La Paz

La Paz

La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, located about 68 km southeast of Lake Titicaca. Situated between 3250 and 4100 meters above sea level, La Paz is the highest national capital in the world. The city center lies in a deep, wide canyon formed by the La Paz or Choqueyapu River. The city was founded in 1548 as Nuestra Señora de La Paz by the conquering Captain Alonso de Mendoza on the location of an Inca village, and renamed La Paz de Ayacucho in 1825, to commemorate the last decisive battle of the wars of independence. Located on the northeast side of the river, Plaza Murillo is the heart of the city, home to the massive modern cathedral and the government and legislative palaces. Even though few colonial buildings have survived, the narrow, steep, older streets, red-tiled roofs, many skyscrapers and colorfully dressed highland Indians give La Paz a unique atmosphere. The city's cultural assets include the National Museum of Art, the Museum of Ethnography and Folklore, the National Museum of Archaeology, and the Mercado de Brujas, where medicinal plants and other remedies used by the Aymara people are sold. The city's unusual topography provides a spectacular view of the city and the surrounding Cordillera Real Mountain range from a number of natural viewpoints. About 10 km from downtown La Paz is the stunning Valle de la Luna aka Moon Valley. This is an area where erosion has eroded away much of a mountain, composed mainly of clay rather than rock, leaving tall spires. It is very similar to another area of La Paz, known as El Valle de las Animas.