Mexico City Things to Do Tips by Ronald_T

Palace of Fine Arts... Bellas Artes Review

The Palace of Fine Arts was build between 1904 and 1934. This building, maybe one of the most symbolical of Mexico City after the Cathedral is a excellent example of the Art Deco style. If you visit, do not miss the Folkloric Ballet of Mexico, a creation of Amalia Hernández. For more info and pictures, see my “Palace of Fine Arts travelogue” please…

At the Plaza de la... Zocalo Review

At the Plaza de la Constitución, you can see the strike of the National Flag by the army. This is a daily event at about 6pm. If you are an early bird, you can also seeing the raise of the Flag at 6am. More pictures you can find in the 'National Flag travelogue'. That is on the upper right corner of this page ;-) For those who like military music (and that is not me); there is a concert every Thursday and Sunday also on 6pm.

Visit the Castle of... Bosque de Chapultepec Review

Visit the Castle of Chapultepec, the National Historical Museum. The tradition of Chapultepec Castle as a residence for Mexican rulers dates back to the 14th Century when Nezahualcoyotl, the King of Texcoco, ordered a palace to built at the foot of the hill. Following the Spanish Conquest, Hernan Cortez took possession of Chapultepec as part of his spoils and it subsequently served as a hunting preserve for the Viceroy de Velasco. A French invasion altered the landscape of Chapultepec as the construction of the Imperial Palace of Maximilian von Hapsburg and the layout of a majestic avenue to connect the Castle with Mexico City went started. Plans were prepare in France to add a second floor to the principal facade of the main building, including the Fortress, and renovations went completed to convert the Castle into a regal residential palace. The Golden Age of the Castle came, however, during the government of Porfirio Diaz. The General, who, ironically, had liberated the city from the conservative forces of the Second Empire, managed to imbue Chapultepec with the ostentatious lifestyle that Maximilian and Carlotta had yearned for, and which included decorating its interior in extravagant European luxury. It was here that President Diaz had his noteworthy meeting with Creelman, the American journalist, which left the heavy ironwork doors ajar to the Revolutionary surge of 1910. In 1944, the National History Museum established in the Castle, and now you can see here the most important documents and memorabilia covering Mexico’s history from the Conquest until the Revolutionary period. You can also visit the presidential chambers in the Fortress, and a magnificent panorama of Mexico City can be see from the terraces.
More pictures and info you can find in my National Historical Museum travelogue…

In the middle of downtown, you... Templo Mayor Review

In the middle of downtown, you find an Aztec archaeological zone, called “Temple Mayor”. It is really worth a visit, the archaeological zone as well as the museum what is in fact one complex. I only have some pictures of the archaeological zone. In the museum, it is not permit to take any kind of pictures. In addition, there I am not an archaeologist, and they do not sell any kind of guidebooks or even brochures I cannot tell you much about this place. It is a frequent problem in Mexico that they do not have good information or doing something to stimulate their tourism, even it is a cultural country. The best way to go there is via Constitution Square, then left between the Cathedral and the National Palace. About 100 meters straight ahead and you see it on the right. The only pictures I have you can find in the “Temple Mayor travelogue”, and will try as good as I can give some more information.