City of PotosĂ
The capital of the department of Potosi in Bolivia, the highest city in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site all rolled into one – need we say any more – an absolute must visit!
At 4,090m it literally takes your breath away just walking the streets. Founded in 1546 as a mining town (mainly silver), it produced fabulous wealth, becoming one of the largest and richest cities in the Americas and the world with a population exceeding 200,000. As the silver depleted so too did its wealth. Although the mines still operate today, there is little else on offer other than its 400 year-old architecture and history.
There was a mine tour on offer which most tourists visit. You get the opportunity to purchase and blow up some dynamite for around one US dollar – it seemed to be the highlight for most visitors. 60m underground for 4–5 hours seemed a little too claustrophobic for us and instead we walked around taking photos.
A really great pit stop for a couple of days, albeit a little tiring.
UNESCO World Heritage Site #36
