| |
Inca
walls, colorful costumes, churches built on top of palaces,
citadels lost in the Andean heights, legendary roads -all
the beauty of a glorious past that enfolds the visitor who
arrives in Cusco, the sacred city of the Incas and archaeological
capital of the Americas. Ever since US archaeologist Hiram
Bingham discovered the citadel of Machu Pichu for the world,
Cusco has fired the imagination of thousands of travelers
from all over the world who venture down the Inca Trail every
year headed for the summit of one of the world's most extraordinary
monuments.
The city of Cusco, however, features many other attractions
which by themselves would be enough to attract visitors: the
main square, which the Incas called Huacaypata, the artisans
quarter of San Blas, the Convent of Santo Domingo, built on
top of the Temple of the Sun or Korikancha, the palaces of
the Inca and his court, part of a long list of archaeological
wonders to be found in Cusco.
There are also several circuits on the outskirts of Cusco,
which usually include the imposing ruins of Sacsayhuaman or
Tambomachay. Visitors to Cusco can also take part in all kinds
of adventure sports and participate in the most spectacular
religious festivals on the continent. Celebrations include
Qoyllur Rit´i, which is held at 4,000 meters, the Corpus
Christi procession and the famous Inti Raymi spectacle.
With its bustling nightlife, Cusco is also a magical city
of dizzying excitement. Together with its rich archaeological
legacy which is to be found on practically every street corner,
its cultural scene makes Cusco, the sacred city of the Incas,
the most spectacular destination in the Americas. |
|
