1. Basílica de la Candelaria

   Standing guard over Parque Berrío is Basílica de la Candelaria, Medellín's most important church. Built in the 1770s, it served as the city's cathedral from 1868 till 1931. Inside there's a beautiful coffered ceiling, a much venerated figure of the Señor Caido (Fallen Christ) in the left aisle, and an interesting main retable.

2. Casa Museo Pedro Nel Gómez

   The Casa Museo Pedro Nel Gómez is dedicated to another beloved son of Medellín, Pedro Nel Gómez (1899-1984), and set in the house where the artist lived and worked. The museum has an extensive collection (nearly 2000 pieces) of his watercolors, oil paintings, drawings, sculptures and murals. Pedro Nel Gómez is said to have been Colombia's most prolific artist. The museum is 3km north of the city center. The Aranjuez bus from the center will drop you off at the museum's door.

3. Catedral Metropolitana

   Overlooking Parque de Bolívar, the city's vast cathedral, Catedral Metropolitana is formed by some 1.2 million bricks arrayed in an attractive neo-Romanesque design. Designed by various architects, including Frenchman Charles Carré, construction began in 1875 and was completed only in 1931. Its spacious but dim interior boasts Spanish stained-glass windows, a German-made organ featuring 3478 pipes and paintings by Gregorio Vásquez de Arce y Ceballos.

4. Cementerio de San Pedro

   For insight into the way paisas (natives of Antioquia) live and die, head to the fascinating Cementerio de San Pedro. Established in 1842, it has a collection of ornate tombstones, sepulchral chapels and mausoleums. Many recent graves are decked out with paraphernalia related to passions of the deceased, from cars to football to tango music. Take the metro to Estación Hospital.

5. Ermita de la Veracruz

   Ermita de la Veracruz is regarded as the city's oldest church. Its construction was reputedly begun in 1682, but it wasn't inaugurated until 1803. It has a fine stone facade and a charming, white-and-gold interior.

6. Jardín Botánico Joaquín Antonio Uribe

   Across from the Universidad de Antioquia is the city's Jardín Botánico. Opened in 1978, the garden has 600 species of trees and plants, a lake, herbarium, auditorium and the Orquideorama where an orchid display is held in March and April. Just across the street is the sleek, all-concrete Parque de los Deseos, a favorite hangout of the area's college students.

7. La Gorda

   Thanks to a local law that requires major new buildings to include public art, central Medellín can seem like a vast, outdoor art gallery. Besides the Plazoleta de las Escultras, you can see Botero's massive bronze woman's torso known as La Gorda, in front of the Banco de la República in Parque Berrío. There are also three more Botero sculptures in the Parque San Antonio.

8. Monumento a la Raza

   Rodrigo Arenas Betancur (1919-95), Colombia's favorite designer of monuments, is well-represented in Medellín. Even more impressive than his 14m-high Monumento a la Vida is Monumento a la Raza, which tells the story of Antioquia in dramatically twisting metal. Fans should also head to the Universidad de Antioquia campus 2km north of the city center to see his Monumento al Creador de Energía.

9. Monumento a la Vida

   Rodrigo Arenas Betancur (1919-95), Colombia's favorite designer of monuments, is well-represented in Medellín. His sinuous, 14m-high Monumento a la Vida was unveiled in 1974. Fans should also head to the Universidad de Antioquia campus 2km north of the city center to see his Monumento al Creador de Energía.

10. Museo de Antioquia

    Housed in the grand art deco Palacio Municipal, the Museo de Antioquia is Colombia's second-oldest museum and one of its finest. The collection includes pre-Columbian, colonial, independence and modern art collections, but the real prize is a recent donation by native son Fernando Botero. The wildly prolific artist has donated 92 of his own works as well as 22 works by some of the world's leading modernist and contemporary artists, from Picasso to Jeff Koontz.

11. Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín

    Located in what looks like an unassuming apartment building in a leafy suburb west of the city center, Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín stages changing exhibitions of contemporary art. To get there from the city center take any bus going west along Av Colombia from Parque Berrío, or walk for 15 minutes.

12. Museo El Castillo

    Occupying a mock-Gothic castle built in 1930 in El Poblado, the Museo El Castillo was once home to a wealthy Antioquian landowner. Inside are the family's belongings, including furniture and artwork from around the world. Outside, there are pleasant, French-style formal gardens. All visits are guided and take about half an hour. There may be recitals on some days in the castle's auditorium.

13. Museo Universitario

    On the Universidad de Antioquia campus itself, check out the Museo Universitario. It has an interesting collection of pre-Columbian pottery, as well as galleries devoted to art and the natural sciences. Out front is the Monumento al Creador de la Energía, a trippy, grandiose sculpture by Rodrigo Arenas Betancur.

14. Pájaro de Paz

    There are three Fernando Botero sculptures in the Parque San Antonio, including the Pájaro de Paz. Ironically, this work was seriously damaged by a bomb placed by unknown perpetrators, which also killed 23 people. As a vivid reminder of the city's hyper-violent episode, the damaged bird has been left untouched, though a new version now stands alongside it.

15. Parque de las Esculturas

    On the slopes of the 80m-tall hill known as Cerro Nutibara is the Parque de las Esculturas, which contains modern abstract sculptures by South American artists, including such prominent names as Edgar Negret, Jesús Soto and Carlos Cruz Díez. The Guayabal bus from Av Oriental in the city center passes by the foot of Cerro Nutibara, or go by taxi.

16. Plazoleta de las Esculturas

    Across the street from Palacio Municipal, the Plazoleta de las Esculturas is home to a more than 20 of Fernando Botero's sculptures.

17. Pueblito Paisa

    On top of the 80m-tall hill known as Cerro Nutibara, 2km southwest of the city center, sits the kitschy Pueblito Paisa, a miniature version of typical Antioquian township. Views from an adjacent platform across the city are stunning.

18. Río Claro Valley

    Thanks to Colombia's improving security situation, it is once again safe to visit the Río Claro Valley in eastern Antioquia, where a crystal-clear river has carved stunning shapes into its marble bed. It's also a favorite spot for bird-watchers, who come to see everything from hummingbirds to herons to vultures.

19. Social Realist-inspired Murals

    Thanks to a local law that requires major new buildings to include public art, central Medellín can seem like a vast, outdoor art gallery. For a different take on Medellín's history, check out the Social Realist-inspired murals by Pedro Nel Gómez displayed in two long showcases on the corner of Carrera 51 and Calle 51, just off Parque Berrío.

 

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