Asunción

Home - Independent Countries - Paraguay - Asunción
Asunción

Asunción

Asunción, the capital and largest city of Paraguay, is located on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river and the Pilcomayo River. As one of the oldest cities in South America and the oldest continuously inhabited area in the Río de la Plata Basin, Asunción is also known as the ‘Mother of Cities’. Spanish colonial expeditions set out from Asunción to found other cities, including the second founding of Buenos Aires and other important cities. Located along the Paraguay River, the city offers a variety of landscapes. In spring, places such as Cerro Lambaré in Lambaré are spectacular because of the lapacho trees that flourish in the area. The parks, like Parque Independencia and Parque Carlos Antonio López, have large areas with typical Paraguayan vegetation and are visited by tourists. Notable landmarks include the Godoy Museum, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, the Church of La Encarnación, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the National Pantheon of the Heroes, a version of Paris' Les Invalides, where several of the nation's heroes are buried. Other attractions include the Palacio de los López, the old Senate building, and the Casa de la Independencia, one of the few remaining examples of colonial architecture in the city. Calle Palma is the main street in the city center, with many historic buildings, plazas, shops, restaurants and cafés. The "Manzana de la Rivera", in front of the Presidential Palace, is a series of old traditional houses that have been restored and are used as a museum, showing the architectural history of the city.