Potosi

Places of Interest - Bolivia


Potosi-Bolivia-Architecture-Silver-El-Dorado-Cerro-Rico-Mine


introduction


Potosi might not have been El Dorado - the golden city the Spaniards were looking and hoping for - but the Silver Mountain Cerro Rico was a very appreciated alternative. The city was discovered in 1544 were it was founded directly in the valley of the gold mine (Potosi) which quickly became one of the largest and most prosperous cities in the Americas. In the years that the mine dried up, the wealth disappeared from the city and today Potosi is more of a tourist city with many colonial buildings from that time.

 

It is also possible to enter the famous (and notorious) mines with a miners' group and to get a feeling under which deplorable conditions the miners then and now live and have lived. The city has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1987 because of its rich history and colonial architecture. In addition to the above, the city claims to be the highest in the world - Potosi is located at an altitude of 4090 meters. Potosi is also often the final station of a tour to the largest salt lake in the world (Uyuni) and the national park Los Lipez.


highlights


The inner city:

The center of Potosi is an open museum with many old colonial buildings. You can take a look at the cathedral or at "the esquina de las cuatro portadas" or the corner with the four doors, where you can look at four beautiful balconies that seem to touch each other, so close to each other they are built.

 

There is the museum and monastery of San Fransisco and countless other churches, monasteries and museums to admire and visit. The church the San Lorenzo de Carangas is perhaps the most photographed church of Bolivia. The stone work on facade and woodwork on the door is fantastic. But sit on a square and enjoy a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice where you see the locals passing by or walking through the busy shopping street Bolivar is also an experience you shouldn’t miss.  

 

Other attractions:

  • The Casa Nacional de Moneda. 

Potosi-Bolivia-Architecture-Silver-El-Dorado-Cerro-Rico-Mine

history


In 1545 the silver mine Cerro Rico was discovered and Potosi was founded under the name Villa Imperial de Carlos V. The silver ore was extracted directly on a large scale, to be shipped to Spain. Legend has it that the quantities were so large that the Spaniards could build a silver bridge from the mine to the motherland. To process the mines, many (dark) slaves from Africa were also imported as large groups of Bolivians.

 

They worked here under very miserable conditions - in 4-month shifts where they lived and worked underground. When they came out they had to wear a cap to cover their heads due to the bright sunlight. In the three centuries that the mine was active at full capacity, not less than 8 million people would have died as a result. By 1672, the population of Potosi had risen to nearly 200,000, and the city and its many churches became one of the largest and richest in South America. A mint was founded, the Casa de Moneda, to make silver coins on the spot. There were also water reservoirs to quench the thirst of the expanding population. 

 

During the first half of the 19th century, the independence wars caused a decline of the city: much treasures were shipped to Europe. After independence in 1825, the population of Potosi had decreased to less than 10,000. By that time, the mines of the Cerro Rico were almost exhausted. The fall of the silver price in the middle of the 19th century gave the economy of Potosí the final blow. In the 1980s, all state mines were closed and the miners switched to a system of cooperatives, where the miners work under self-management.

 

The ore is extracted and processed into a powder of zinc, lead and silver, which is exported. In addition to mining, Potosí has no other industry. The city is becoming increasingly dependent on tourism and miners earn some money by taking tourist around in the mines.



tips & advice (2011)


The bus-terminal (as well as train station) is about 2 to 3 km outside the center of Potosi.

 

Potosi - Sucre: you can take a micro (mini)bus to Sucre but you can also take a "shared" taxi - you pay per person 30 Bol (4 people) – it takes about 2,5 to 3 hours (near the old terminal).


  • Name: Residential Copacobana

Address: Avenida Serrudo # 319

Price: 25 Globe (single room)

 

Content:

What can I say about it - the price is fantastic for your private room but it is actually no more than a loft. The bed is too small for my height, the mattress is far from perfect and when you go to the toilet you have to watch out that you do not hit your head. The hostel is in the center and the bus and train station are about 3 km away. You do not have to be here for luxury - great for a few nights for someone with a small purse.


Potosi-Bolivia-Architecture-Silver-El-Dorado-Cerro-Rico-Mine

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