Located about 10km southeast of Cúcuta on the road to the Venezuelan border in the sedate suburb of Villa del Rosario is the Parque de la Gran Colombia. Here Colombia's founding fathers met in 1821 to draw up the constitution of the new country of Gran Colombia, and inaugurate Simón Bolívar as its first president. History buffs will want to take a look.
The park's central feature is the ruin of Templo del Congreso, the church (built in 1802) where the sessions of the congress were held. The original church was almost completely destroyed by the 1875 earthquake and only the dome was rebuilt. A marble statue of Bolívar has been placed in the rebuilt part of the church.
To get to the Parque de la Gran Colombia from Cúcuta, take the bus to San Antonio del Táchira, which passes the park on the way to the border. Don't take buses marked 'Villa del Rosario' – they won't bring you anywhere near the park.
