Turismo En Bogota

Bogota tourist attractions: A Historical and Religious tour

Monserrate Sanctuary /Flickr User leandrociuffo/
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Following the Spanish conquest, Bogotá grew architecturally in the Spanish style. Churches, plazas, and parks were gradually built around the church - always the meeting point for the community.
Aside from being tourist icons and anindication of the importance of Catholicism, the temples in which it is practiced, and the history that precedes them, the sanctuaries of Guadalupe and Monserrate, atop Bogotá’s highest mountain peaks, represent the Christian faith that drives hundreds of people.
This happens daily there, as well as in over 200 churches and parishes spread throughout the city.
Following the Spanish conquest,Bogotá grew architecturally in the Spanish style. Churches, plazas, and parks were gradually built around the church, which was always the main axis and meeting point for the whole community.

El Carmen Church, Bogotá /Flickr User zug55 /
This feature may be appreciated in the vast majority of Bogotá’s sections, where these buildings preserve a growing interest, not only for the religiousceremonies that take place, but by the historic and cultural value that led to the construction of many of them.
Religious tourism: solemn activities, varied and very interesting
Visiting several of the most traditional churches is a plan that consolidates Bogotá also as a religious destination. Aside from pilgrimages and solemn celebrations, there are fascinating stories and legends on why the templeswere erected – temples with a superb architecture and astonishing ornaments inside.

Guadalupe Peak, Bogotá /Flickr User alex_dc/
Any moment – not just Sundays and Holy Week - is ideal for delving into the architecture and history of the city’s most emblematic churches and their surroundings.
1.Santuario de Monserrate
The construction of this church came to an end towards 1657. It had beenauthorized by Spaniard Don Juan de Borja, a devotee of the Virgen Morena de Montserrat, patroness of Catalonia, whose replica – called “La Moreneta” – was kept in the church. The likeness of the Señor Caído (the Fallen Lord), sculpted by city artist Pedro de Lugo y Albarracín, arrived somewhat later. (Paseo de Bolívar – cable car station).
2.Santuario de Guadalupe
A 15-meter sculpture of the Virgende la Inmaculada Concepción (Virgin of the Immaculate Conception), by artist Gustavo Arcila Uribe, was erected on the capital’s tallest mountain peak. There is also a small hermitage that survived several earthquakes during the 18th and 19th centuries. Aside from being a pilgrimage site, it offers a splendid view of Bogotá. (Km 8 signpost on the road to Choachí).
3.Santuario Nuestra Señora dela Peña
This chapel, whose origins are traced to a likeness of the Sacred Family sculpted centuries ago on a rock on a difficult road bend, was built on an exclusive lookout point in eastern Bogotá. The history of this interesting finding and the details of the devotion to the Virgen de Guadalupe are recounted in detail by the parish priest. (Carrera 7A Bis Este N° 6-26).
4.Iglesia Nuestra Señoradel Carmen
This gothic style church, characterized by the red and white strips of its façade, is one of Bogota’s most emblematic churches in the historical center. Construction began in 1927, and it was declared a national monument on April 30, 1993. (Carrera 5 N° 8-36).
5.Iglesia del Divino Niño Jesús del 20 de Julio
This is one of the busiest temples in the city, thanks to the devotion ofthousands to the likeness of the Divine Child. Salesian priest Juan del Rizzo convoked the community of the 20 de Julio neighborhood to raise the necessary funds for its construction, which ended in 1942. (Calle 27 Sur N° 5A-27)
6.Iglesia San Alfonso María de Ligorio
With a tradition of over half a century, this church, located in the neighborhood of La Soledad, brings together a multitude of...