Montevideo

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Montevideo Travel Guide

City Map

City Introduction

Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay and at the same time one of South America’s large and interesting metropolises in the historic region between Spanish and Portuguese colonies. The city is beautifully located on the northern bank of the Río de la Plata on the site where the Spanish founded it in 1724.

The Fort Fortaleza General Artigas is located at the highest point in Montevideo, and from here there is a magnificent panoramic view of the entire capital and the Río de la Plata, which in this place looks like an ocean. Look forward to a tour through the capital’s cozy neighborhoods, and the old streets and beautiful squares of Ciudad Vieja are a natural starting point. Here you can, for example, enjoy a stroll along Peatonal Sarandí or follow life from one of the city’s plazas.

Plaza Zabala, Plaza de la Constitución and Plaza Independencia are like pearls on a string, and squares are among the most important in Montevideo. Around it, you can e.g. see the city’s cathedral and the architectural landmark Palacio Salvo.

The Rambla winds along the coast around Ciudad Vieja and Montevideo’s other districts. Together with the city’s parks, it forms Montevideo’s popular recreational areas, and of course you can also go on a boat trip; for example to Argentine Buenos Aires on the opposite side of the river.

Top Attractions

Constitution Square
Plaza de la Constitución

Plaza de la Constitución is the oldest square in Montevideo and is also known as Plaza Matriz. The square was laid out in 1726, which was two years after the founding of Montevideo, and the square was the Plaza Mayor of the walled city.

At the end of the 18th century, development began in earnest around the Plaza de la Constitución. It was at this time that the city’s cathedral was built, followed soon after by the Cabildo de Montevideo, which was the city’s town hall. It was thus the most important ecclesiastical and public buildings that took shape here, and this emphasized the importance of the square.

 

The city’s cathedral
Catedral Metropolitana

Catedral Metropolitana is Montevideo’s Catholic cathedral and seat of the city’s archbishop. The church’s history goes back to the Spanish colonial period, when a smaller church was built here in 1740.

Later in the 18th century, it was decided to build a larger cathedral here, and the foundation stone of the current cathedral was laid in 1790. The consecration took place in 1804, and Pope Pius IX elevated its status to a basilica in 1870, and later in the 19th century became the city’s cathedral.

The large, neoclassical church building, with its two slender towers, was for a long time the tallest building in Montevideo. This is no longer the case, but the cathedral’s facade is still quite impressive and a beautiful example of colonial buildings.

 

La Rambla

La Rambla is a collective name for the boulevard that runs along the water towards the Rio de La Plata all the way from east to west in the Uruguayan capital. La Rambla is a total of over 22 kilometers long, and it is divided into several parts in Montevideo’s various districts and suburbs.

The most visited part of La Rambla is immediately south of Montevideo’s old town, where there is a beautiful view of the water from the promenade. On this stretch, La Rambla has several names; from west to east, you can take a walk along, among others, Rambla Francia, Rambla Gran Bretaña, Rambla República Helénica and Rambla República Argentina

 

Independence Square
Plaza Independencia

Independence Square is Montevideo’s largest square and it also forms the center of Uruguay’s capital. It was the military engineer José M. Reyes who laid out the square in 1836, and the following year the Italian architect Carlo Zucchi drew up a design for it.

Plaza Independencia is located on the border between Montevideo’s old town, Ciudad Vieja, and the modern downtown, where the street Avenida 18 de Julio is one of the main boulevards.

In the center of the square there is a green area from which you can view the well-known surrounding buildings. In the facility itself, there is a mausoleum for and an equestrian statue of José Gervasio Artigas, who is a national hero and one of the decisive figures in Uruguay’s independence from Spanish colonial rule. The statue was created by the Italian sculptor Angelo Zanelli.

 

Mausoleum of General José Gervasio Artigas
Mausoleo al General José Gervasio Artigas

This is a mausoleum for the national hero José Gervasio Artigas, who was a general and leading figure in the Uruguayan independence in the 1820s. In the mausoleum, the mortal remains of Artigas are in an urn as a symbol of the Republic of Uruguay and the country’s freedom.

The Uruguayan government decided in 1974 to establish the mausoleum under Montevideo’s central square, Plaza Independencia. The mausoleum was dedicated in 1977 and Artigas’ remains were moved here. For many years he had been laid to rest in Uruguay’s national pantheon at the Central Cemetery/Cementario Central.

 

Salvo Palace
Palacio Salvo

Palacio Salvo, together with its sister building Palacio Barolo in Buenos Aires, is one of the most iconic and famous skyscrapers in South America. Palacio Salvo was completed in 1928 according to the design of Italian Mario Palanti, and it has been one of Montevideo’s best-known landmarks ever since.

Palanti had come to Argentina in 1909, where he designed the Italian pavilion for the Exposición Internacional del Centenario, marking the 100th anniversary of Argentina’s independence from Spain.

After building the 100 meter high Palacio Barolo in Buenos Aires in 1923, Palanti designed an equally tall building in the same style for the Salvo brothers in Uruguay. The building style was a mixture of several with clear details from 19th-century eclecticism and 1900-century art deco.

Other Attractions

Museum of Pre-Columbian and Native Art
Museo de Arte Precolombino e Indígena

This is a museum that exhibits exciting archaeological and ethnographic collections from the indigenous peoples of America. The exhibitions depict cultures from different peoples and periods. Among the exciting themes are permanent exhibitions of, among other things, archaeological finds from Uruguay and various pre-Columbian art.

The museum building was built at the end of the 19th century and designed by Emilio Reus. The style is eclectic, and the floors are arranged around a central, covered courtyard. The house was built as a center for medicine and hydro-therapy, and only later was it fitted out as a museum.

 

Admiral Graf Spee

Admiral Graf Spee was the name of a German armored ship that was commissioned in 1936, and which in a way entered Montevideo in World War II, when the captain of the ship chose to sink it off the city.

In 2004, an action was launched to salvage some wreckage from the Admiral Graf Spee, which lay in just 11 meters of water. Today, two of these parts are on display at the port of Montevideo. Here you can see Admiral Graf Spee’s anchor and telemeter, which measured the distance in connection with launches.

 

Sarandí Pedestrian Street
Peatonal Sarandí

The pedestrian street Peatonal Sarandí is the main street in Montevideo. The long street connects Puerta de la Ciudedela in the east with Rambla Francia on the coast in the west, and along the way you pass Plaza de la Constitución. During a visit to the city, you should enjoy a stroll here and enjoy the atmosphere, the many shops and eateries or simply look at the many fine buildings that line the street.

These include the neighboring buildings Edificio Pablo Ferrando and Museo Torres García and Club Uruguay, Montevideo’s Cabildo and the city cathedral, all three of which are located along the Plaza de la Constitución.

 

Solis Theatre
Teatro Solís

Teatro Solís is Montevideo and Uruguay’s leading theater stage, and here you can experience a richly varied program of opera, ballet, plays and concerts. It is also one of South America’s largest theatres, and the most beautiful setting for the performances is the great hall, which has a classically beautiful decoration of, among other things, the ceiling and the many boxes on several floors.

The theater building was constructed from 1842 and inaugurated in 1856, and it was the Italian architect Carlo Zucchi who designed the main part of the theatre; Clemente César designed the building’s facade. The architectural style is an example of a kind of historicist eclecticism that was frequently used in the 19th century.

 

The Citadel Gate
Puerto de la Ciudadela

The Citadel gate is a remnant of the main entrance to Montevideo’s historic citadel, which was demolished in 1829. The citadel was a mighty fort that, with its thick walls, acted as a defense of the then Montevideo from the land side. The citadel was moated around bastions, and there were city walls north and south of the citadel; they connected the fortress and the sea, with which the whole city was protected by the walls.

 

18 July Boulevard
Avenida 18 de Julio

Immediately to the east of Montevideo’s old town is the city’s modern center, which spreads not least around Plaza Independencia and Avenida 18 de Julio, which is one of the most important thoroughfares and shopping streets in the Uruguayan capital.

Avenida de 18 Julio is named after Uruguay’s constitution, which was signed on July 18, 1830, in connection with the country’s independence. The boulevard was conceived as the central axis of the New City/Ciudad Nueva, which was laid out east of the Old City/Ciudad Vieja’s city walls.

Day Trips

Piria Castle
Castillo del Piria

Castillo del Piria is a beautiful castle located in the heart of the agro-industrial Piriápolis. The castle was completed in 1897 to the design of the Italian Aquiles Monzani. The castle-like castle was built as a private residence for Francisco Piria, who was, among other things, an inventor, writer, businessman and politician.

In 1890, Piria bought a large piece of land that stretched from mountains to beaches, and it was here that he built Castillo del Piria. It was also here that Piria founded the seaside resort of Piriápolis and later laid out the beach boulevard in the city and hotels such as Hotel Piriápolis and Argentino. Piria’s castle and town are still very popular excursion destinations.

 

Punta del Este

Punta del Este is a seaside resort and peninsula located where the Río de la Plata meets the Atlantic Ocean. Its recent history started in 1896, when Antonio Lussich bought 1,800 hectares of uninhabited land and established the Arboretum Lussich, which developed into a large botanical garden.

With its long sandy beaches, Punta del Este became a major tourist town, attracting the jet set from Uruguay and from abroad. The city was called the Monaco of the South, and the fashionable lifestyle characterized Punta del Este.

 

Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

Colonia del Sacramento

Colonia del Sacramento is a cozy city that is also one of the oldest in Uruguay and known for its old town, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Colonia’s history was marked from the beginning by colonial territorial battles with Portugal and Spain. Colonia was part of Portugal, while Spanish colonial armies besieged and defeated Colonia several times in the late 17th century and throughout the 18th century.

Several peace treaties returned the city to Portugal until Spain incorporated Colonia into its empire.In the first half of the 18th century, Colonia had been significantly expanded with fortifications, and the city was the richest around the Rio de la Plata. Overall, the Rio de la Plata region was economically interesting to both the Spanish and Portuguese empires.

Read more about Colonia del Sacramento

 

Palacio del Congreso, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina and a meeting with South American atmosphere and countless European-style splendor buildings that make the city unique on the American continent. Buenos Aires was expanded by Parisian example, as Argentina was one of the richest countries in the world, and it is clearly seen in the large and charming city center.

Everywhere there is grand architecture that matches the best of Europe and at the same time creates the city’s very own atmosphere. The central squares, Plaza de Mayo and Plaza Congreso, as well as the stunningly beautiful theater building, Teatro Colon, are fine examples of this. A Calle Florida stroll is also a must, just as tango in San Telmo is also popular.

Read more about Buenos Aires

Geolocation

In short

Palacio Salvo, Montevideo, Uruguay

Palacio Salvo, Montevideo, Uruguay

Overview of Montevideo

Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay and at the same time one of South America’s large and interesting metropolises in the historic region between Spanish and Portuguese colonies. The city is beautifully located on the northern bank of the Río de la Plata on the site where the Spanish founded it in 1724.

The Fort Fortaleza General Artigas is located at the highest point in Montevideo, and from here there is a magnificent panoramic view of the entire capital and the Río de la Plata, which in this place looks like an ocean. Look forward to a tour through the capital’s cozy neighborhoods, and the old streets and beautiful squares of Ciudad Vieja are a natural starting point. Here you can, for example, enjoy a stroll along Peatonal Sarandí or follow life from one of the city’s plazas.

Plaza Zabala, Plaza de la Constitución and Plaza Independencia are like pearls on a string, and squares are among the most important in Montevideo. Around it, you can e.g. see the city’s cathedral and the architectural landmark Palacio Salvo.

About the Whitehorse travel guide

Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
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Language: English

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Gallery

Gallery

Other Attractions

Museum of Pre-Columbian and Native Art
Museo de Arte Precolombino e Indígena

This is a museum that exhibits exciting archaeological and ethnographic collections from the indigenous peoples of America. The exhibitions depict cultures from different peoples and periods. Among the exciting themes are permanent exhibitions of, among other things, archaeological finds from Uruguay and various pre-Columbian art.

The museum building was built at the end of the 19th century and designed by Emilio Reus. The style is eclectic, and the floors are arranged around a central, covered courtyard. The house was built as a center for medicine and hydro-therapy, and only later was it fitted out as a museum.

 

Admiral Graf Spee

Admiral Graf Spee was the name of a German armored ship that was commissioned in 1936, and which in a way entered Montevideo in World War II, when the captain of the ship chose to sink it off the city.

In 2004, an action was launched to salvage some wreckage from the Admiral Graf Spee, which lay in just 11 meters of water. Today, two of these parts are on display at the port of Montevideo. Here you can see Admiral Graf Spee’s anchor and telemeter, which measured the distance in connection with launches.

 

Sarandí Pedestrian Street
Peatonal Sarandí

The pedestrian street Peatonal Sarandí is the main street in Montevideo. The long street connects Puerta de la Ciudedela in the east with Rambla Francia on the coast in the west, and along the way you pass Plaza de la Constitución. During a visit to the city, you should enjoy a stroll here and enjoy the atmosphere, the many shops and eateries or simply look at the many fine buildings that line the street.

These include the neighboring buildings Edificio Pablo Ferrando and Museo Torres García and Club Uruguay, Montevideo’s Cabildo and the city cathedral, all three of which are located along the Plaza de la Constitución.

 

Solis Theatre
Teatro Solís

Teatro Solís is Montevideo and Uruguay’s leading theater stage, and here you can experience a richly varied program of opera, ballet, plays and concerts. It is also one of South America’s largest theatres, and the most beautiful setting for the performances is the great hall, which has a classically beautiful decoration of, among other things, the ceiling and the many boxes on several floors.

The theater building was constructed from 1842 and inaugurated in 1856, and it was the Italian architect Carlo Zucchi who designed the main part of the theatre; Clemente César designed the building’s facade. The architectural style is an example of a kind of historicist eclecticism that was frequently used in the 19th century.

 

The Citadel Gate
Puerto de la Ciudadela

The Citadel gate is a remnant of the main entrance to Montevideo’s historic citadel, which was demolished in 1829. The citadel was a mighty fort that, with its thick walls, acted as a defense of the then Montevideo from the land side. The citadel was moated around bastions, and there were city walls north and south of the citadel; they connected the fortress and the sea, with which the whole city was protected by the walls.

 

18 July Boulevard
Avenida 18 de Julio

Immediately to the east of Montevideo’s old town is the city’s modern center, which spreads not least around Plaza Independencia and Avenida 18 de Julio, which is one of the most important thoroughfares and shopping streets in the Uruguayan capital.

Avenida de 18 Julio is named after Uruguay’s constitution, which was signed on July 18, 1830, in connection with the country’s independence. The boulevard was conceived as the central axis of the New City/Ciudad Nueva, which was laid out east of the Old City/Ciudad Vieja’s city walls.

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