Bosque de Chapultepec, Mexico City

Well... If you go to Mexico City and are not planning of going anywere else, you can have an idea about what "Voladores de Papantla" are, next to El Museo de Antropologia... I like to call it as the "Bungy Jumping precesor"... But It iss a little more complex than just jumping with a robe... This is kind of a dance, and it is not a jump, it is a slow decending of 4 guys at he same time from a ... Well, my engish is not that well, and I prefer you to watch it yourself :)

There is nothing like spending a day in Chapultepec Park and the nearby museums: Museo Nacional de Antropologia, Museo de Arte Moderno, and Museo de Rufino Tamayo. The park is a nice safe-heaven from the stress of the city. The Monumento a los Niños Heroes was closed, but as a good Mexican, I entered through the side ;). "Los Niños Heroes" were a group of young military cadets that opted to jump off the roof rather then surrendering to the French Army in the 1800's. It's says that one of them jumped up high, pulled the Mexican flag, and rolled himself on it as he fell to his death on the ground below. It was certainly a heroic nationalistic effort. Anyway, on top of the hill is the infamous "Castillo de Chapultepec." It is clearly influenced by European architecture, which makes for a unique visit.

This monument is erected for the remembrance of the young soldiers who died in 1847 while defending the castle of Chapultepec. You can see this monument at the entrance of the big park of Bosque de Chapultepec.

Visit the Castle of Chapultepec, the National Historical Museum. The tradition of Chapultepec Castle as a residence for Mexican rulers dates back to the 14th Century when Nezahualcoyotl, the King of Texcoco, ordered a palace to built at the foot of the hill. Following the Spanish Conquest, Hernan Cortez took possession of Chapultepec as part of his spoils and it subsequently served as a hunting preserve for the Viceroy de Velasco. A French invasion altered the landscape of Chapultepec as the construction of the Imperial Palace of Maximilian von Hapsburg and the layout of a majestic avenue to connect the Castle with Mexico City went started. Plans were prepare in France to add a second floor to the principal facade of the main building, including the Fortress, and renovations went completed to convert the Castle into a regal residential palace. The Golden Age of the Castle came, however, during the government of Porfirio Diaz. The General, who, ironically, had liberated the city from the conservative forces of the Second Empire, managed to imbue Chapultepec with the ostentatious lifestyle that Maximilian and Carlotta had yearned for, and which included decorating its interior in extravagant European luxury. It was here that President Diaz had his noteworthy meeting with Creelman, the American journalist, which left the heavy ironwork doors ajar to the Revolutionary surge of 1910. In 1944, the National History Museum established in the Castle, and now you can see here the most important documents and memorabilia covering Mexico’s history from the Conquest until the Revolutionary period. You can also visit the presidential chambers in the Fortress, and a magnificent panorama of Mexico City can be see from the terraces.
More pictures and info you can find in my National Historical Museum travelogue…

Begun in 1785 atop a 200-foot-high hill in the center of Chapultepec park, it was originally used as a weekend retreat for Spanish viceroys. Upon completion in 1841, it became a military academy. It later served as the home of Maximiliano de Asburgo who, supported by the French army, was emperor of Mexico in the 1860s; after the restoration of the Republic, the castle was the residence of Mexican presidents until 1940. At present day the castle is divided in two sections: one houses the National Museum of History (wich boasts eye-catching displays, artifacts, and murals by famed Mexican painters). The other section is the Alcazar which was the portion of the castle used for habitational purposes; this area takes you back to XIXth century as it has preserved its original spaces; it also has an interesting view of the Reforma boulevard and surrounding neighborhoods.

......Chapultepec Park....
For hundreds of years Chapultepec has been a focal point in this city of such tremendous population growth that an airy expanse of green is very good to see

This beautiful park supplies a vital area of green in this polluted city. It is surrounded by a centuries-old forest and hosted numerous activities. It includes the Castilo de Chapultepec and the National Historical museum near its summit, important cultural centers including world-class museums (as the Museum of Anthropology), amusement parks, a zoo and lakes, and is crisscrossed by access routes. These routes are most used by hordes of visitors and vendors.

There is a monument at the foot of the hill where Chapultec Castle stands. This monument is dedicated to Los Niños Héroes, the Child Heroes. In 1847, during the Mexican-American War, General Winfield Scott led American forces into Mexico by way of Veracruz. The troops marched to Mexico City. The last Mexican stronghold was Chapultepec Castle, a military academy at that time. It is said that the last defenders at the castle were six teenaged cadets who, rather than surrender to American troops, the boys wrapped themselves in the Mexican flag and jumped from the castle wall, plunging to the their deaths. I have read various accounts; one says that only one threw himself from the castle wall; another does not mention anyone jumping to his death. There is a painting on a ceiling which depicts a cadet falling to his death. It appears that he is falling toward you. It is morbidly interesting.

Chapultepec Castle rests atop a hill that provides a good view of Mexico City. The castle was formerly the home of Austrian Archduke Maximilian and his wife Charlotte (Carlota) during their rule as Mexico's 'emporrer and empress.' Maximilian and Carlota ruled during France's brief invasion of Mexico, from 1862 to 1867. The castle was originally built in the late 18th century for the Spanish viceroys in Mexico. It is currently a museum.
The castle is part of a larger area of 1,000 acres called Chapultepec Forest. There are several museums, including the famous National Museum of Anthropology. There is also a zoo and amusement parks.

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This castle on Bosque Chapultepec (grasshopper Hill) now houses the National History Museum. The castle also afford excellents views of Mexico City.