carolwilliam88

Guanajuato in Mexico is a city that has an impressive mix of both history and culture. It is protected under UNESCO and is now emerging as a firm favourite with tourists from all over the world due to its picturesque architecture and colourful landscape. Guanajuato caters to everyone’s needs, whether you want to explore the Mexican culture or enjoy the chilled, friendly atmosphere, this city will deliver.

Guanajuato = Art

Diego Rivera, the famous Mexican artist, was born in Guanajuato and his house, situated a short drive away from the Hotel San Francisco Leon Gto, has been turned into a museum celebrating his life. The future husband of Frida Kahlo was born in 1886 and the ground floor of the house has been recreated with the use of 19^th century furniture to give an insight into how he would have lived. The top floors are exhibition rooms which hold an array of Rivera’s works as well as open spaces for local and international artists.

Guanajuato = Romance

The city of Guanajuato is bursting with romance with its winding streets and alleys that are so narrow they are the width of 2 people side by side. This cosy circumstance coupled with the beautiful bright colours of the buildings lends itself a touch of romance, especially when you get to the Alley of the Kiss.

The Alley of the Kiss is Guanajuato’s answer to William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It is said that a young couple fell in love despite the girl’s disapproving father and this led to leaning over their respective balconies to kiss, when you see the narrowness of the alleyway, you can judge if this would be possible. Unfortunately, her father killed her once he found out about the romance and the young man threw himself off the balcony to his death but if you take a romantic stroll through the Alley of the Kiss, you can simply stand on the red step and kiss your partner for 7 years of good luck and happiness. No balcony-jumping is required.

Guanajuato = Gore

The Mexican culture is well-known for its celebratory views of death; the Day of the Dead has now become a world-famous celebration. The West tend to view death as something to be feared while Latin Americans especially fully embrace it and celebrate the passing of friends and family member; in fact, they even worship Santa Muerte, the saint of death. In Guanajuato situated near San Francisco Hotel lies El Museo De Las Momias, the Museum of the Mummies where you will find over 100 mummies on display in glass cases. In the 19^th and 20^th century, bodies were removed from the ground if families missed any payments of the burial tax. The abundance of clay and limestones in the ground of Guanajuato turned the bodies into mummies and preserved them; this led them to be taken and stored in a building which subsequently became the museum. Today, many tourists flock to the museum making it one of the biggest hot spots in the city.