Cusco is one of the most important cities in terms of tourism in Peru. It is the former capital of the Inca empire, a perfect starting point for exploring Machu Picchu and the amazing Vinicunca Mountains. The colonial city center with the remains of buildings from the Inca times is entered on the UNESCO list.
In the Quechua Indian language, the word Cuzco means the navel of the world. The name perfectly reflects the meaning of the city in the pre-Columbian period. In the 12th century, Maco Capaca, the ruler of the Incas, founded here the capital of his empire. Its heyday fell in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and the arrival of the Spaniards ended. Francisco Pizzaro's troops captured Cuzco in 1536, and a new colonial city soon followed. All Inca structures were destroyed during the Spanish invasion and subsequent Indian uprisings. Only their ruins have survived to this day.
The former Inca city was concentrated around a 550 x 250 m square. It was here that the most important temples of the city and the seat of the rulers were located. Only ruins have survived to this day. While visiting this part of Cuzco, you cannot miss the ruins of Coricancha, or the Temple of the Sun. they are partly covered today by the Dominican church. Next to it, built into a row of houses, there are the ruins of the rulers' palace. In the wall you can see, among others a twelve-sided stone, a testimony to the craftsmanship of Inca masons.
However, pre-Columbian monuments aren't just in the heart of Cusco. There are many archaeological sites on the surrounding hills. The most important of them are the ruins of the Saqsaywaman fortress with the remains of the Muyuq Mark temple, the Q'enco Archaeological Complex, the unusual terraced Tambomachay building, where water used to flow in the past was supposed to have healing properties, and the Puka Pukara Archaeological Complex.
The greatest attraction, which can be reached from Cusco, is of course the famous Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas, which impresses with its scale and excellent condition. There are hundreds of residential and religious buildings on its terraces, including the City Gate, the Holy Rock, the Temple of Three Windows and the Sepulchral Rock.
In addition to the Inca monuments in Cusco, you can also visit the colonial center. Its heart is the Main Square, and nearby are the baroque cathedral in Cuzco and numerous churches, the Church of San Blas, the La Merced Minor Basilica, the Church of San Cristobal, and the Church of the Society of Jesus. There are also many attractive museums in the city, the most important of which are the Inca Museum, the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art and the Regional Historical Museum.
The rainbow mountains of Vinicunca are a natural attraction that can be reached during excursions from Cusco. Their unusual appearance, with alternating layers of multicolored rocks, make a remarkable impression.
