This colossal edifice has seen a few lives, notably as the presidential HQ of Simón Bolívar, who narrowly escaped an assassination attempt here in 1828 when his friend-with-privileges Manuelita Sáenz tipped him off and became known in Bogotá circles as 'the liberator of the Liberator.' A (dramatically worded) sign in Latin under his window (to the right) retells the story.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Museo del Oro
0.41 MILES
Bogotá's most famous museum and one of the most fascinating in South America, the Gold Museum contains more than 55,000 pieces of gold and other materials…
Museo Botero
0.1 MILES
Even if you've never heard of Fernando Botero, you'll probably recognize some of his highly distinctive paintings of oversized (read: chubby) characters,…
Iglesia de San Francisco
0.39 MILES
Built between 1557 and 1621, the Church of San Francisco is Bogotá's oldest surviving church. In the atmospherically dark interior, with its extravagant…
Catedral de Sal
29.35 MILES
Zipaquirá's stunning Catedral de Sal, 190m underground, was carved by removing 250,000 tons of salt; the resulting space is cinematically lit and packs a…
Colección de Arte
0.08 MILES
Most of Banco de la República's permanent art collection, which features 800 pieces by 250 different artists spread over 16 exhibition halls at two…
Casa de Nariño
0.22 MILES
On the south side of Plaza de Bolívar, beyond the Capitolio Nacional and reached via Carreras 8 or 7, this is Colombia's neoclassical presidential…
Museo Nacional
1.38 MILES
Housed in the expansive, Greek-cross-shaped building called El Panóptico (designed as a prison by English architect Thomas Reed in 1874), the Museo…
Museo Santa Clara
0.2 MILES
One of Bogotá's most richly decorated churches, the Santa Clara is also its oldest (along with Iglesia de San Francisco). Deconsecrated in 1968, it was…
Nearby Bogotá attractions
1. Teatro Colón
0.03 MILES
The Teatro Colón, with its adorable Italian-style facade, has had various names since its birth in 1792; this latest version opened as Teatro Nacional in…
2. Museo Militar
0.05 MILES
This two-floor museum is run by military guys in fatigues, and features playful models sporting the history of military uniforms (note the 'antiterrorist'…
3. Museo Colonial
0.05 MILES
This museum occupies a one-time Jesuit college and traces the evolution of how religious and portrait art pieces are made, particularly by Colombia's…
4. Iglesia de San Ignacio
0.07 MILES
The Jesuits began this iconic church in 1610 and, although opened for worship in 1635, it was not completed until their expulsion in 1767. It was the…
5. Colección de Arte
0.08 MILES
Most of Banco de la República's permanent art collection, which features 800 pieces by 250 different artists spread over 16 exhibition halls at two…
6. Casa de Moneda
0.08 MILES
This historic museum inside the Banco de la República complex houses the Colección Numismática as well as the Colección de Arte. The former exhibit starts…
7. Centro Cultural Gabriel García Márquez
0.09 MILES
Slotting seamlessly into historic Candelaria, this cleverly constructed arts center anchored by a graceful amphitheater was designed by Franco-Colombian…
8. Museo Botero
0.1 MILES
Even if you've never heard of Fernando Botero, you'll probably recognize some of his highly distinctive paintings of oversized (read: chubby) characters,…