Open the left puebla menu. Puebla (Unesco Listed) How to get to Puebla from Mexico City, Mexico

Puebla in Mexico is the gastronomic capital of the country and the birthplace of talavera ceramics, a stronghold of Catholicism and centuries-old traditions, a city that captivates with the fabulous beauty of landscapes and magnificent architecture of different styles and eras.

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Puebla is one of the most amazing cities in the country. It was founded by the Spanish conquistadors in 1531 and was originally called Puebla de los Angele or the City of Angels. Due to its strategic location between Mexico City and the port of Veracruz, it remained until the end of the 19th century. remained the second largest city in Mexico. On May 5, 1862, a legendary battle took place here, in which the Mexican army defeated the French. So Puebla became the Heroic Puebla de Zaragoza, and in 1987 was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In addition to stunning architectural and historical monuments, the city boasts a unique location - the only one in the world, it is surrounded by 4 volcanoes, which, moreover, are the highest points in Mexico.

What to see, where to visit

Puebla in Mexico impresses with its magnificent architecture and authentic traditions. There are more than 70 churches and countless monuments in the city. In the heart, on the central square of Zócalo, rises the majestic Cathedral, built from 1575 to 1690. The architecture of the temple combines Baroque and Renaissance styles, its two 69-meter towers are the highest in Mexico, and the interiors are decorated with beautiful frescoes and 15 altars. The square is also home to the elegant Elizabethan-style Municipal Palace and the graceful 18th-century Dollhouse. with an unusual façade.

The pride of the church of Santo Domingo is one of the most beautiful in Mexico, the chapel of the Virgin Mary of the Rosary, built in 1690, the decoration of which delights with openwork gilded carvings and marvelous frescoes. Among other famous temples of Puebla: La Company of the XVIII century. - a magnificent monument of the Mexican Baroque, the Roman Catholic Church of San José of 1693, which houses a collection of paintings from the 17th-19th centuries, the monastery and temple of San Francisco and the Church of Our Lady of Carmen.

The unique attraction of the city is the Palafoxiana Library, founded in 1646 and being the first public library not only in colonial Mexico, but throughout America. Today, its collection includes more than 42,000 books and 5,000 manuscripts of the 15th-20th centuries, and the library is included in the UNESCO Memory of the World program.

The fortification monuments of Puebla are the fortresses of Loreto and Guadalupe - witnesses of the historical battle on May 5, 1862. Now there is a museum that tells about the events of those times.

Among the city's many museums, the Amparo Museum of Pre-Columbian Art occupies a special place, occupying two colonial-style buildings and presenting more than 2,000 exhibits - from ancient artifacts of Indian tribes to luxurious furniture and works of art from the colonial era. In the former temple of the XVII century. San Pedro houses the Museum of Religious Art. The Casa del Alfenike or Sugar House, considered the pearl of Baroque architecture, houses the Regional Museum, in 19 rooms of which more than 500 exhibits are exhibited. In the private Bello Museum you can admire a stunning collection of porcelain and talavera products, and in the National Railway Museum you can see old steam locomotives and trains from different eras.

There are also amazing sights in the vicinity of Puebla, for example, the archaeological complex of Canton, one of the largest cities in Mesoamerica. The vast territory is spread over ancient structures built without a binder solution, and 24 ball fields.

Entertainment and active recreation

The fourth largest and most important city in Mexico is famous not only for its historical and architectural monuments. Puebla is known for its unique "talavera" ceramics, which can be found here literally everywhere - from facing the facades of buildings, rooms and fountains to dishes and decorative items. Talavera is sold in many shops in the city, and you can see how this amazing pottery, made in Puebla since the 16th century, is made at the historic Uriarte Talavera factory. It is also interesting to walk around the local antique shops, most of which are located in the old Toad Lane, and on Sundays a flea market gathers in the neighboring square of the same name. Another large market, El Parian, presents traditional handicrafts - from weavers and embroiderers to jewelers and potters.

Colorful holidays are also held in the city, for example, the gastronomic festivals “chile en nogada” and “mole poblano”. But the largest is Cinco de Mayo, dedicated to the victory of the Mexican army over the French in the battle of May 5, 1862. The holiday lasts several days and is full of events, culminating in the reconstruction of the legendary battle of Puebla.

Local cuisine and wines

Puebla is considered the culinary capital of the country, and the local cuisine is a mixture of Mexican, European and even Asian traditions. It was here that the main national dish "chili-en-nogada" was invented - stuffed chili peppers with walnut sauce. The ingredients of the dish are in the colors of the Mexican flag: green chili, white walnut sauce and red pomegranate seeds. They say that for the first time "chili-en-nogada" was prepared for Emperor Agustino Iturbide in honor of his coronation. No less famous is the mole poblano sauce. Includes about 20 ingredients, including chocolate and chili. According to legend, it was invented in the 16th century. nuns before the surprise visit of the archbishop to the convent of Santa Rosa. Since the supplies were nothing but an old turkey, the nuns mixed the sauce with whatever spices they had on hand. Another popular local dish is "chemita", which is a sandwich with avocado, beef and seasonings. By the way, you can learn the secrets of cooking these and other dishes at master classes at local culinary schools, which are the most in Puebla in Mexico.

The city is famous for its delicious sweets. It even has its own Calle de los Dulces, or Sweets Street, lined with pastry shops offering an abundance of traditional desserts, from fruit liqueur borracitos and sweet yam to pumpkin seed biscuits and chocolate truffles.

Family holiday

In Puebla there are interesting places to visit with children. For example, an exciting attraction that lifts visitors to a height of 80 m is the Estrella Ferris wheel, one of the largest in the world. Or, on the contrary, the smallest volcano in the world, Koshkomate, with a height of only 13 m, into which a spiral staircase leads. In the suburban African Safari Zoo, you can see African animals, interact with cute pandas, walk along the pyramid pavilion with butterflies and take a boat ride on Lake Valsequiyo. Another unique place in the vicinity of the city is the Indian city of Cholula, on the territory of which there is the largest pyramid in Mexico, Tlachiualtepetl, 77 m high, with the Church of the Blessed Virgin of the Comforter at the top.

puebla, or Eróica-Puebla de Zaragoza ( Heroica Puebla de Zaragoza) is the fourth largest city in Mexico, founded by the Spaniards one of the first in Mexico (the date of its foundation is considered to be 1531). Located less than a hundred kilometers from Mexico City, in a valley surrounded by as many as four volcanoes, one of which is active (Popocatepetl). Due to its historic center, which has preserved a large number of buildings from the colonial era, Puebla is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Puebla is also known as the gastronomic capital of Mexico.

The city received its modern name in honor of the historic battle that took place near the city on May 5, 1862, when the Mexican troops under the command of General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated the French invaders. Now May 5 is one of the most important public holidays in Mexico. Prior to this, the city was known as Puebla de los Ángeles ( Puebla de Los Angeles).

How to get there:

Simply put, Puebla is one of the largest cities in Mexico and has excellent transport links with all regions of the country. From the TAPO bus terminal in Mexico City, buses to Puebla leave every 10-15 minutes. The average travel time is two hours, which is very convenient for a day trip from Mexico City. Although Puebla is definitely worth it to stay here for a day or two.

Map of Puebla on googlemaps:

Intercity buses arrive at the CAPU terminal, which, although not on the outskirts, is still not very close to the historic city center. The terminal is modern, the traveler has all the necessary amenities, from toilets to luggage storage (paying like in a taxi - a small fee for "landing" and an hourly "meter", luggage size matters).

Taxi from the terminal to the center - 50-60 pesos. There are city buses, but without knowledge of Spanish, it is not so easy to figure out which of them go to the center.

If there is a margin of time and a desire to look at the "sleeping areas in Mexican style", then you can walk from the bus terminal to the historical center on foot.

These areas look like this:

It does not look as colorful as in the guidebooks, but there are some bright spots here. Like this (this is a pet store):

Or this "low-rider":

Closer to the center, the surrounding urban landscape becomes more cheerful, not least thanks to graffiti. Many drawings on the theme of national history.

Here, for example, on the topic of the Battle of Puebla already mentioned above:

And here are these on the theme of the Spanish conquest:

And here is an example of "social" graffiti:

Closer to the Zocalo, it becomes pedestrian:

You can't walk past it Churches of Santo Domingo (Templo de Santo Domingo), whose austere façade contrasts strongly with its bright red walls:

But its main value is inside. Unlike most churches and temples, this is not the main altar, although it is worthy of attention. The main eye-catcher here is to the left of the main altar Rosario Chapel(Capilla del Rosario):

Pictures speak louder than any words:

Altar and walls

Dome and vaults

A couple of blocks from the Church of Santo Domingo is Zocalo(Zocalo). So in Mexico they call the central square of the city, next to which, as a rule, there is a cathedral and a government building, usually referred to as the government palace ( Palacio de Gobierno).

It is always crowded here, in addition to tourists, there are many vacationing local residents:

Here, on the square, a special sightseeing bus is waiting for tourists:

On the north side of the square is government palace:

Cathedral Puebla:

Built in the second half of the seventeenth century, its interior decoration is not inferior to the cathedral in Mexico City:

After seeing the Cathedral, you can go for a walk around the surrounding neighborhoods. The historic center of Puebla is very bright and colorful:

Church of San Cristobal:

Church of the Holy Spirit (La Compagna):

I would like to note the fact that in Mexico they do not take money for entering churches and temples.

Street 6 Sur:

The quarters to the east of the Zócalo are the best place to grab a bite to eat and stock up on souvenirs. There are a large number of restaurants for hungry tourists, where you should definitely try dishes with local sauce. Mole Poblano(Mole Poblano), which includes more than twenty ingredients, including chocolate and chili peppers. "Signature" drink of Puebla - Pulque- a low-alcohol drink made from agave, most of all reminiscent of our home brew.

In addition to restaurants, you can quickly grab a bite to eat at numerous eateries. Their assortment is usually limited to a couple of types of local fast food - tacos, enchiladas and other snacks, which are based on corn tortilla with meat. These eateries are very popular among Mexicans.

Vegetarians will not feel left out either - fresh fruit vendors are at their service:

As for souvenirs, they are also sold almost everywhere, but there are two places where their concentration per unit area reaches a maximum. This is Los Sapos Square Los Sapos) southeast of Zócalo and market Mercado El Parian northeast of the same Zocalo. The assortment is largely repeated, but on Los Sapos a greater percentage of "homemade". For example, these are:

Market Mercado El Parian:

"Branded" souvenir of Puebla - painted ceramics Talavera (Talavera).

Next to the market, in a building called " caramel house» ( Casa de Alfeñique) there is a museum with exhibits from colonial times (information about the museum: INAH):

Walking from the souvenir market a little more to the northeast, you can see Church of San Francisco (Templo de San Francisco). This church was built in the middle of the sixteenth century as part of a monastery of Franciscan friars.

In one of the chapels of the church there is a statue of Our Lady, donated to the church by Cortes himself. And below it, in a special shrine, are the relics of Sebastian de Aparicio, who is considered the patron saint of travelers:

Museums

In addition to the museum in the Caramel House in Puebla mentioned above, there are several other museums worthy of attention:

— Puebla Folk Museum (Museo de Arte Popular Poblano). It houses exhibitions dedicated to the folk crafts of the Puebla region. The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 to 17.00, the ticket price is 30 pesos, admission is free on Tuesdays. The museum is located in the building of the former Santa Rosa convent, famous for the fact that the recipe for Mole Poblano was invented by the nuns of this monastery. Museum information: INAH.

— Regional Museum of Puebla (Museo Regional de Puebla). Historical Museum, the exhibitions cover the entire history of Mexico, from pre-Columbian times to the war of independence. The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 09.30 to 18.00, the ticket price is 46 pesos, admission is free on Sundays. Museum information: INAH.

— Amparo Museum (Museo Amparo). Private museum with collections of objects from the pre-Columbian era and the colonial period. It is located in the building of a former hospital built in the seventeenth century. The museum is open daily except Tuesday from 10.00 to 18.00, the ticket price is 35 pesos, admission is free on Mondays. Museum website: http://www.museoamparo.com.

In conclusion, I would like to mention another original attraction of Puebla - the "extinct" geyser. Cuexcomate, or Cuescomate (Cuexcomate), which translates from the Nahuatl language as "clay pot". You can go down into its crater, 13 meters deep. The geyser is located on the outskirts of modern Puebla, so you will have to take a taxi or use public transport to visit it.

January 2013, Mexico, Puebla, Eroica-Puebla de Zaragoza

The city of Puebla, which is located in Mexico, began its history in the middle of the 16th century and became the first city in the country that the colonialists rebuilt from scratch, and not on the ruins of Indian settlements, as they had done before. Initially, it was called the "City of Angels", since according to the existing legend, it was the angels who indicated the place where the city should be built, to Bishop Julian Garces.

Since those times, the historical center of the city has hardly undergone any changes, and its layout has been completely preserved in its original form. Beautiful buildings, such as the old palace of the archbishop, the Jesuit Church, the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, a number of residential buildings and magnificent mansions, still delight the eyes of tourists who have come here. The walls of some of the houses are covered with colorful tiles called "azuleijos".

In general, this city is considered to be the place where the Mexican Baroque was born. And it is the architectural value and integrity that led to its inclusion in the World Heritage List. Even now, once on its streets, one gets the impression that this is a small, calm and charming town, since high-rise structures made of concrete and glass are not popular here. And it was the preservation of colonial and Indian traditions that brought him fame. Until now, this place remains a stronghold of Catholic traditions and conservatism.

Another interesting feature of Puebla was the fact that the city is located among four volcanoes, which are also the highest points in North America.

Several times in two and a half months of traveling in Mexico, we met people in different cities who said that they were from Puebla and that it was very, very beautiful there. Right up to the very trip, curiosity overcame what kind of city this is, which is so praised by the Mexicans?

At about one in the afternoon, we arrived from Mexico City at the Puebla CAPU bus station, it was very close to the booked hotel, just a couple of kilometers, we decided to take a walk, at the same time take a look at what kind of city it was. What we saw was a bit contrary to our expectations: unusually wide streets, broken roads, desolation, garbage, only car repair shops, the only excuse was that the hotel was located three kilometers from the center.

The next day we went to look for the promised beauty.

Sights of Puebla

We also went to the downtown on foot, choosing the forts far from the center as the starting point for sightseeing. They had to go through poor areas. What surprised me the most was the almost complete absence of people, the deserted wide streets somehow made me feel uncomfortable. This situation persisted until the very park, in which those same forts were located, it did not change much in the park itself. You see such pictures in screensavers for horror films - emptiness, silence, the buildings seem to be not abandoned, but not a single person enters or exits them. Well, at least we met a couple of excursions of schoolchildren who revived the landscape.

themselves forts of loreto(Fort Loreto) and Guadeloupe(Fuerte de Guadalupe) do not represent anything interesting: fortified walls, but cannons. In the second, however, there is a museum, but we skipped it, not considering the ratio of ticket prices and the interestingness of the exposition to be tempting.

The park turned out to be more interesting, if only because we have not yet seen such structures anywhere in Mexico. Andryusiks said that such a thing would be more appropriate somewhere in the States, but not in this soft and bright country.

Almost the only evidence that the park was inhabited was a fountain, in the waters of which boys and girls frolicked.

From the park we went straight to the center. For a long time, the feeling that we were in a large deserted village did not leave.

Closer to the heart of the city, he began to wake up, as if life had been breathed into him. At last there was movement, cars rustled, people fussed. Markets, churches and other blessings of civilization appeared sharply.

Almost every city has its own peculiarity. The hallmark of Puebla is talavera - a special type of painted ceramics, the production of which was opened at the beginning of the nineteenth century. There are several factories in the city that have been making talavera for many years. It is not surprising that the streets of the city are filled with souvenir shops with multi-colored ceramics of good and not very good quality, I think there are more than enough fakes. If you really buy something, then in the store at the factory. By the way, one of them Talavera Armando, we just got on the way.

This feature of Puebla has had a significant impact on the appearance of the city, many buildings are decorated with tiles that fit perfectly into the city landscapes. This is what gives Puebla a special look, endowing it with soul and face. Looking at the tiles has become, perhaps, my favorite pastime in this city.

It seemed to me that about a third of the houses in the center of Puebla look like Casa de Alfeñique. Inside this building, by the way, there is either a museum or something like that, but we had absolutely no desire to go to all the museums in a row, so we just admired most of them from the outside.

And here El Parian Market(Mercado El Parian) received more attention. It is full of souvenirs, clothes (all sorts of sundresses, ponchos, etc.) and sweets. We usually do not need anything, but we love to look at the little things. In this market, among the souvenirs, we saw a lot of toads. Why do you think these slippery green creatures were chosen for gifts by the inhabitants of Puebla? I'll be sure to tell you later!

Of course, the inhabitants of Puebla are as religious as in any other city, so there is no shortage of churches. One of the most elegant Church Company(Iglesia de la compañia). The doors of churches, temples and cathedrals are always open for everyone (the only exception is Sunday services, where tourists are not allowed to attend), the absence of a headscarf or the presence of a short skirt / shorts for Catholics is not a problem.

Some museums were not so hospitable. What was the matter, we did not fully understand, most likely, in carrying out repair work. For example, in Museum of Amparo(Museo Amparo) did not find a single open room with expositions. We entered the patio without any obstacles, the guard didn't even pay attention to us, we walked around, looked, and left with nothing.

Looking ahead, I will say that the same thing happened with House of culture(Casa de la Cultura). But, it seems, they found here the local Don Quixote and Sancho.

The “look everywhere” rule works just as well in Puebla as it does elsewhere. For example, on one of the central streets, behind an inconspicuous hedge, our curious eyes saw such a courtyard.

Museum of the Revolution(Museo de la Revolución) were left without attention, as I already said, it was not a museum mood, and we were not lucky at them, even those that we looked into did not work.

The central streets of Puebla are very pretty, only they are unusually wide and restrained in colors. It seems that the place here is clearly not saved.

It's good that at least people are not restrained, especially young people: emotions, emotions))

The layout of the city is clear and understandable: everything is parallel and perpendicular, it is difficult to get lost, these are not the labyrinths of Guanajuato. Somewhere among these parallels lurks a street called Candy or Sweets Street(Calle de los Dulces): sweets, chocolates, sweet syrups, local specialty sweets are all here.

So we got to the epicenter - central square(Zocalo), in my opinion, there is one in every city. The fountain, the church, the sellers of souvenirs and ice cream - everything is as it should be.

In Puebla, they are very fond of such fountains, when the water simply bubbles up without any fences and embellishments.

Near the Zocalo, it is impossible not to notice the majestic and simply huge Cathedral(Santa Iglesia Basilica Catedral de Puebla).

Somehow I already mentioned that in Mexico it is not customary to use billboards and signs, all the inscriptions are made directly on the walls, drawing them with paint. In Puebla, on the other hand, many signs (advertising, with the names of streets and buildings) are tiled, over which they have already walked with a brush.

Remember, she promised to tell about toads? So, just at the place where the previous photo was taken, a full-flowing river once flowed. Over time, it dried up, and the croaking inhabitants remained and did not want to leave their homes. Mexicans not only don't kill toads, but love them very much, because they supposedly bring good luck. That's where the green pimply souvenirs come from.

So, you will be in Puebla, take a walk on Toad Square(Plazuela de Los Sapos) and you will be lucky. In addition, on weekends the square turns into a flea market, and junk dealers always have something interesting hidden away.

Closer to sunset, we set off towards the house, acquaintance with the city went well, although it brought less impressions and emotions than expected. This once again confirms that it is not necessary to invent images in your head in advance.

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I went to the city of Puebla. puebla- a colonial city two hours east of Mexico City. It has a special atmosphere, most likely due to the fact that most of the city's population is students.

There are more than 70 churches in the city, one more beautiful than the other:

I visited 7-10 churches there a day, and by the end of my stay I felt completely renewed for years to come. The interior decoration of churches in Mexico is amazing, and many of them can easily compete with the churches of Rome and Vienna (it is in these cities that the most beautiful churches that I happened to visit in Europe are located). Still quite interesting churches can be found in, which is a 20-minute bus ride from Puebla.

"Updated" me

Street and courtyard of the College of Psychology, Puebla, Mexico:

Puebla also has about a thousand colonial buildings and many narrow one-way streets.

Here you really feel that you are on the other side of the earth, where even time goes differently.

Zocalo, or Zocalo (as the central square of every city in Mexico is called)

Shoe shiners, which are in every city in every square.

There are also abandoned beautiful buildings in the center of Puebla, in which no one lives, but only trees stick out of the windows. I do not know what it is connected with.

Hotel in Puebla, Mexico

I lived in the Hotel Provincia Express (Hotel Provincia express). It is notable for being located on the main street of the historic center (Avenue Reforma) a couple of minutes walk from the Zócalo (Central Square). The hotel building itself is a work of art. A spacious room with two queen beds, high ceilings and balconies overlooking the church cost 600 pesos ($50), which is expensive for me, but it was worth it.

But it was possible to sit on a small balcony in the evening, look at the church and people passing by and drink beer under quiet spiritual conversations, wrapped in a warm blanket, like old people. Sometimes you can afford.

You can also paint your nails there, and then dry them and wink at passers-by machos from nothing to do:

View from the balcony of the church in Puebla, Mexico:

After walking around the streets of Puebla and glancing at every church from all sides, I went to, but that's a completely different story.

How to get to Puebla from Mexico City, Mexico

From Mexico City to Puebla can be reached by bus, the journey takes about 2 hours, the cost is 120 pesos ($ 10), the cheapest ticket is a comfortable bus with air conditioning, 164 pesos ($ 13) is the most expensive (on ADO gl with separate toilets for men and women and other lotions). Buses run frequently - sometimes every 5 minutes or every 15 minutes. All these buses depart from the TAPO terminal in Mexico City. On the site you can check the prices and schedule for the date of interest. Choose viaje redondo (round-trip) or viaje sencillo (only there), origen-Mexico TAPO, destino Puebla Pue, fecha de salida (departure date) - enter the desired one, horario is optional. Then buscar transporte and the search will give you all the available buses for that date with prices and schedules. You can not book in advance, there are almost always seats on the buses. I used to buy tickets at the bus station. In this case, TAPO in Mexico City. Address Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza número 200, Colonia 10 de Mayo, Mexico DF, Mexico. Metro San Lazaro.

Buses arrive at Central de autobuses de Puebla (CAPU). From the terminal to the center of Puebla can be reached by bus for 5.5 pesos ($ 0.4) or by taxi for $ 4. Taxi ticket must be bought in advance at the kiosk.

Puebla, Mexico. Attractions.