Cultural sightseeing in Chile. What to visit - museums, temples, castles and palaces

» Cathedral of Santiago de Chile is a main Catholic sanctuary in Santiago and the residence of the archbishop of Santiago de Chile.
»  The cathedral is built in a baroque style. Together with a bishop’s palace and the Tabernacle Church, it is the part of an architectural complex.
»  It is a national monument that is located in the Plaza de Armas, in the city center.
»  Some of the most interesting attractions in the cathedral are carved and wooden desks of the 19th century and an organ. They were made in the workshop of Calera de Tango in 1756.
»  Here, you can visit masses and touch the tombs of great Chilean persons.

» Gran Torre Santiago is a 64-storey skyscraper in Santiago. It is the highest building in South America.
»  Gran Torre Santiago is a part of the Costanera Center that also includes a shopping mall, two hotels, and two office buildings.
»  The 64-storey tower is an office building too.
»  Here, offices meet the standards of international security and infrastructure. There are even thermo panels and anti-UV windows.
»  In the building, there are 24 lifts, 19 of which have double cabins.

» La Moneda Palace is the official residence of the President of Chile.
»  La Moneda is literally translated as “coin” from Spain. The name is associated with the initial function of the building. There had been a mint before. The construction started to serve as a presidential residence only in 1846.
»  The palace opened its doors to tourists in 2003. Today, you can admire the luxury interior of the palace and incredibly beautiful courtyards.
»  Not so long ago, a square was set up. There is a culture center and a monument to President Arturo Alessandri.
»  If you visit La Moneda in the morning on odd days, you will see the changing of the Guards. This process is really impressive.

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » The National Museum of Fine Arts is located in Santiago and was founded on September 18, 1880. It is the oldest museum in South America.
»  Since 1910, the museum has been occupying a palace that was built in honor of the hundredth anniversary of the independence of Chile. In April 1976, the building of the museum was recognized as a historic monument.
»  The museum collection contains over three thousand exhibits, including paintings, sculptures, sketches, and etchings. Here, you can mostly see masterpieces of Chilean artists.
»  At the same time, the museum houses a lot of works of famous foreign masters, Spanish and French artists and sculptors.
»  The Italian sector presents 60 paintings, most of which were painted from the middle of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century.
»  The museum also houses the small collection of 46 kakemonos, scrolls painted with ink or watercolor. Some scrolls were gifted by the Chinese Embassy in 1968. You can also see here 15 statuettes from Black Africa and 27 Japanese etchings.

» San Cristobal Hill is the highest point in Santiago.
»  On the hill, there is a 36-meter statue of the Virgin Mary who is considered as a local patroness. There is the Metropolitano Park around it. 
»  On the hill, there are also an observation platform, a botanical garden, a wine museum, and a zoo. At the foot of the hill, there is a museum dedicated to Pablo Neruda, a famous Chilean writer and Nobel Prize Laureate.
»  Every year, concerts are held in the open air on the platforms.
»  San Cristobal Hill is citizens’ favorite place for walks and one of the main attractions in the city.