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 El Zocalo and the Palacio Nacional by TheWanderingCamel, 2 more photos Many cities in Mexico have their own "El Zocalo" - the main plaza -but none of them come close to the one in Mexico City in scale or grandeur and historical importance. The square is rightly known as the Plaza de la Constitucion but nobody calls it that - instead it is known by the Aztec word 'zocalo' -which is only fitting as this was the very heart of the Aztec city the Spanish found here when they arrived in 1519. Within just a few short years the great buildings, temples and palaces they found here were in ruins, their stones used to pave the square and build the churches and government offices of the conquerors. Today the grand edifices of that conquest serve an independent nation - the Catedral Metropolitana and the Palacio Nacional both facing the square where a huge flag of the Republic is raised and lowered with pomp (and difficulty on a windy day) each day. Years of excavation after an accidental discovery have revealed the Aztec's Templo Mayor and the forecourt of the temple complex sounds again with Aztec drums as dancers in the feathered head-dresses of their ancestors dance for the tourists. The Palacio Nacional, dates from the late 17th century, but it is the 20th century murals depicting 400 years of Mexican history, the masterwork of Mexico's most famous artist, Diego Rivera, that people come to see here. The palace is huge and whilst much of it is reserved for official use it does house a small museum dedicated to Benito Juarez and the Mexican Congress. The Catedral Metropolitana was dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin when building commenced in 1573; this is the oldest cathedral in all the Americas. Built on the soft clay of the drained lake that once filled much of the valley here, continued draining the city's water needs has caused major problems with subsidence - an ongoing and expensive concern for this historic building. The interior has some particularly beautiful decoration, side chapels and altarpieces. leyle leyle Leave a Comment Directions: The best view of El Zocalo is from the Restaurante Terraza at the Hotel Majestic on Avenida Madero
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Zocalo is one fo the most important places of the city. You will be able to see the cathedral (wich its amazing), National Palace - where you can enjoy, inside of a fantastic murals, Templo Mayor (some ruins in the city) and some other old buildings. Also you can enjoy a nice lunch or dinner or a drink at the top of any of the hotels around the Zocalo, all of them have a the top floor a restaurant where you can enojoy a nice view and just relax a bit. Leave a Comment
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 Above the Zocalo with a cerveza by jenn_d The third largest public square in the world (Behind Tiannamen and Red Square), the zocalo is adorned with an enormous Mexican Flag..think back to the opening scene of the movie Traffic,,, Lots of activity here and a great meeting point.. "Meet me at the flag..." Leave a Comment Directions: 10 minutes north of Bellas Artes
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 danza by Gaby_G Family groups dancing at the sound of a flute... From the oldest to the youngest, everyone dressed in a prehispanic costume... You´ll find them in almost every touristic spot, and well... They will ask you for money... But the dance and the music are nice and the experience is better... Leave a Comment
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by chris_i79 This was the first church built in New Spain, The material was taken directly from the fallen Aztec capital. Now it is the centerpiece of the Zocalo in Mexico City. The Catedral is massive and best of all free to enter. It is possible to climb the bell tower to get a great view of the Zocalo for a small fee. Leave a Comment
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The Zocalo is one of the world's largest public squares. I stayed just a couple blocks from here, so I was in the area a lot. The central space is just a big cemented square and it's a bit hard to get to because of the traffic zipping by (use the subway for the safest access). However, the buildings around the square, the history of it and the energy that emanates from it, make it a great place to visit. During the day, the Zocalo is teeming with tourists and the presence of the Palacio Nacional marks it as the heart of Mexico City's political life. You'll also find the city's main cathedral and the ruins of the Templo Mayor here. You might think of this as the center of town as I did, but it's not necessarily the truth. At night, this area is actually fairly quiet, so I don't necessarily recommend booking your accommodations here, although it was perfectly fine for me. Leave a Comment Directions: Metro Zocalo
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 Rivera mural at the National Palace, Mexico City by ExGuyParis Another of the murals by Rivera in the National Palace. Sometimes his politics and his love interests overshadow the fact that he painted remarkably beautiful murals. See the web site below for an extensive account of his art, his politics, and his wives. Leave a Comment
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 A panoramic view of the Zocalo and surroundings by Laura_Mexico There are a couple of places in the surroundings of the Zocalo where you can eat and have a wonderful view of the entire Zocalo-Cathedral-Palacio Nacional area at the same time. The one I visited is called the Gran Hotel Ciudad de México, which is a big nice hotel (luxurious, I would say) that has a restaurant called "El Mirador" that overlooks the Zocalo and the surrounding buildings from the 4th floor. The view is MAGNIFICENT, although there are very few & small tables located in the terrace -- most of them are inside and you can see nothing from there. But if you go and have breakfast or lunch during week days there will be no people (or almost) and you will be able to eat and have a gorgeous view of the very heart of our city. They have buffet-style breakfasts & lunches, the first being $89 (Mexican pesos - around 8 USD) and the latter $99, plus beverages, which are not included. The food quality is good and the variety is ok as well. The other hotel-restaurant overlooking this same area is called the Majestic and it's almost next door. I don't know how good this one is, though, but I suppose it must be nice as well. Now, why the hell am I posting restaurant recommendations on the "Must See Activities" section?? Because I think it's worth the visit not because of the quality of the restaurant itself, but because of the view you will have from there and which you won't get from anywhere else. Dining while having this panorama before your eyes is quite an experience itself, and I think you must try to have it! :) Bon Appetit!! Leave a Comment Directions: Located in one of the streets surrounding the Zocalo, facing the Palacio Nacional.
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by cinthya_in_victoria Zócalo is the city center of Mexico City, full of dancers, people and vendors. It is also known as the Plaza de la Constitución; Walk along its streets and ride the Trolley bus that departs next to Bellas Artes. Recently it has been used by many artists to host their concerts, such as Cafe Tacuba, Maná, Alejandro Sanz, Shakira and so on. While there, visit the Templo Mayor, Palacio Nacional or the Cathedral which offers a tour to its belfry and have a great view of downtown. Leave a Comment Address: Downtown
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 Zocalo by filipdebont El Zocalo is La Plaza de la Constitution. This is the most important Plaza of Mexico. It is used for official ceremonies and military parades. In the middle of this square you see the Mexican pride, a huge Mexican flag. This square is surrounded by the Cathedral Metropolitana and the Palacio Nacional. Leave a Comment Address: ZocaloDirections: Metro : Zocalo
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