Montevideo : A city with culture, history and tradition

Ordinarily, Montevideo is known for being Uruguay’s capital and one of the major commercial centres of South America. Football fans, however, will think of the cosmopolitan city as the location which hosted the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930, a world cup which Uruguay won.

Located in the country south end and at the north shore of the Atlantic Ocean, Montevideo serves the purpose of being Uruguay’s chief port. It is not only important because of its trade and economic purposes, its significance also lies in the fact that it is the major tourist attraction in the country and is described as a “vibrant, electric place with a rich cultural life.”

The most famous area of the city is the Mercado del Puerto (the Port Market). It was originally built as a train station but then it developed into being the city’s main market. It consists of a countless number of stalls providing meals, fruit, clothes, accessories, artefacts, decorative etc. It is the place to go to if one wants to try traditional Uruguayan food. Musicians present a soothing delight to one’s ears as he munches on to the delicious offerings. The market is also of historical importance, it was built close to the turn of the 19th century and is still perfectly functional as people from all social classes indulge their shopping activities here.

The Plaza Independencia is the most popular plaza in the city seeing as the Solis Theatre, Estevez Palace and the Executive Tower are all located within its premises. Also residing here is the 56-foot statue of Uruguay’s national hero Jose Gervasio Artigas. Underground the plaza are his remains, which are guarded 24 hours a day and within the plaza is a mausoleum, which provides visitors about all the information of his life and his struggles. The Estevez Palace has served as the working place of Uruguay’s presidents in the pasts and now it has been developed into a museum, housing important artefacts from the Office. The Solis Theatre is the oldest theatre in the country and a building that signifies elegance and fascination. It is open to tours for the public and one can also catch a live show, although shows happen rarely now.

And that’s not all, there are multiple other tourist attractions located around Montevideo. Palacio Salvio, built in 1928, was the tallest building of South America in its time and was considered as an exemplary symbol of the city. It was a must-see attraction, could be seen on various postcards and now if features residential apartments.

Nearby is the Palacio Municipal, which is the current seat of the local government. It is a huge red brick building which features a stone replica of David of Michelangelo. Tourists in the mood for calm and relaxation can just spend the day at the calm Punta Gorda, a neighbourhood on the beautiful coastline.