Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SIGHTS
PALACIO PAZ
See
Click here
.
NOTABLE BUILDING
PLAZA SAN MARTÍN
French landscape architect Carlos Thays designed the leafy Plaza San Martín, which is sur-
rounded by some of Buenos Aires' most impressive public buildings. The park's most
prominent monument is the obligatory equestrian
statue of José de San Martín
; important vis-
iting dignitaries often come to honor the country's liberator by leaving wreaths at its base.
On the downhill side of the park you'll see the
Monumento a los Caídos de Malvinas
, a me-
morial to the young men who died in the Falklands War.
Retiro was the site of a monastery during the 17th century, and later became the country
retiro
(retreat) of Agustín de Robles, a Spanish governor. Since then, Plaza San Martín -
which sits on a bluff - has played host to a slave market, a military fort and even a bullring.
Things are much quieter and more exclusive these days.
At the south end of the plaza is Estación Retiro (Retiro train station), which was built in
1915 when the British controlled the country's railroads.
PLAZA
MUSEO DE ARMAS
MAP
MUSEUM
GOOGLE MAP
(Weapons Museum; 4311-1071 ext 179;
www.museodearmas.com.ar
;
Santa Fe 702; admission AR$10;
1-7pm Tue-Fri, 2-7pm Sat)
Even if you've spent time in the armed forces, you probably
have never seen so many weapons of destruction. This maze-like museum exhibits a fright-
eningly large but excellent collection of over 3000 bazookas, grenade launchers, cannons,
machine guns, muskets, pistols, armor, lances and swords; even the gas mask for a combat
horse is on display. The evolution of rifles and handguns is especially thoroughly documen-
ted, and there's a small but impressive Japanese weapons room.
The whole collection is very extensive, impressive, clean and well labeled.
PALACIO HAEDO
(Av Santa Fe 690)
On an odd triangular block at the corner of Florida and Santa Fe, the neo-
Gothic Palacio Haedo was the mansion of the Haedo family at the turn of the 19th century;
it now houses the country's national park service.
NOTABLE BUILDING
