SALTA CITY
LOCATION
Salta City is the capital of the province which is located in the northwest of Argentina.
It was founded on April 16th in 1582 by Don Hernando de Lerma, it is located 1.187 meters above see level.
The city has Spanish-colonial aspects that stands out from the other cities of the country and is the favorite destination of national and international tourists. Its name comes from the Aymara word sagta, meaning "The most beautiful of all." It is delineated by houses of one floor, narrow streets and sidewalks and framed by surrounding mountains.
CABLE CAR
The “Complejo Teleferico” commonly called cable car is situated in Avenida San Martin and H. Yrigoyen (San Martin Park). The arrival station is located on the top of Cerro San Bernardo. The distance between stations is 1,016 m and the difference in height between the two bases is 284.90 m.
It will take 10 minutes to get to the top of the hill.
It is opened from 9 to 19:00 pm.
SAN BERNARDO HILL
San Bernardo Hill is a natural reserve which was founded in 1991 and covers approximately 100 hectares. It is situated at 1458 meters above see level and 258 meters above the city. It has native species of flora and fauna.
The rocks of marine origin and the presence of follisls show that 400 millon years ago this land was covered by a shallow sea. To get to the top of the Hill you can use the Cable Car, the roud or the stairs which are located behind the General Martin Miguel de Guemes monument.
at the top, you'll find an artificial waterfall and a small garden, a cafeteria which serves light meals and a souvenir shop. The beautiful views are well worth the trip.
SAN MARTIN PARK
San Martin Park is a large green space with a huge variety of attractions.
It is considered as the lung of the city and occupies several blocks in front of the bus station and is an ideal place to relax. It has a large artificial lake where you can take a boat trip.
Here you will find the General San Martin Monument built in his honor. There is also a monument to Facundo Zuviría recognized for writing the constitution of the province of Salta.
9 DE JULIO SQUARE
It was named after the Argentinian Independence Day, 9 de Julio is Salta's main square, a veritable heart of the city, bounded by elegant arcades under which one will find plenty of places to sit, enjoy a drink and watch the world go by. Many of the city's attractions are to be found here, flanking the small park that sits in the middle of the square: the Cathedral, the Cabildo which houses the Museo Historico del Norte, the Museo de Arqueologia de Alta Montana (MAAM), among others.
The little patch of green at the core of the square has benches, a lovely fountain composed of two plates and an impressive statue of General Juan Antonio Álvarez de Arenales who fought in the famous Battle of Salta in 1813.
The square is considered to be the place where the Spanish explorer Hernando de Lerma founded Salta in 1582.
HISTORICAL MUSEUM OF THE NORTH "EL CABILDO"
The Historical Museum of the North in Salta keeps real treasures of the native culture and from colonial times.
It is one of the most important museums in the country due to the richness of its heritage, which summarizes centuries of Argentinian and South American history. Located to one side of the 9 de Julio square, where the cabildo (municipal council) used to operate, today observes impassively the busy inhabitants of Salta going through its galleries. For such reason, when we crossed the threshold, the silence of its patios inevitably transported us to another atmosphere.
The building itself is a real architectural jewel from the colonial period, with simple lines typical of the viceroyalty. Its two stories maintain parts that date back to the year 1717, but it mostly corresponds to the great repairs done between 1789 and 1807.
Inside the building there are different rooms that show historical elements of the city, expose objects that belong to General Martin Miguel de Güemes and there is also a sacred art room with important pieces of wood.
It is opened from tuesday to sunday from 9:00 till 13:00 hs. and from 15:00 till 19:00 hs.
THE CATHEDRAL OF SALTA
Salta's cathedral (Catedral Basilica de Salta) lies on the northern side of the main square. It has a pretty facade, painted in pink and beige and an equally beautiful interior.
The current structure, built in an Italian Neoclassical style, replaced a previous church that was damaged by an earthquake in 1844. The cathedral was consecrated in 1882, the third centenary of the city. It houses the Panteon de las Glorias del Norte (The Pantheon of the Northern Heroes) where among the tombs of other local heroes lie the remains of General Martin Guemes, a popular military leader who fought the Spanish during the 1810-1818 Argentine Independence War.
The main feature of the interior is the baroque altarpiece which is flanked by two small chapels which hold the statues of Christ and Virgin Mary (Senor y Virgen de los Milagros). As the story of the miracle goes, the statues of Jesus and Virgin Mary were sent from Spain by a ship that sank but the statues appeared miraculously intact on the shore, where they were found and placed inside the cathedral. These two relics are the centerpieces of Salta's annual procession, held every year on September 15th. The belief is that the statues protect the city against earthquakes.
SAN FRANCISCO CHURCH
The San Fransisco church is one of the most immediately recognizable churches you will see. It has actually been rebuilt several times since its founding in 1625 due to several fires. The facade was only completed in 1872 in an italian influenced architectural style.
It has a yellow and red facade, its white pillars and its topped with the Campana de la Patria, a bell made from the cannons used in the Argentina's Independence War. Located on Caseros Street, a few blocks away from the main square, the first church on this spot was built in 1625.
It was followed by a few others which were destroyed by fire. The present church was erected between 1858 and 1882 in an Italian Neocolonial style, the work of architect Luigi Giorgi.
A statue of St. Francis stands in front of the church, on a small square. Inside the church, the interior is very low key. There is a garden cloister and a small museum which can be visited by guided tours. The church was declared a National Historical Monument in 1941.
There is also a small museum exhibiting religious art.
SAN BERNARDO CONVENT
This beautiful building, the oldest religious structure in Salta, can only be admired from outside, being closed to the public and opened only for Carmelite nuns.
Built in the 16th century as a hermitage, the building was altered and restored over the centuries. At the end of the 18th century (from 1782 to 1784) it was converted into a hospital dedicated to St. Andrew. In 1846 it became a Carmelite convent and it still serves this purpose today.
The most notable feature of the white washed building is a wooden rococo door, carved by hand by local Indians in 1762. The building was declared a National Historical Monument in 1941.
MUSEUM OF HIGH ALTITUDE ARCHEOLOGY (MAAM)
MAAM is located in Salta downtown, at 9 de Julio square, across from the Museum of Contemporary Art. It opened its doors in 2004 by initiative of the provincial government and the Secretary of Culture of the Ministry of Education, when one of the most important discoveries of the last years was made, the three Llullaillaco Children, buried 500 years ago at an altitude of 6,730 meters, as a religious sacrifice, together with one hundred and forty-six grave goods.
The museum offers permanent and temporary exhibitions, where you can find ritual, textile and religious objects. The most remarkable rooms are the Mountain Archaeology Hall and the Inca World Hall, which exhibit the expedition tour and the discovery of the items which had remained frozen over five centuries at the top of the Llullaillaco Volcano.
It is located in a historical, neogothic building, from mid-19th century. A true architectonic piece in the center of Plaza 9 de Julio. The façade was restored and revived, and the inside was remodeled keeping the original structures but adapting them to its new function.
There is a first floor and three levels, connected to each other by a double central staircase, inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci’s design in Chambord Castle, by the river Loire.
Due to the peculiarity of its collection, the air inside the building is filtered and purified and monitored to keep constant temperature and humidity levels.
Illumination is another sophisticated feature: really low, and intensified as people enter. A subtle music plays as visitors walk through the halls, recreating pre-Columbian chants, music and sounds.
The areas of public flow are decorated with pieces by contemporary artists from Salta, which link past and present in a clever syncretism.
It is opened from tuesdays to sundays from 11:00 till 19:00 hs.
CRAFT MARKET "MERCADO ARTESANAL"
The Craft Market was the first one in the country. It opened in 1968. The house was built in the mid eighteenth century. It had several modifications until the late nineteenth century, when it acquired the aspect that we know today. Hand-made products are exhibited in here where you can also find handmade souvenirs.
The craft fair at Balcarce street and many shops at the historical city center represent different options for tourists to shop
It is opened from mondays to mondays from 9:00 till 21:00 hs.
SALTA AT NIGHT
