The most significant sights of Santiago are easy to get around on an open-top double-decker bus, plying along the circular route from 9:30 to 18:00 with an interval of 30 minutes (off. site in English). At any of the 12 stops, you can get off the bus and then continue your journey at the next one.
Armory Square
According to simplyyellowpages, the central square of Santiago is the Plaza de Armas. The history of the city began here: in the 16th century, there were gunpowder stores of the Spanish army on the square, and in 1960, a monument to Pedro de Valdivia, the founder of the city, appeared. Two more monuments stand next to it – a monument to the first cardinal of Chile, José Maria Caro, and a statue “In Honor of the Freedom of America.” On the square are the buildings of the House of Governors of Chile, the municipality of Santiago, the main post office, the building of the Royal Audience, the city cathedral. All the strategically important places of the city are collected on one patch.
Municipal Opera and Ballet Theater
The theater was opened in the middle of the 19th century. The main hall is designed for 1500 people, the small one – for 250. Many famous world voices performed here – from Anna Pavlova to Placido Domingo. The theater building is one of the national monuments of Chile. On weekdays performances start at 19:00, on Saturday at 17:00 or 18:00, on Sunday at 17:00. Address: Plaza de Armas.
Mount San Cristobal
Among the natural attractions of the bustling metropolis is the forested mountain of San Cristobal with the Metropolitano Park, outdoor pools, a zoo and numerous paths for walking. At the very top there is a snow-white statue of the Virgin Mary 36 m high, and at the foot is the Pablo Neruda House Museum, built into the thickness of the mountain. In it, the most famous poet of Chile, the Nobel Prize winner, wrote most of his works. You can go upstairs on foot, by taxi or funicular, the lower station of which is located on the street. Manuel Mackenna.
3 things to do in Santiago
- Attend a football match – football in Latin America has long been elevated to the status of a deity. Matches are characterized by high intensity, and fans sometimes go crazy in the frenzied support of the teams. The Universidad de Chile club plays in Santiago – one of the most popular in the country. Up to 70 thousand spectators come to the stadium.
- Try to understand the locals – even if you know Spanish, you are unlikely to understand even half of the words. It’s very exciting: Chileans speak very fast and swallow words. The local dialect is called Chileno.
- Visit a wine restaurant – you can go to any where you will be offered up to a hundred brands of different wines. The main thing is not to overdo it in tasting. Because the next day you will definitely want to go to the next wine museum with a new collection. And so it can go on indefinitely.
Museums
The museums of Santiago are real storehouses of memory. The pompous building of the former Royal Audiences on Plaza de Armus is occupied by the National Historical Museum (Plaza de Armas, 951) with collections of decorative arts, handicrafts, costumes, coins, weapons and old photographs. The exposition of the Museum of Art of Pre-Columbian America (off. site in English) fully reflects its name. More than 3,000 artifacts from this era have been collected here.
On the pedestrian alley of Paseo Aumada is the National Museum of Fine Arts (Jose Miguel de la Barra, 650), which presents paintings and sculptures by European and Chilean masters. Most of them belong to the 18th and early 20th centuries. Artistic works of a later period should be sought at the Museum of Modern Art (off. site in English). Its main exposition is located in the beautiful building of the Palace of Versailles in the Quinta-Normal park.
Palaces
In Santiago, two famous palaces can be distinguished – La Moneda, the seat of government, and the building of the Royal Audience. The first one used to house the government of Chile, this building became known to the whole world in 1973, when it was fired upon by the troops of Augusto Pinochet. President Salvador Allende shot himself here. According to legend – from a pistol that Fidel Castro gave him. Now the palace is closed to the public, you can only admire it from the outside. Of. site (on the impudent).
The building of the Royal Audience (Plaza de Armas) hosted the first national congress, formed in the early 19th century. After a series of revolutionary upheavals, the building lost its status; today various exhibitions are held here.
Night life
There are several party areas in the city – these are Bellavista, Suesia Street in the Providencia area, Paseo San Damian in the Las Condes area and Nunoa Square. Hectic life here begins on Fridays and Saturdays after 22:00. The areas are non-criminal, you can safely walk the streets all night and not be afraid for your life.
One of the trendiest nightclubs in bohemian Bellavista, Club Chocolate (Ernesto Pinto Lagarrigue, 192) attracts with its glamorous atmosphere, fast service, watchful security guards and beautiful dance shows. Entrance fee – 54000 CLP, includes one alcoholic drink.
A landmark place for jazz lovers is the Club de Jazz de Santiago founded in 1943 (av. Ossa, 123). With the light hand of Louis Armstrong and Herbie Hancock, who performed here, world-famous performers can still be heard here today.
Salsoteteca Maestra Vida (calle Pio Nono, 380) is the choice of those who prefer Latin American rhythms. The club has a lot of locals, excellent beer, friendly attitude towards tourists. The institution is open from 23:00 to 4:00. Thursday and Sunday at 20:00 – lessons for those who want to learn salsa, cumbia and other Latin American dances.
