Plaza de Bolivar is a very cool place to visit in Bogota. There is a nice ambience here and you can walk around the area and feel safe; a perfect place for tourists.
The Place
I really enjoy looking at old architecture, especially European or European-inspired architecture and this place did not disappoint! I was excited when I got here because I wanted to walk around and look at the pretty buildings I had seen on the internet. Visiting this place was a true highlight of my trip to Bogota.
The building above is named Capitolio Nacional. It was built in 1926 and contains both of the houses of Congress of Colombia. A Danish architect named Thomas Reed designed this building.
Pigeons Galore!
There were so many pigeons here. You will find people selling small plastic bags filled with corn or various grains for you to feed to the pigeons. I saw one guy open one of those bags. He was engulfed by pigeons and never seen again. Just kidding, but I bet he got pooped on as well over one hundred birds swarmed after him when they heard the tear of the plastic and saw the corn hit the ground.
A Modern Invasion
The modern-looking building you see above looks modern for a reason; it is new! It is the current Palace of Justice. Previously, buildings serving as the Palace of Justice of Colombia have been burned down or destroyed throughout history.
There were guys trying to sell stuff to tourists all over the place. I like that I blend in with Latinos; they think I’m a local most of the time!
Barricades and More
I really liked the paint job on this building. The metal pole on the right also adds a distinct touch to the scene. It offsets the food vendors to the left. Vendors to the left of me, poles to the right, here I am… stuck in the middle with you… yeah, that was horrible, I know.
Above, you can see a lovely barricade blocking a nice view of great architecture.
The Namesake
The statue pictured above is that of Simon Bolivar; the one whom the Plaza is named after. There is a very long history about this guy. Basically, he led a revolution against Spain long ago which eventually led to Venezuela becoming an independent country around 1821. He led many campaigns across South America, fought in many battles, and even survived a few assassination attempts during his time. In the end, tuberculosis is what got him; he was still one tough rich guy!
That building across the plaza is called the Palacio Lievano. It was built by a French architect and once housed shops throughout as it bordered the Plaza. Now it serves as a city hall building.
You may also find the Primatial Cathedral of Bogota in this square. (It’s the cathedral featured on the left side of the picture at the top of this article.)
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed my brief article about Plaza de Bolivar. I hope I got the historical points correct as well! 🙂
