Visit Monserrat to see where Spanish conquistador Juan de Garay established Trinidad, which later became Buenos Aires, in 1580. While strolling between the elegant avenues and squares of Monserrat, you’ll find museums and landmark buildings.
Start at Plaza de Mayo, where Garay established the city and the nation declared independence in 1810. The pink-hued Casa Rosada government house looms over the square and is open for tours on weekends. Delve into national history at the Casa Rosada Museum and learn about the independence war at Cabildo, the city’s first city hall. Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral is a neoclassical masterpiece home to the mausoleum of revolution hero Jóse de San Martín.
Graceful Avenida de Mayo stretches from the square and across the 14-lane 9 de Julio Avenue to the Greco Roman-style National Congress building. Guided tours of the congress building offer a glimpse of ornate halls and the congressional chambers. A replica of Rodin’s The Thinker stands in Plaza del Congreso.
Varied attractions line Avenida de Mayo. Stop at Café Tortoni, which opened in 1858 and welcomed luminaries such as tango singer Carlos Gardel and writer Jorge Luis Borges. Enjoy panoramic views from the tower of Barolo Palace, which has a design inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy.
Spend time at the Manzana de las Luces, a block of 17th- and 18th-century buildings erected by Jesuit missionaries. It features the city’s oldest religious building, the Church of San Ignacio de Loyola. Nearby, check out the statues of Christopher Columbus and Giotto that decorate the German baroque facade of the Church and Convent of San Francisco.
Cobblestone Calle Defensa runs from Plaza de Mayo into the San Telmo neighborhood. Come here on Sunday when antique dealers, artists and fashion designers sell their wares from market stalls. Don’t miss the sculptures of adored Argentine comic characters on Comic Strip Walk.
Located in the southern area of Downtown Buenos Aires, Monserrat is well-served by public buses and the metro. The attractive streets of this compact neighborhood lend themselves to exploring on foot.
