Native Trails MyTrails 2025 231 Querétaro even before the Aztecs and go far back in history. The museum building is noteworthy in its own right: In its 18-century form, the former Franciscan monastery, which was founded shortly after the Conquista, is one of the most important buildings of its time in Mexico. 20 City walk through Querétaro Duration: 03:00 h · Level: Easy Enjoy the tour of Santiago de Querétaro – the Plaza de Armas, the cathedral, and the regional museum in the former San Francisco monastery are just some of the stops. The old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Again and again, the city was the focus of key historical events. Here was the starting point of Mexico’s struggle for independence, and the current Mexican constitution was passed in Querétaro in 1917. 21 Visit of the archaeological zone El Cerrito Duration: 01:30 h · Level: Easy El Cerrito is an archaeological zone with a history of settlement of nearly two millennia before the arrival of the Spanish. Its heyday was between 450 and 850 AD, when it was one of the most important centers of the Toltec. The most conspicuous structure besides wide squares and remains of other buildings is a pyramid about 30 m (100 ft.) high. As an unorthodox testimony that the place continued to be inhabited after the conquista, the so-called “fortín” rises on top of the pyramid – a castle-like dwelling, which the owner of the former hacienda had built in 1887. 22 Visit of the Santuario de la Santísima Virgen del Pueblito Duration: 01:00 h · Level: Easy In the early 1630s, Franciscan Sebastiano Gallegos carved a statue of Virgin Mary, which gradually became the official patron saint of El Pueblito, Querétaro and other places. A chapel had housed the figure for about a century, before it was taken, in 1736, to the newly built sanctuary that you visit today. As the statue had become so important, it was solemnly crowned in 1946. Take a seat next to one of the pilgrims who come here as a testification of their gratitude, and breathe in the atmosphere of the place. 23 Visit of the Santuario de Schoenstatt Duration: 01:00 h · Level: Easy Erected in 1973, the Santuario de Schoenstatt in Querétaro is a building of a global Marian lay movement within the Catholic Church that Father Kentenich founded near Koblenz/Germany in 1914. The small church is emblematic of all the sanctuaries, as they are called, of the movement and is a replica of the chapel in Schönstatt. During your visit, you will learn about the goals and activities of the Schoenstatt Movement at the very place, where it established its first shrine in Mexico. 24 City Tour of Tequisquiapan Duration: 02:30 h · Level: Easy You make a tour of Tequisquiapan. The people of this pretty colonial town, which was founded in 1551, mostly live on tourism. Especially on weekends, the small town is a popular destination for Mexican visitors, who appreciate the pleasant climate to recover from their everyday life. Stroll through the narrow streets, past colorful house to the main square, the “Plaza Cívica,” and continue to the “Parroquia de Santa María,” a neoclassic church from 1874. Numerous cafés and restaurants invite you to have a break before you continue to the little markets and shops, where you can buy typical handcrafted products such as textiles, wickerwork, hats, or jewels with opals. 25 Visit of a fire opal mine Duration: 04:00 h · Level: Medium You visit a fire opal mine on the mountain slopes of La Trinidad in the Federal State of Querétaro. The precious stone, already much coveted in the old civilizations of Mexico and used primarily as a medium of exchange then, is nowadays almost exclusively used to make jewels. Equipped with a helmet, hammer and chisel, you will accompany an experienced “minero” into the mine nearby; after a short introduction, you can follow the miners’ example and search for the precious stone – once found, it is yours and you may keep it. You will see – no gold rush can compare with this.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzIxMzY3Mw==