After settling into our hotel, we explored the city of Puebla.
The Basilica Cathedral of Puebla
The first stop was a quick visit to the cathedral known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception. It’s one of the most iconic buildings in Puebla’s city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Consecrated in 1649, the building actually took seventy-four years to build and was started in 1575. From huge hand-carved wooden doors to domed ceilings and ornate gold altars, the cathedral may have been more beautiful than the Cathedral in Mexico City.
According to Wikipedia-
The cathedral is considered one of the most important museums of New Spanish and later art due to the treasures it houses. Over the centuries it has been enriched in works of painting,[2] sculpture, goldsmithing and carpentry of great artistic quality, as well as its decorations, the large boarded doors, aluminum and the treasures of the sacristy that protect the rich priestly ornaments embroidered with gold and silver thread, sacred vessels, chalices, ciboria, reliquaries and crosses bathed in gold inlaid with jewels and diamonds. Its historical archive has documents dating back to the founding of the city and many are waiting to be classified.
One of the most amazing things for us was this group of three people worshiping at an altar dedicated to Pope John Paul II.
Puebla City is known as The City of Angels; it was interesting to see the fence surrounding the property topped with dozens of metal cast angels, all standing in the same pose.
A Spin Around The City
After visiting the cathedral, we hopped on a double-decker bus to tour around the city. We traveled through some historic sections of town known for their Talavera tiles and brightly colored buildings. Puebla City has nearly 1,000 colonial-style buildings.
We ventured to the top of the mountain overlooking Puebla, where you’ll find Fort Laredo and Guadalupe Fort. The park has huge statues, a planetarium, an exhibition hall, and many open spaces.
Strolling the City
After our bus tour, we took a stroll through an arts district. A quaint little neighborhood filled with art galleries, sculptures, and a small mercado with all types of souvenirs.
Something Sweet
Our next stop was the street of sweets or La Calle de los Dulces. It is sometimes referred to as Santa Clara after the convent of the same name.
There are nearly 40 sweet shops along the street, the first dating back to 1892. The streets are lined with beautiful handcut paper banners, and you’ll find tons of popular Mexican sweets in every shop.
One of our favorites was the Tortitas de Santa Clara. Topped with pepitas or pumpkin seed jam, these sweet cookies were made by the nuns living in the local monastery.
Chilling
We made our way to the end of Sweet Street and strolled a pedestrian walkway in a local shopping district. Although it was lined with modern stores, it was dotted with historic buildings, murals, and sculptures.
There is so much to explore in Puebla, too much to do in one day, so we will plan a longer trip back in the future. Our stroll ended up back at our hotel, where we chilled out and got ready for one of the most delicious dinners of our trip.
