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Montevideo

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Overview

Art Deco and neoclassical buildings jostle for space in Montevideo while music, theater and the arts are alive and well. Plus, there's a strong international flavor in this vibrant, eclectic city.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • A visitor looks at a painting by Colombian artist Fernando Botero during an exhibition of painters from Uruguay, Mexico and Colombia at the Museum of Visual Arts in Montevideo on March 22, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Miguel ROJO (Photo credit should read MIGUEL ROJO/AFP/Getty Images)

    Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales

    Montevideo

    Uruguay’s largest collection of paintings is housed here in Parque Rodó. The spacious rooms are graced with works by Blanes, Cúneo, Figari, Gurvich,…

  • 'Parilla' Barbeque Restaurant In The Mercado Del Puerto, Montevideo, Uruguay. (Photo by: Julio Etchart/Majority World/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

    Mercado del Puerto

    Montevideo

    No visitor should miss Montevideo’s old port market building, at the foot of Pérez Castellano; the building's impressive wrought-iron superstructure…

  • Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay, South America

    Museo del Gaucho

    Montevideo

    Housed in the ornate Palacio Heber, this museum eloquently conveys the deep attachments between the gauchos, their animals and the land. Its superb…

  • (GERMANY OUT) Teatro Solis (Solis Theatre), Uruguay's oldest theatre, built in 1856, located in Plaza Independencia. (Photo by Rolf Schulten/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

    Teatro Solís

    Montevideo

    Just off Plaza Independencia, elegant Teatro Solís is Montevideo’s premier performance space. First opened in 1856, and completely renovated during the…

  • View of the Palacio Salvo in Montevideo, Uruguay, on May 29, 2008. The Palacio Salvo, built in 1928 and designed by Italian architect Mario Palanti, has now set up as a symbol of the country's prosperity years in the 20th century. AFP PHOTO/Miguel Rojo MORE IN IMAGE FORUM / AFP PHOTO / MIGUEL ROJO (Photo credit should read MIGUEL ROJO/AFP/Getty Images)

    Palacio Salvo

    Montevideo

    On the east side of the Plaza Independencia, the 26-story structure with the crazy beehive hairdo is Palacio Salvo, the continent's tallest building when…

  • Saturday flea maket at Plaza Constitucion

    Plaza Matriz

    Montevideo

    Also known as Plaza Constitución, this leafy square was the heart of colonial Montevideo. On its west side stands the Iglesia Matriz, Montevideo’s oldest…

  • Montevideo, Uruguay Parliament Building

    Palacio Legislativo

    Montevideo

    Dating from 1908, and still playing host to Uruguay’s Asamblea General (legislative branch), the three-story neoclassical parliament building is also open…

  • Plaza Independencia

    Montevideo

    Montevideo's largest downtown plaza commemorates independence hero José Artigas with a 17m, 30-ton statue and the subterranean Mausoleo de Artigas, where…

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Best Things to Do

A mix of sophistication, tradition and a not-so-fast pace of life, the under-the-radar Uruguayan capital is a delight for visitors.

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