Straddling both banks of the Rjo Rjmac at the foot of the Cerro San Cristobal,the capital of Peru is an eclectic mix of traditional colonial buildings,soaring skyscrapers and Pueblos(shanty settlements that blanket the dusty hills overlooking the city).
Home to two-thirds of Peru"s industry and nearly one-third of the country"s total population,pollution and poverty is highly present this city of seven million.A few miles southwest of the city center,Villa El Salvador shelters 350,000 people.
In spite of its troubles,the city boasts a great many historic monuments,museums for every palate,a lively cultural and arts scene and the country"s best food,drink and nightlife.
Most of Lima"s sights can be found within the old city,declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Attractions include the Palacio Torre Tagle,the city"s best surviving specimen of secular colonial architecture; the Museo de Oro del Peru,with its precolumbianmetals,weavings and mummies and the Museo de Arte,with more than 7,000 exhibits giving a retrospectiveof Peruvian cultures and art from 2,000 years ago to the present day.
Lima"s many markets overflow with hand-crafted jewelry of silver and gold,Peruvian textiles and ceramics,flowers and fresh produce.
For a break from the city"s clamor,duck intoLima"s fine baroque churches or take a stroll through its many parks and gardens,some established as early as the 17th century by Lima"s Spanish aristocracy.
Straddling both banks of the Rjo Rjmac at the foot of the Cerro San Cristobal,the capital of Peru is an eclectic mix of traditional colonial buildings,soaring skyscrapers and Pueblos(shanty settlements that blanket the dusty hills overlooking the city).
Home to two-thirds of Peru"s industry and nearly one-third of the country"s total population,pollution and poverty is highly present this city of seven million.A few miles southwest of the city center,Villa El Salvador shelters 350,000 people.
In spite of its troubles,the city boasts a great many historic monuments,museums for every palate,a lively cultural and arts scene and the country"s best food,drink and nightlife.
Most of Lima"s sights can be found within the old city,declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Attractions include the Palacio Torre Tagle,the city"s best surviving specimen of secular colonial architecture; the Museo de Oro del Peru,with its precolumbianmetals,weavings and mummies and the Museo de Arte,with more than 7,000 exhibits giving a retrospectiveof Peruvian cultures and art from 2,000 years ago to the present day.
Lima"s many markets overflow with hand-crafted jewelry of silver and gold,Peruvian textiles and ceramics,flowers and fresh produce.
For a break from the city"s clamor,duck intoLima"s fine baroque churches or take a stroll through its many parks and gardens,some established as early as the 17th century by Lima"s Spanish aristocracy.