Sights in Northwest Colombia
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Jardín Botánico Joaquín Antonio Uribe
Across from the Universidad de Antioquia is the city's Jardín Botánico. Opened in 1978, the garden has 600 species of trees and plants, a lake, herbarium, auditorium and the Orquideorama where an orchid display is held in March and April. Just across the street is the sleek, all-concrete Parque de los Deseos, a favorite hangout of the area's college students.
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Palacio de la Cultura Rafael Uribe Uribe
Palacio de la Cultura Rafael Uribe Uribe, adjacent to the Berrío metro station in an ornate black-and-white building, hosts concerts and events, art expositions, conferences and workshops. Check its website for what’s on.
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La Gorda
Thanks to a local law that requires major new buildings to include public art, central Medellín can seem like a vast, outdoor art gallery. Besides the Plazoleta de las Escultras, you can see Botero's massive bronze woman's torso known as La Gorda, in front of the Banco de la República in Parque Berrío. There are also three more Botero sculptures in the Parque San Antonio.
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Jardín Botánico
Newly refurbished and fabulous, the Jardín Botánico boasts 600 species of trees and plants, a lake, herbarium, auditorium and the Orquideorama, where an orchid display is held in March and April. The gardens are easily accessed from the nearby metro stop Universidad.
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Museo de Antioquia
In the grand art-deco Palacio Municipal, the Museo de Antioquia is Colombia’s second-oldest museum and one of its finest. The collection includes pre-Columbian, colonial and modern art collections, as well as many works donated by native son Fernando Botero.
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Catedral Metropolitana
Overlooking Parque de Bolívar, the vast Catedral Metropolitana boasts a neo-Romanesque design. Construction began in 1875 and was completed in 1931. Its spacious but dim interior has Spanish stained-glass windows and a German-made pipe organ.
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Pueblito Paisa
On top of the 80m-tall hill known as Cerro Nutibara, 2km southwest of the city center, sits the kitschy Pueblito Paisa, a miniature version of typical Antioquian township. Views from an adjacent platform across the city are stunning.
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Ermita de la Veracruz
Ermita de la Veracruz is the city’s oldest church. Its construction was reputedly begun in 1682, but it wasn’t inaugurated until 1803. It has a stone facade and a white-and-gold interior.
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Río Claro Valley
Thanks to Colombia's improving security situation, it is once again safe to visit the Río Claro Valley in eastern Antioquia, where a crystal-clear river has carved stunning shapes into its marble bed. It's also a favorite spot for bird-watchers, who come to see everything from hummingbirds to herons to vultures.
You can stay in the lodge known as El Refugio, which is about 1km from the river and near the town of Puerto Triunfo. Río Claro is located just off the main road that connects Bogotá and Medellín. Most buses that connect the two cities will drop you off in Puerto Triunfo. Note that nighttime travel in this area remains risky; check current conditions.
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Catedral
The Catedral is sometimes referred to as the Catedral Madre, as it was the first church built in the region. However, the original church was destroyed by fire, and the large building you see today was not completed until 1837. Until that year, Iglesia de Santa Bárbara did the honors as the cathedral. Once inside, have a look at the Last Supper in the right transept, and at an image of San Francisco de Borja with a skull in the transept opposite.
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Social Realist-inspired Murals
Thanks to a local law that requires major new buildings to include public art, central Medellín can seem like a vast, outdoor art gallery. For a different take on Medellín's history, check out the Social Realist-inspired murals by Pedro Nel Gómez displayed in two long showcases on the corner of Carrera 51 and Calle 51, just off Parque Berrío.
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Pájaro de Paz
There are three Fernando Botero sculptures in the Parque San Antonio, including the Pájaro de Paz. Ironically, this work was seriously damaged by a bomb placed by unknown perpetrators, which also killed 23 people. As a vivid reminder of the city's hyper-violent episode, the damaged bird has been left untouched, though a new version now stands alongside it.
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Parque de las Esculturas
On the slopes of the 80m-tall hill known as Cerro Nutibara is the Parque de las Esculturas, which contains modern abstract sculptures by South American artists, including such prominent names as Edgar Negret, Jesús Soto and Carlos Cruz Díez. The Guayabal bus from Av Oriental in the city center passes by the foot of Cerro Nutibara, or go by taxi.
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Parque Explora
Parque Explora is a science museum kids will love, and may tickle the adult’s inner child as well. Loosely modeled on San Francisco’s famous Exploratorium, the Parque Explora offers a series of interactive exhibits on physics, biology and nanotechnology. There’s also a radio/television workshop, a 3D cinema and an aquarium.
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Cementerio de San Pedro
The Cementerio de San Pedro, established in 1842, has a collection of ornate tombstones, sepulchral chapels and mausoleums. Many recent graves are decked out with paraphernalia related to passions of the deceased, from cars to football to tango music. Take the metro to Estación Hospital.
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Museo El Castillo
Occupying a mock-Gothic castle built in 1930 in El Poblado, the Museo El Castillo was once home to a wealthy Antioquian landowner. Inside are the family’s belongings, including furniture and artwork from around the world. Outside there are pleasant, French-style formal gardens.
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Museo del Oro Quimbaya
This is one of Colombia’s best gold museums, featuring an excellent collection of ceramics and gold artifacts of Quimbaya culture. It’s in the Centro Cultural, 5km northeast of the center. Grab bus 18, 36 or 27 northbound on Av Bolívar (COP$1100), or take a taxi (COP$5000).
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Iglesia de Santa Bárbara
Of the town’s four churches, the Iglesia de Santa Bárbara is the most interesting. Built by Jesuits in the second half of the 18th century, the church has a fine, baroque facade. The interior has an interesting, if time-worn, retable over the high altar.
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Casa Gardeliana
Located in Barrio Manrique, the Casa Gardeliana was the main tango venue for years, hosting tango bands and dance shows. It still has them from time to time, though now it’s basically a small tango museum, featuring memorabilia related to tango and Carlos Gardel.
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Monumento a la Raza
The Monumento a la Raza tells the story of Antioquia in dramatically twisting metal. It’s set in the grounds of the Parque de la Luz (previously known as Plaza de Cisneros) amid a small forest of 24m-tall spiral lamps.
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Museo Universitario
On the campus of the Universidad de Antioquia be sure to check out the Museo Universitario. It has an interesting collection of pre-Columbian pottery, as well as galleries devoted to art and the natural sciences.
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Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín
Located in what looks like an unassuming apartment building in a leafy suburb west of the city center, the Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín stages changing exhibitions of contemporary Colombian art.
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Casa Museo Pedro Nel Gómez
The Casa Museo Pedro Nel Gómez has an extensive collection of the works of prolific Medellín artist Pedro Nel Gómez (1899–1984), set in the house where the artist lived and worked.
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Museo de Arte Religioso
The Museo de Arte Religioso, next door to Santa Bárbara church, has a collection of religious objects, including paintings by Gregorio Vásquez de Arce y Ceballos.
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Parque de la Vida
This large city park is north of town on Av Bolívar. There are waterfalls, several small lakes, forest areas and gardens, and kiosks selling food and drink.
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