nacional (must see) Museo Para La Identidad Nacional is located in the former Palacio de los Ministerios, dating from 1880, which was designed in late Neoclassical style and was declared a National Monument. Its mission is to display the historical and cultural heritage of the country and spread universal culture. The museum's permanent collection is presented in 4 rooms, reflecting the geography, geology, culture and history of Honduras. A great feature is the Virtual Copán auditorium, which shows the virtual tour of the Mayan city "Copán". Address: Avenida Miguel Paz Barahona, Tegucigalpa, Honduras Image Courtesy of Flickr and Adalberto.H.Vega Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 -

6 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 - H) Teatro Nacional Manuel Bonilla The National Theater Manuel Bonilla was established in 1915, upon the initiative of a group of artists, and it is considered to be an architectural masterpiece, because of its spacious interior inspired by the Athens Theatre of Paris and its exterior that was designed in Renaissance style. It occupies an important place in the cultural life of the city, housing different performances such as plays, dance shows and live concerts. Address: Avenida Miguel Paz Barahona, Tegucigalpa, Honduras I) Iglesia El Calvario (must see) A monument that today belongs to the cultural and religious heritage of the capital of the country, valuable for its history and architectural structure, is the church of El Calvario. Its name refers to the place in Jerusalem where the crucifixion of Jesus took place. It is also known as the chapel El Cementerio, established in 1783 in colonial Renaissance style, and is located next to Herrera park. Address: Iglesia El Calvario, Tegucigalpa, Honduras Image Courtesy of Flickr and Valerie's Genealogy Photos J) Parque La Concordia (must see) Parque La Concordia is an almost perfect replica of the greatness of Maya's people, as it is one of the most wonderful sights in the capital's historic center. The park was established in 1883 as Bográn park and was later transformed into a garden, where one could admire Mayan replicas of stelae, temples and figures from the ruins of Chichen Itza and Copan. Address: 9A Calle, Tegucigalpa, Honduras Image Courtesy of Flickr and vastateparksstaff Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 -

7 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 - K) Villa Roy National Museum (must see) The Villa Roy National Museum is housed in a beautiful building, which was once the former residence of ex-honduran president Julio Lozano. It reflects the life and activity of the Honduras heads of state from 1821 to 1960 and possesses an interesting collection of vintage cars used by them. The museum shows the country's history and exhibits pre-columbian and contemporary artifacts that include a variety of fields. Address: Calle el Telegrafo, Tegucigalpa, Honduras L) Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (must see) Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores is a Roman Catholic church, remarkable for its Baroque architecture, and it was built over 80 years, from 1732 to It is the second largest church in the city and has considerable religious significance, serving as an example of the combination of the Catholic religion with Indian and African influences. Address: Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, Tegucigalpa, Honduras Image Courtesy of Flickr and Carlos Adampol M) Parque la Leona (must see) The park La Leona was opened in 1925 and since then became one of the most visited sites in the capital. In its center there is a bronze statue of General Manuel Bonilla, former president of the republic. With spectacular views of much of Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela, fresh, cozy and renovated in 2004, La Leona is one of the nicest old corners of the capital, and it is worth visiting. Address: Parque la Leona, Tegucigalpa, Honduras Image Courtesy of Flickr and scott.zona Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 -