La Paz

La Paz is the seat of government of Bolivia, in a deep canyon of the Andes below the Altiplano with the snowy peaks of Illimani above it. Sucre remains the constitutional capital of the country.

Alonso de Mendoza founded the city in 1548 as Nuestra Señora de La Paz, on the road between the silver mines of Potosí and the coast of Peru. The city grew as a stop for mule trains and a market for the Aymara farmers of the Altiplano. In the early 19th century it was among the first cities of South America to rise for independence from Spain. In the late 19th century the government moved to La Paz from Sucre, and the city spread down the canyon toward the warmer valleys of the south. Mi Teleférico, a network of urban cable cars, opened its first lines in 2014 and carries commuters between the canyon and the high plain of El Alto.

Cervecería Boliviana Nacional brews Paceña, the beer named after the people of the city. Alpaca wool, woven into sweaters and shawls, is sold in the shops of the old center.

The Basilica of San Francisco, built in the 18th century, has a stone facade carved with figures of plants and animals in the Andean baroque style. Calle Jaén, a narrow colonial street, holds small museums of gold, musical instruments and the history of the city. The Witches' Market, near the basilica, sells herbs, charms and offerings used in Aymara rituals. The Valle de la Luna, south of the city, is a field of eroded clay spires shaped by wind and rain.