How many stops are on the Architecture walking tour in Bogotá?

The Architecture route in Bogotá includes 12 curated stops.

How long does the Architecture tour in Bogotá take?

The Architecture walking tour in Bogotá takes approximately 6 hours at a leisurely pace.

Is the Architecture walking tour in Bogotá free?

Yes, Promenario's Architecture tour in Bogotá is free to download and use, with full offline support.

🇨🇴 Bogotá, Colombia

Architecture in Bogotá

Iconic buildings, monuments, and landmark design. Explore 12 curated stops in Bogotá, including Bolívar Square, Primatial Cathedral of Bogotá, and Casa de Nariño. Highlights include Primatial Cathedral of Bogotá, rated 4.5/5 by 1,500 visitors.

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12 places in this collection

Architecture places

12 places in this collection

Image by JuanGris (Lucía Estévez), CC BY-SA 3.0

Bolívar Square

The Bolívar Square (Spanish: Plaza de Bolívar or Plaza Bolívar) is the main of Bogotá. The square, previously called Plaza Mayor until 1821 and Plaza de la Constitución, is located in the heart of the historical area of the city and hosts a statue of Simón Bolívar, sculpted in 1846 by the Italian Pietro Tenerani, which was the first public monument in the city. The history of Bolívar Square dates back to the pre-Columbian era, when the site was part of the Muisca Confederation. The first building on the square, a primitive cathedral, was constructed in 1539, a year after the foundation of the Colombian capital. During the Spanish colonial period, Bolívar Square was the stage for circus acts, public markets and bullfights. The square is surrounded by historical buildings; the Palace of Justice is located on the northern edge and the National Capitol borders the square in the south. The Primary Cathedral of Bogotá and the Liévano Palace, seat of the mayor of Bogotá, are situated on the eastern and western side respectively. Bolívar Square is a main tourist attraction in La Candelaria of Bogotá and the site for various manifestations and protests.

Image by Lizeth.riano, CC BY-SA 3.0

Primatial Cathedral of Bogotá

The Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica Primate of Colombia (Spanish: Catedral Primada de Bogotá), officially the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, is a Roman Catholic cathedral. It is seat of the Archbishop of Bogotá, Cardinal Mon. Ruben Salazar Gomez. The Cathedral was built four-times in the same place. The first construction took place between 1556-1565 to replace the original thatched chapel, but due to poor foundation it later collapsed. The second construction took place around in 1572, yet the earthquake of 1785 reduced it to ruins. The fourth and final construction occurred between 1807 and 1823. It is said to be built by descendants of Jesuit missionaries. When the Spanish conquerors officially founded the city of Bogotá (changing the original Indian name of the city: Bacata), they established in 12 huts and a hay-church, that -after being totally built- would take the name of Archbishopric Cathedral of Bogotá. The cathedral holds the remains of Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, founder of Bogotá. The cathedral, its area 5,300 square meters, is the biggest in Colombia and one of the biggest ones in South America.

Image by Juanjo70000, CC BY-SA 4.0

Casa de Nariño

The Palacio de Nariño (Spanish for Palace of Nariño) or Casa de Nariño (Spanish for House of Nariño) is the official home and principal workplace of the President of Colombia. It houses the main office of the executive branch and is located in the capital city of Bogotá, Colombia. It was dedicated in 1908 after being constructed on the site of the house where Antonio Nariño was born. The design was made by architects Gaston Lelarge, a French-born former pupil of Charles Garnier, and Julián Lombana. In 1980, the structure was rededicated after the construction of additions. The building also houses works of art and furnishings from different periods of the history of art. Its garden houses the Observatorio Astronómico de Bogotá, designed by the Capuchin friar-architect Domingo de Petrés and built in 1802-03.

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Image by Burkhard Mücke, CC BY-SA 4.0

Capitolio Nacional

The National Capitol of Colombia is the seat of the National Congress, the highest legislative body of the Republic of Colombia. The capitol was originally designed by Thomas Reed at the request of President Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera, it was built between 1848 and 1926 and various architects were in charge. It is one of the most representative constructions of republican and neoclassical architecture in the city. The National Capitol of Colombia was declared a National Monument by decree 1584 of August 11, 1975. The main facade is located on the south side of the Plaza de Bolívar and is made up of two symmetrical lateral bodies and a transparent central body like a portico, consisting of a six-row colonnade of three Ionic-style columns that have two spans in each of its ends, one on top of the other and framed by two protruding bulbs supported by two terraced pilasters. The building is crowned horizontally with a entablamiento that finishes in a cornice with four taps and a balustrade in which vases and palmetas are interspersed. The drainage system at the height of the cornice is adorned with gargoyles with animal heads. In 1938, Ignacio Gómez Jaramillo painted two murals for the Capitolio Nacional in Bogotá. In 1947 for the Inter American Conference, Santiago Martínez Delgado painted a majestic mural under commission of the then director of the OEA, Alberto Lleras Camargo and Conference organizer Laureano Gómez, two men who later became Presidents of Colombia. This mural of the Elliptic chamber National Congress Building, made in the fresco style, represents Bolivar and Santander exiting the Cucuta congress during the creation of the Great Colombia. The mural is considered the most important fresco in the country and the artist's main masterpiece.

Image by Racso (Oscar Fernando Gómez), CC BY-SA 3.0.0

Church of San Francisco

The church of San Francisco is a religious temple of Catholic worship under the invocation of San Francisco de Asís of the city of Bogotá, in Colombia. It is located in the Veracruz neighborhood, on Avenida Jiménez with the Seventh race, where it constitutes a group composed by the church of La Tercera and La Veracruz. It was built between 1550 and 1595 on the land donated by Archbishop Juan de los Barrios to the Franciscan brothers, on the right bank of the Vicachá River, then called the San Francisco River. The original construction had an extension in 1611 and in 1623 the main altarpiece was built. In recent years the church was devoid of its exterior target and its decks were altered to the point that the only surviving historical documents of the original temple are the main facade, the tower and the presbytery. The last restoration of the temple was carried out between 1988 and 1990.

Image by Banrep cultural, CC BY-SA 2.0.0

Casa de Moneda

The Casa de Moneda de Colombia (Spanish for Colombian mint) is a Colombian currency museum based in the city of Bogotá. It was founded in 1621 as the mint ('casa de moneda' translates as 'mint'). The current mint is known simply as the Fábrica de Moneda (coin factory). Alonso Turrillo de Yebra arrived in 1621 with royal ordinances that accredited him to create the first Mint in the New Kingdom of Granada, and for this, he rented a low house in the La Candelaria neighborhood of present-day Bogotá to begin the work of reprimand in which, in an artisanal way, the first gold machines of America, known as doubloons, were elaborated among others. You can also find variety in its class or currency types. Almost half a century later, during the reign of Ferdinand VI, the House expands to house the new machines and the production is mechanized to produce circular pieces and better invoices. In 1752, Don Juan Espinosa de los Monteros and Bilbao arrived in Santafé from Seville to serve as faithful of the balance, just as he had done so far in the Royal Mint of Seville. In 1756 Viceroy Solis reopened the House, as can be read in the frieze of its stone cover. The physical structure of the house expands and transforms through three hundred and fifty years into several opportunities. Since the seventies of the twentieth century, recovery works of their original architectural features culminating in 1982 were carried out in the colonial cloister. The numismatic sample illustrates several aspects that are directly related to the currency and history of the property and its various architectural interventions. At the Mint, the visitor will be able to permanently find the exhibitions of the art and numismatic collections of the Banco de la República, and several temporary exhibition halls. The mint was declared a National Monument of Colombia by decree 1584 of August 11, 1975.

Image by Felipe Restrepo Acosta, CC BY-SA 3.0

Santander Park

Santander Park is an urban park located in the center of Bogotá, at the intersection of the Seventh race with Sixteen Street. Before the Republic it was called San Francisco Park because it is next to the convent and church of the same name. Previously it was known as the square of herbs. It is one of the most traditional places in the city, being even cited by some sources as its place of foundation. It stands out for its statue of Francisco de Paula Santander, its fountain and its trees. Its southeast side faces the Environmental Axis. The Gold Museum and the Avianca building are assimilated within its framework. The place was originally called Plaza de las Hierbas (or de las Yerbas) because the regional market was found there, whose beginnings go back to times before the conquest of the continent.

Image by Felipe Restrepo Acosta, CC BY-SA 3.0

San Francisco Palace

The San Francisco Palace is a neoclassical building designed by the French architect Gastón Lelarge in 1917. It is located between the Seventh and Eighth races, on Jiménez Environmental Axis Avenue in the town of Santa Fe in Bogotá. It is located, right next to the San Francisco Church, in front of the Henry Faux and Pedro A. López buildings and diagonally to the El Tiempo building, on the Seventh race. The building replaced the old cloister attached to the church of San Francisco. In its beginnings it housed the Governorate of Cundinamarca. It was declared a national monument in 1984. In 1557, Brother Juan de los Barrios, the first archbishop of Bogotá, moved his Franciscan brothers to some houses located in the western neighborhood of Las Nieves, next to the San Francisco River, where they built the church of San Francisco. On the grounds where the current palace was built was the 17th-century convent of the Purification of Our Lady, which included three claustrated courtyards and an orchard. It stretched between the Seventh and Eighth races, and Jiménez Avenue and Sixteenth Street.

Image by Felipe Restrepo Acosta, CC BY-SA 3.0

Palacio de San Carlos

The San Carlos Palace (Spanish: Palacio de San Carlos; previously Colegio Seminario de San Bartolomé), is a 16th-century Neoclassical mansion in Bogotá. The historic building has been the site of various political, social and academic events. Since December 1993, it has been home to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Palace of San Carlos The history of the building goes back to the end of the 16th century when it was built by Archdeacon Francisco Porras Mejia, in 1585. At the time Santa Fe de Bogotá was the capital of New Kingdom of Granada, part of the Viceroyalty of Peru. It was occupied by the archdeacon's family until 1605 when it was sold to Archbishop Bartolomé Lobo Guerrero who used it as a Jesuit seminary known as the Colegio Seminario de San Bartolomé. In 1739, the first printing press of Sante Fe was also established here. In 1767, after the Jesuits were expelled from New Granada by Francisco Antonio Moreno y Escandón, acting on orders from King Carlos III, it became the Royal Library of Santa Fe and served as barracks for the Presidential Guard. From 1827 to 1908 the palace was the official residence of the President of Colombia. Then President Rafael Reyes Prieto moved out to the Palace of Nariño where he lived till 1954. From 1954 it again became the residence of General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla and his successors till 1980. In 1980 after the Palace of Nariño was inaugurated as the presidential residence, the Palace of San Carlos was converted to house the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which it still accommodates today. Wall plaque commemorating the assassination attempt on Simon Bolivar. The palace was also the scene of an assassination attempt on Simon Bolivar in 1828. He was attacked when a group of conspirators attempted to assassinate him while he was taking a bath and he escaped through the window with soap still covering his body. His mistress, Manuela Sáenz Aizpuru, who tipped him off and saved him came to be known among Bogotans as 'the liberator of the liberator'. The event became known as the Noche Septembrina (English: September's Night), and it is referenced in Latin in a plaque conspicuously fixed on the wall next to the window through which he escaped. In 1937, properties next to the palace were acquired on the eastern side. The main entrance was added along with a triple storied building to accommodate the offices of the Ministry. Built by the Italian architect Pietro Cantini, the new façade stands close to two other historic buildings on Calle del Coliseo (Calle 10): the birthplace of the poet Rafael Pombo and the Christopher Columbus Theatre. On 11 August 1975, the San Carlos Palace was declared a National Monument.

Image by Ivan Tunja, CC BY-SA 3.0

Museo de Arte Colonial

The Colonial Museum of Bogotá ( Colombia ) was inaugurated on August 6, 1942 under the background of the President of the Republic Eduardo Santos Montejo and his education minister Germán Arciniegas. Its headquarters is the former Casa de las Aulas, a 17th-century building that was the headquarters of the Maximum Society of the Society of Jesus, now Javeriana University and Colegio Mayor de San Bartolomé, in Bogotá. The pieces initially exhibited in the Colonial Museum came mostly from the private collections owned by Bogota's high society in the first half of the 20th century. These collections had been formed due to the process of confiscation of ecclesiastical goods initiated by Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera around 1861. The paintings expropriated from the Church were handed over to individuals and some of these in turn were given to different museums as a donation. These initial collections have been gradually complemented by new works received by donation or acquired. Currently the museum has 1577 pieces among which you can find easel painting, textiles, sculpture, furniture, silverware, numismatics, prints and manuscripts. It should be noted that the museum houses the largest existing collection of works by the neo-Granada colonial painter Gregorio Vásquez de Arce and Ceballos, which includes easel painting and a complete series of the drawings attributed to it.

Image by Alejandro Rojas (SajoR), CC BY-SA 4.0

Iglesia de Santa Clara

The Santa Clara Museum occupies the space of the former temple of the Royal Convent of Santa Clara, built in 1647. It is located in the Historic Center of Bogotá, in race 8 No. 8-91. It has a wide collection of paintings and sculptures from the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The building is considered one of the most representative samples of Baroque architecture and decoration of the 17th and 18th centuries in Bogotá. This museum is an entity of the Ministry of Culture. The museum, housed in one of the temples that belonged to the female religious communities of the colonial period, not only has a large colonial collection that features works by Gregorio Vásquez de Arce and Ceballos, Gaspar and Baltazar de Figueroa and Agustín García Zorro de Useche among others, it also has samples of mural paintings scattered in the choirs, the presbytery, the toral arch and the sacristy, with zoomorphic, phytomorphic motifs and some representations of saints and angels. Likewise, the museum has hosted several exhibitions of contemporary art, with which it seeks to build relationships between artistic expression and current problems, and the ornament and culture typical of the colonial period.

Image by Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0

Palace of Justice of Colombia

The Palace of Justice of Colombia (Spanish: Palacio de Justicia de Colombia), seat and symbol of the Judiciary of Colombia. Throughout the history of Colombia there have been three buildings that have served as headquarters for the Palace of Justice. The first was a neoclassical building designed by the architect Pablo de la Cruz, located on 11th street with 6th race and operated since the 1920s. The building was destroyed by a fire during the riots of April 9, 1948 known as the Bogotazo after the assassination of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán. The building that replaced this one was designed by the architect Roberto Londoño in the 1960s, of modernist tendency with neoclassical elements. It was located in Bolívar Square and was destroyed on November 6, 1985 as a result of the capture by the M-19 guerrillas and the army's return. After the destruction of the Palace, the surviving magistrates, headed by Fernando Uribe Restrepo, dispatched in uncomfortable facilities of the Banco de la República, then in the Bank of the Republic building (7th street with 27th street in Bogotá) and then in a north of the capital until the majestic new building was inaugurated, located in the same place as the one destroyed in 1985. The building houses the Supreme Court of Justice, the Constitutional Court, the State Council and the Supreme Judicial Council since 2004. At the entrance is the phrase of General Francisco de Paula Santander: Colombianos las armas os han dado la independencia, las leyes os darán la libertad (Colombians, guns have given you independence, laws will give you freedom).

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