An Architectural Tour Of Cuenca, Ecuador
The architecture in Cuenca truly made this city memorable for me. Dating from the 16th Century, much like Quito, its centre is now a Unesco World Heritage Site. Between the traditional colonial homes, the churches, shrines and Plazas, to the 'hanging houses' of the Rio Tomebamba (homes that appear to hang over an old Inca city), there's something to see on every corner. When the Spanish invaded they dismantled the Inca city and incorporated a lot of the elegantly carved stones into their structures meaning there's not a lot to see of Inca ruins.
However, there is now a mixture of buildings to be found showing inspiration from French Baroque, neoclassicism, majestic colonial and more, some with beautifully painted interiors and/or exteriors, and all constructed in different materials. An iconic city which is truly well, bonita, even with its similarities in iconic structures - Notre Dame anyone?