Visiting La Candelaria
Welcome back. Today we’ll talk about La Candelaria – zona C and what you can find when you get there; but first let us tell you about its history.
La Candelaria is the name commonly given to the historic center of the city, declared a national monument in 1963. It is the group of the old districts of La Catedral, Egipto, and La Concordia, which grew around churches of the Roman Catholic tradition. The cult to the image of Our Lady of La Candelaria, located in the church which bears her name, was so strong that within time it changed the name of the old La Catedral neighborhood to La Candelaria.
La Candelaria is located to the east of the Plaza de Bolívar and since the 16th century, when the first buildings were built there, it has been a political, religious and administrative center. Its steep streets still keep the names used during the centuries of colonial rule. The streets of the old Santa fé, now part of the city’s center, are characterized by their old, Spanish-style mansions, with heavy outer and inner doors, large halls called Zaguanes, spacious rooms, patios, thick walls, and facades with various styles of balconies and ironwork in doors and windows. Today, those buildings are student residencies, hostels, universities, b&bs, and hotels such as Hotel de La Opera, antique shops, cafés and restaurants, government offices, classic and experimental theaters, museums, libraries, cultural centers, and civic organizations.
The cooking is preserved in old restaurants such as La Puerta Falsa, which sells sweetmeats and dishes of old Santa fé. Fortunately, our office is located in La Candelaria, so please don’t forget to visit us and enjoy a great experience. Find us in facebook, twitter and foursquare and keep updated with the newest activities and all tours available to enjoy in Bogotá. We hope you enjoy reading this as much as we enjoyed writing it.
Until next time.
Remember you can find these and many more options at www.bogotapass.com
