The beating heart of Bolivia, La Paz - its actual capital, administrative and cultural center .Situated in the huge "cup" of the river bed dried up millions of years ago, it has been slowly but surely creeping up the canyon slopes for almost five centuries - it seems to look out for its sharp edges, breathe deeply the pure air of the Andes and sit down to watch, as in a motionless the tits of Lake Titicaca are reflected by fluffy clouds .La Paz is a city that discourages .On the paved stone slabs squares, framed by majestic cathedrals and slender buildings of the Spanish era, peasant women stroll in bright woolen clothes and with indispensable national bowlers on blue-black hair - $ .From the open door of the Peña, a music club, the complaints of the reed flute are heard; in the multiplex opposite, they show the latest 3D creation of Hollywood, and just two steps away, on the Witches market, one can buy everything necessary for witchcraft - from aphrodisiacs to dried frogs $ .Still here a lot of interesting museums - from the Museum of Coca to up to an astounding collection of precious metals from the pre-Columbian era .
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How to get
Get to the cities of Russia and the CIS to La Paz will have at least two transplants - one in the European capital, the second - in Chile, Peru, Brazil or Argentina. Among the most convenient options for flights are the flights of Iberia (via Madrid and Lima), Air France (via Paris and Caracas), Lufthansa (with transfer in Frankfurt and Lima) and Alitalia (via Rome or Milan and Caracas). It is worth to prepare to spend more than a day (usually 27-28 hours) taking into account the connections.
La Paz International Airport is located in El Alto, 10 km from the city center. To overcome this distance is most convenient for a taxi, the trip will cost about 60 WWII. If you want to save money, you can wait for the bus - the fare in it is only 4 WWII, although during peak hours the traffic is literally jammed to the eyeballs. In El Alto, you can land from other Bolivian cities, the most frequent air service is with Sucre and Santa Cruz.
And of course, in La Paz you can arrive by bus or minibus from any locality in the country. But the railway communication is not here - in spite of the fact that there are ways, the locomotives do not go for them because of the unpopularity of this transport among the Bolivians. The nearest train station is in Oruro.
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Transport in the city
The city transport of La Paz is a motley, like an Indian home-made rug. You can move around the city by buses (micro, mini and conventional), minibuses and taxi. Travel by bus and minibus will cost 1, 5-2 WWII in the city. Stop and they both can be anywhere in their route - just give up. Sitting in the car, be sure to voice the desired landing point. "Trufi" also follow a fixed route, but they are ordinary "cars" - which can be more convenient if you are in the soul of a misanthrope.
Taxi - the most recommended way for us to travel around La Paz and the surrounding area .They happen to be "sitting down" and the usual .The first can pick up passengers on the road and in fact are no different from the "trophy" .They "are found" in popular directions; the trip costs 2, 5-4 ВОВ .The second is a taxi in the civilized sense of the word: can be called by phone, have a number and a counter is .The price should be negotiated in advance (despite the presence of a counter), in general for the city voyage is requested from 6 to 8 WWII, and to the suburbs can be reached for 20 VVV .
Weather forecast
Partly cloudy, light rain, thunderstorms +14 ° С in the afternoon +7 ° C at night ° С water |
Partly cloudy, light rain, thunderstorms +14 ° С in the afternoon +7 ° C at night ° С water |
Cloudy, light rain, thunderstorms +13 ° С in the day +7 ° C at night ° С water |
| La Paz weather forecast for 10 days | ||
Because of the highlands in La Paz, it's quite chilly throughout the year, so it's recommended to take warm things with you in January and July. Approximately from November to April La Paz every evening shaking torrential rains, narrow streets turn into violent mountain streams, and buildings are drowned in dairy fog. From May to October, the days are mostly clear and cool, but the sun is very active - we recommend not forgetting protection from ultraviolet radiation. Nights, however, are noticeably cold: leaving the hotel after noon, be sure to take a warm sweatshirt with you.
Kitchen and restaurants La Paz
In La Paz there are a lot of "fast food", cafes, restaurants and gourmet establishments. Inexpensive eateries can be found everywhere, most of the classy restaurants are located south of the main Prado street - in the areas of Isabel La Católica and Avaroa.
Popular "street" dishes include: "saltyenya" - cakes with potato and meat stuffing and slightly spicy sauce, "Tukuman" cheburek, pies with cheese "empanada", cheese rolls "kunyape" .From the fact that it is "heavier", we recommend that you taste pieces of fried beef heart with potatoes and spicy corn sauce "anti-kucho", a mix of potatoes and sliced sausages "salchhipapa", a sandwich with spicy sausages with a side dish of fried onion "choripan" ±$ br >.You can drink a meal with natural drinks: the analogue of a milksheyka "likuado", a cocktail with the spoken name "vitamin", a traditional corn drink "api" or a spicy "mocochinch" from peaches with spices .
In the institutions of haute cuisine, you should definitely try South American meat dishes: grilled steaks, steaks and roast beefs, accompanied by an indispensable potato, are appetizing, perhaps as anywhere in the world.
Shopping and shopping
The largest concentration of tourist shops is observed on the main artery of the city - the Prado and Sagarnago Street .Pay attention to the shops with the sign "artesano" - they sell authentic things of Indian production .Be sure to visit the booming Negro market, where everything is sold - from dried roots to clothes and alcohol .Rather, for impressions, rather than shopping, go to the picturesque (and eerie) Witches market (Mercado de las Brujas), where the materials for magical rituals are abundantly sold - $ .Vintage clothing and antiques are offered on the market in El Alto, on Thursdays and Sundays .
Quality products made from llama and alpaca wool can be found in the boutiques of Liliana Castellanos (in the so-called "sur zone" - the southern area of La Paz), the shop Comart Tukuypaj in Linares Street 95, "Artesanii Sorata" in Sagarnagh, 363 and in the boutique Waliki , which is also located in the "southern zone". Among other things, they also sell interesting designer clothes.
For products made from Bolivian semiprecious stones, including the most beautiful violet-yellow amethyst endemic of Bolivianite, it's worth to look into Joyas y Gemas on the street on July 16.
Fresh vegetables and fruits are waiting for their customers at the largest La Paz-Lanso food market.
Hotels
La Paz, like any other Latin American capital, boasts a rich choice of hotels. The best options should be booked in advance, well, and budgetary treshki or boarding houses in the last resort can be found and three days before arrival.
Book popular La Paz hotels at the best prices
| Stannum Boutique Hotel & Spa from 7,079 rubles La Paz Avenida Arce, 2631 | Ritz Apart Hotel from 5 171 rubles La Paz Plaza Isabel La Catolica, 2478 - Zona Sopocachi | Hotel Europa from 5 602 rubles La Paz Tihuanaco No. 64 |
| La Casona Hotel Boutique from 6,094 rubles La Paz Avenida Mariscal Santa Cruz 938 | Almudena Apart Hotel from 4 309 rubles La Paz Calle Carlos Medinacelli Esq. Borda Nro. 1022, Zona Sopocachi | Los Sauces Apart Hotel from 5 294 rubles La Paz Av. Arequipa n. 8283 esq. Los Sauces |
| Hotel Berlina from 3,694 rubles La Paz Av Illampu 761 entre Santa Cruz y Graneros | Hotel Rosario La Paz from 4 863 rubles La Paz Av. Illampu, 704 | Golden Palace from 1,355 rubles La Paz Sagarnaga No 531 |
| Hostal Ananay from 924 rub. La Paz Jaen 710 | Hotel Sagarnaga from 1,662 rubles La Paz Sagarnaga 326 | Hotel Avenida from 1 293 rubles La Paz Av Montes 690 Esq. Bozo |
Entertainment, excursions and attractions of La Paz
Colonial architecture of the Spanish period is best viewed on the Avenue of Jaén. Here a lot of interesting buildings in good condition, with porticoes, colonnades and elongated domes - in a word, in the best traditions of the Spanish nobility of the 16th century.
The center of the city is Murillo Square, along the perimeter of which the Presidential Palace, the Palace of Justice, the Parliament building and the Cathedral (19 in).It is worth a visit to the monument to President Gualberto Villaroel, who in 1946 was erected on a lamp post by angry rebels..Curiously, the Spanish Don Pedro Domingo Murillo, after whom the square was named, in 1810 suffered the same fate .The wheel of history, note, turned the same spoke up .In memory of Don Murillo, you can also visit his house-museum, which exhibited many artifacts of that era .Among other monuments of secular architecture - the palaces of Dies de Medina and Villaverde (both 18 in) .
Museums of La Paz deserve the closest attention .First of all, the Museum of Arts and the National Museum of Archeology with a lot of exhibits from the excavations of Tiahuanaco, the Museum of Ethnography and Folklore, where you can learn more about the culture of the numerous nationalities of Bolivia, and the Museum of Precious Metal Values with its amazing collection of jewelry of various Indian cultures .Certainly worth a visit in the most interesting museum of coca, dedicated to this controversial bush .Tasting of the coca leaf is included in the price of .Connoisseurs of weavers' creativity are invited to the Textile Museum, where you can learn everything about the production of national fabrics, clothes and mats..In the Museum of Musical Instruments, an extensive exposition of traditional wind, plucked and percussion instruments is presented to tourists..
In the vicinity of the city there is an interesting natural landscape - the Valley of the Moon. Here you can practically pass in the footsteps of Neil Armstrong: a lifeless surface, hummocks and stones, the smallest beige dust ... in general, one in one lunar landscape, except that the wind spoils the impression.
One-day excursion trips are offered to the Tiwanaku Archaeological Park, to the top of the Chakaltai mountain and to the Titicaca lake. Photos of La Paz (5)