Bolivia - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 196

The administrative and political centre
of Bolivia during Spanish rule, and still
officially the capital of the republic,
Sucre is a masterpiece of immaculately
preserved colonial architecture, filled
with elegant churches and mansions, and
some of Bolivia's finest museums. The
charms of Cochabamba , on the other
hand, are more prosaic. Although lacking
in conventional tourist attractions, it's
a pleasant and interesting city - and not
only due to the lack of tourists. It is also
the jumping-off point for an adventurous
journey south into the Parque Nacional
Torotoro , Bolivia's smallest national park,
boasting labyrinthine limestone caves,
deep canyons and waterfalls, dinosaur
footprints and ancient ruins.
East of Cochabamba, the main road to
Santa Cruz passes through the Chapare ,
a beautiful region of rushing rivers and
dense tropical forests, where the last
foothills of the Andes plunge down into
the Amazon basin. The area has become
notorious in recent decades as the source
of most of Bolivia's coca crop, so it isn't
wise to stray too far off the beaten track.

Founded between 1538 and 1540 and
initially named Chuquisaca, Sucre's
official title subsequently changed to
Villa de la Plata (City of Silver). After
independence, it was made the capital of
the new Republic of Bolivia and renamed
Sucre , but the city's economic importance
declined. When the seat of both congress
and the presidency was moved to La Paz
after the civil war between the two cities
in 1899, the transfer merely confirmed
long-established realities. Sucre remained
the seat of the supreme court and was
allowed to retain the title of official or
constitutional capital, an honorary
position it still holds today.

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WHAT TO SEE AND DO
The extravagance of Sucre's silver
mine-funded past is immediately evident
in the city's beautifully preserved
architecture. Most visitors enjoy a few
hours wandering the streets and admiring
the grandeur of the city centre; the
attractive Plaza 25 de Mayo is the best
place to start. The Casa de la Libertad
offers an excellent insight into the
significance of the city in Bolivia's history.
Within easy walking distance of the
plaza, you'll find a plethora of lavishly
decorated churches, as well as excellent
restaurants and some lively bars. When
you're ready to explore beyond the city
centre, consider a visit to the dinosaur
footprints at Cal Orko .

SUCRE
Set in a broad highland valley on the
eastern edge of the Altiplano, SUCRE ,
declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site
in 1991, is widely considered the most
beautiful city in Bolivia, with some of
the finest Spanish colonial architecture in
South America and a pleasant, spring-like
climate all year round. Neon signs are
banned, and a municipal regulation
requires all buildings to be whitewashed
once a year, maintaining the characteristic
that earned Sucre another of its many
grandiose titles: “La Ciudad Blanca de
Las Américas” - the White City of the
Americas. It is also the administrative and
market centre for a mountainous rural
hinterland inhabited by the Quechua-
speaking indigenous communities,
particularly renowned for their beautiful
weavings. These can be seen - and
bought - in the city itself or on a day-trip
to Tarabuco , a rural town about 60km
southeast of Sucre that hosts a colourful
Sunday market.

Casa de la Libertad
On the northwest side of the Plaza 25 de
Mayo stands the simple but well-
preserved colonial facade of the original
seventeenth-century Jesuit University.
Now known as the Casa de La Libertad
(Tues-Sat 9am-noon & 2.30-6.30pm,
Sun 9am-noon; B$15 including guided
tours in Spanish, English and French),
this was where the Bolivian act of
independence was signed on August 6,
1825, and it now houses a small but very
interesting museum dedicated to the
birth of the republic. Inside, a copy of
the document proclaiming a sovereign
and independent state is on display in
the assembly room (with the original
displayed every August 6).