Day 300: History and shiny things in La Candelaria

For our first Saturday in Bogotá, the plan was to explore La Candelaria, the historic neighbourhood of the city’s downtown area where the country’s capital was founded in 1538. The neighbourhood is very popular with local and foreign tourists due to its colourful colonial architecture, cobblestone streets, and numerous attractions.

 

Our first stop was Plaza Bolívar, which is named after one of Colombia’s most important historical figures. For those who are unfamiliar with the name, Simon Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader who played a prominent role in the independence of Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama the 1800s.

 

We wanted to have lunch at the famous La Puerta Falsa (The False Door) restaurant since the place has been around for over a century and Anthony Bourdain raved about their food when he ate there. Naturally, we had to go too. Unfortunately, the restaurant was packed to the brim and had a long line of people waiting. Instead, we went to the restaurant right next to it for a delicious bandeja paisa and forgot our disappointment.

 

After lunch, we went to the Casa de Moneda de Colombia (Colombian Mint) museum. Entry was free and we got to see the museum’s large collection of Colombian coins and the history of moneymaking (the physical process, not the “how to get rich” process).

 

We were surprised (and delighted) to discover that there was also an impressive collection of modern art within the same complex as the currency museum.

 

 

Afterwards, we walked to the Museo del Oro (Museum of Gold). Entry was 4,000 COP (~1.80 CAD) and we spent a few hours taking in all the shiny things on display. The museum houses a large collection of gold (obviously) and pre-Colombian artifacts.

 

 

Before calling it a day, we went to the coffee shop at the museum’s ground floor to replenish our sugar levels with some delicious caffeinated beverages and muffins.