UNESCO and National Geographic Traveler both have recognized the historic and architectural significance of Querétaro City, Mexico. The historical center of the city was designated a World Heritage Site in 1996 by UNESCO and National Geographic Traveler has listed the city as one of the top 15 historic destinations in the world.
The old colonial town of Querétaro is unusual in that it has retained the geometric street plan of the Spanish colonial era side by side with the twisting alleys of the Otomi quarters. The historic center is also notable for the many ornate civil and religious Baroque monuments from its golden age in the 17th and 18th centuries and for its charming pedestrian streets, stunning plazas, and magnificent churches. There are also sophisticated restaurants and museums representing Querétaro’s important role in Mexican history.
1. MUCAL Calendar Museum
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
The first of it kind in the world, The MUCAL Calendar Museum, located In the historic center, takes the visitor on a journey from the very origins of time and space. There are two parts to the museum: 19 exhibition rooms that house the original artworks (including reproductions) that were featured in decades of Mexico’s calendars, along with over 400 original retro-style calendars themselves. One salon is dedicated to Mexico’s most prolific calendar artist, Jesus Helguera.
The many salons exhibit various aspects of calendars such as the origin of the calendar, the calendar in Mexico, the Stone of the Sun, Time and Space. There is a magnificent wooden replica of the life size “Aztec Calendar” or “Piedra del Sol.” The second building is a stunningly renovated mansion, complete with beautiful garden, courtyards and a cafe, an oasis to rest and relax before or after visiting the main museum.
MUCAL Calendar Museum
Address: Calle Francisco I. Madero 91, Centro, 76000 Santiago de Querétaro, Qro., Mexico
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., closed Sunday
Website: MUCAL Calendar Museum
2. Museo Regional
The Querétaro Regional Museum is housed in the 16th-century Baroque style Convent of San Francisco and visitors can enjoy wide-open patios, corridors, carved flowered arches, and elegant stairways along with the exhibits. The atrium of the convent is now occupied by both the Plazas de la Constitucion and Galerias, as well as a large portion of the Zenea Garden. The convent’s cloister is considered one of the most beautiful in Mexico with beautiful vaults above the ambulatories.
The museum displays exhibits from the prehistoric, colonial, independence, Imperial, revolution and post-revolution periods of Mexican history. The museum contains many unique objects such as the jawbone of an animal that lived in the Sierra Gorda region millions of years ago and pre-Hispanic vases. In addition, the museum incorporates the Pio Mariano Museum, considered by many to be one of the finest museums in the country outside of Mexico City. It houses many colonial relics, including paintings by Miguel Cabrera and an outstanding library of more than 8,000 books, mostly parchment manuscripts from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Museo Regional
Address: Corregidora esq. 5 de Mayo, Centro Histórico
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., closed Monday
Website: Museo Regional
3. Querétaro Art Museum
Querétaro’s Art Museum is located in the former convent of San Agustin, considered one of the most important Baroque cloisters in the Americas. It was built between 1731 and 1743 and eventually restored and inaugurated as a museum on September 22, 1988. The museum is located adjacent to the Templo de San Agustín, a Baroque monastery built between 1731 and 1748.
Today, the museum exhibits national and European paintings and sculptures dating from the seventeenth and twentieth centuries. On the ground floor are exhibits of 16th- and 17th-century European paintings that trace the influence from Flemish to Spanish to Mexican art. Also, you will find 19th- and 20th-century Mexican paintings. The top floor has works from 16th-century mannerism to 18th-century Baroque.
Querétaro Art Museum
Address: Allende Sur 14 , Col. Centro, C.P. 76000 Querétaro, Querétaro
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., closed Monday
Website Querétaro Art Museum
4. Querétaro Aqueduct
The Querétaro Aqueduct, a fixture of the Querétaro landscape, begins in the historic center of Querétaro and makes its way 1.78 kilometers (1.1 miles) along what is now the Avenue Zaragoza before finally disappearing into one of the hills surrounding the center of the city. The Roman style Aqueduct, built in 1738, was the life’s blood of Querétaro for centuries. Today, it brings water to the many fountains in the city.
Whether you see it in the day or night, it is an impressive sight. The best place to view the Aqueduct is from atop the lookout point behind the Convent of the Cross on top of the hill of Sangremal. It is especially spectacular at night when it is fully lit and towers about the city. The Aqueduct is one of a small handful of Spanish Colonial aqueducts still standing in Mexico. Along its base, you will find trendy restaurants and coffee houses in the city.
Querétaro Aqueduct
Address: Begins in the historic center of Querétaro and runs along the Avenue of Zaragoza
Website: Querétaro Aqueduct
5. Convent of Santa Cruz
The history of the Convent of Santa Cruz, a ten-minute walk east of the center of Querétaro, is steeped in legend. The convent was built between 1654 and 1815 on the site of a battle during which a miraculous appearance of Santiago led the Otomi to surrender to the Spanish conquistadors and embrace Christianity. Another legend has that Fray Antonio Margil of Jesus took long walks using a dry, lifeless stick. While staying at the convent, he buried the stick in one of the orchards and it eventually sprouted a tree with thorns in the shape of a cross.
As many as 200 monks once lived in the mission compound, that has a series of cloisters and cells, an orchard, a kitchen with a cold storage chamber, several schools and a water reservoir. Today the convent is used as a religious school. You must visit with a guide – you wait at the entrance until a group has formed and tours are in Spanish.
Convent of Santa Cruz
Address: Independencia 148 at Felipe Luna Querétaro, Mexico
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Website Convent of Santa Cruz
6. La Peña de Bernal
For an awesome day trip from Querétaro City, make a pilgrimage to La Peña de Bernal, the world’s third largest monolithic rock exceeded only in height by Gibraltar and Sugarloaf Mountain in Brazil. Peña de Bernal is located in San Sebastián Bernal, a small town in the Mexican state of Querétaro. The monolith was thought to have been formed 65 million years ago, during the Jurassic period.
The town residents believe the rock has mystical powers. Some say it exudes a magnetic force, others say its energy comes from giant Amethyst crystals buried deep within its core. One legend insists there is a hidden cave within la Peña where a giant snake sleeps and anyone who can get past the snake and into its secret lair will discover riches and learn the origin and destiny of the human race. You can admire the monolith from below or hike to a small chapel located at the highest point.
La Peña de Bernal
Address: San Sebastián Bernal, Querétaro, México
7. Cerro de las Campanas
The Cerro de las Campanas (Hill of the Bells), on the outskirts of Querétaro, is a national park that played an important part in Mexico’s history. The hill gets its name from rocks that, according to legend, make bell sounds when struck. The mountain was the place where Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg and Generals Miguel Miramón and Tomás Mejía were executed, ending the French intervention in Mexico.
In 1900, after relations between Mexico and Austria resumed, the Maximilian Chapel was constructed on the site. The chapel was commissioned by Emperor Franz Joseph I in memory of his late brother. On May 15, 1967, the centennial of the arrest of Maximilian, a portion of the mountain, including the east side and the summit, was designated a national park, the same day as the inauguration of a statue of Benito Juárez. The city of Querétaro operates a museum on the mountain and has five permanent exhibit rooms.
Cerro de las Campanas
Address: Cerro de las Campanas, Centro Universitario, 76010 Santiago de Querétaro, Qro., Mexico
Opening Hours: Sunday-Saturday 6:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Website: Cerro de las Campanas
8. Visit the Wineries of Queretaro
The area around Queretaro comprises the second largest wine region in Mexico. The arid highlands are surprisingly favorable for producing sparkling wine, the specialty of Queretaro’s vineyards. Start with the most popular winery, Sala Vivé by Freixenet, also one of the first to establish operations here during the 70s. Sala Vivé offers guided tours through its farm and facilities with an expert walking and talking you through the entire process that transforms a grape into wine. Other top vineyards you must visit include Vinícola La Redonda, which imported Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chenin Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Moscatel and other highly rated French strains to improve the robustness and flavor of Mexican wines. Viñedos Azteca transports you back in time to the era of Mexican haciendas. Viñedos Los Rosales prides itself for the extreme care and attention it gives to producing new lines of organic red wines. Located only 25 minutes from the city, Vinos del Marqués maintains a stable core of signature wines while at the same time innovating new products according to local trends or client requirements.
The wineries of Queretaro
Address: Queretaro, Mexico
9. Explore El Cerrito, Queretaro’s ancient pyramid
Unleash your inner Indiana Jones and discover the secrets of the ancient Toltec civilization as you explore El Cerrito, a pyramid dating back to as early as 700 AD. El Cerrito shoots up 30 meters (about 100 ft) toward the sky and was once used by the Toltecs as a worship site. While the pyramid itself is only partially excavated, the grounds around it are well-maintained and well-manicured. The surrounding gardens contrast with the ancient ruins and also provide another reason to enjoy the walk toward the pyramid. Visit the on-site museum for more information and insights into this remarkable structure and the equally remarkable people who painstakingly built it. El Cerrito is a 20-minute ride from downtown Queretaro and a few minutes walk going toward the pyramid, but well worth the trip.
El Cerrito
Address: Queretaro, Mexico
Querétaro City: An architectural jewel
Querétaro City has a long history that encompasses pre-colonial, Spanish Colonial and French intervention periods. The many museums and memorials recount and remember the contributions and sacrifices made as well as celebrate the artistic heritage of the city. UNESCO recognized the architectural heritage of Querétaro City for their Spanish Colonial Baroque style architecture, most notably the churches and convents and civic buildings. There is also a Roman influence seen in the city aqueduct that snakes its way through the historic center and into the surrounding hills. Querétaro City is a city that proudly embraces their history while looking to the future.
History
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