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Zacatecas Points of Interest and Useful InformationActivities In town you can visit museums and churches, tour an abandoned silver mine, ride a cable car up to the Cerro de la Bufa, perhaps take in a concert, and partake of an old tradition called callejoneadas. On Saturday night, people go strolling and singing with tambourines, drums, and a burro laden with mezcal through the winding streets and alleyways (callejones) of the city. Zacatecas remains largely neglected by foreign tourists, though it is popular with Mexicans. Consequently, the various sights provide little descriptive material in English. If you don't speak Spanish, you might want to hire a bilingual tour guide. Try contacting Viajes Mazzoco. It offers several tours that you can choose from for a fixed price. Some take you around the city; others take you to nearby ruins or to some of the old towns near Zacatecas, such as Jerez or Fresnillo. A Stroll Around Town The Plaza de Armas, the town's main square on Avenida Hidalgo, is where you'll find the cathedral, with its famous facade. Nowhere else in Mexico is there anything like this; the depth of relief in the carving (4 in. and more) and sheer wealth of detail create the impression that the images are formed not in stone but in some softer material, such as cake icing. The cathedral took 23 years to build (1729-52), and the final tower wasn't completed until 1904. To the left of the cathedral, on the Plaza de Armas, is the 18th-century Palacio de Gobierno, where viceregal-era governors lived. By the time of Mexico's revolt against Spain in 1810, Don Miguel de Rivera (Count of Santiago de la Laguna), owned it. Since 1834, it's been a government building. Inside is a modern mural (1970) by Antonio Pintor Rodríguez showing the history of Zacatecas. It is a fairly straightforward chronological presentation of history from left to right, except for the center panel, which represents prominent Zacatecans. Below it is a stone frieze depicting the economic underpinning that supports society and drives historical events. It flows into the mural's central panel, tying society's leaders to the soil of their motherland. To the left of the Palacio de Gobierno is the Residencia de Gobernadores, with its multicolor stonework; the governor lived here until 1950. Across the street from the plaza are the Palacio de la Mala Noche (Palace of the Bad Night) and the Hotel Emporio. The palacio's name comes from the mine that brought great wealth to its original owner, Manuel de Rétegui, a philanthropic Spaniard. In case you're thinking that such fine stonework is becoming a lost art, look at the hotel's facade, which was done within the last 40 years. A Ride Up Cerro De La Bufa To get to the cable car station from the Plaza de Armas, you must climb one of the streets or alleys that lead up the hill that faces the cathedral. But first, glance up to see if the cars are running; if it's windy, they won't be. The first cross street will be Villalpando or Hierro; go right, and make a left when you get to the Callejón (alley) de García Roja. If you're unaccustomed to the thin air, this is quite a climb. An easier way to get there is to catch bus no. 7, which you can pick up along Juárez, or a cab. The cable car (tel. 492/922-5694) is a great ride up to the Cerro de la Bufa. The view from the top is best in the late afternoon and early evening, when the sun is low in the sky; if you intend to ride the cable car down, you can't stay too late. It operates only from 10am to 6pm, but the walk down is fairly easy if you want to stay later. The ride costs $2.25 one-way, $4.50 round-trip. On Cerro de la Bufa is the Museo de la Toma de Zacatecas, which will be of most interest to Spanish-speaking history buffs. It displays artifacts and enlarged newspaper articles about the capture of Zacatecas by Pancho Villa. This was a decisive battle of the Revolución, and one of Villa's greatest victories. The museum is in need of investment; admission is $2. Beside the museum is the beautiful church La Capilla de la Virgen del Patrocinio, patroness of Zacatecas. Around the far side of the cerro is the Mausoleo de los Hombres Ilustres de Zacatecas, where many of the city's heroes are entombed. Attractions During Semana Santa (Holy Week), Zacatecas hosts an international cultural festival that the town hopes will rival the similar Festival Cervantino in Guanajuato. Painters, poets, dancers, musicians, actors, and other artists converge on the town. The annual Feria de Zacatecas, which celebrates the founding of the city, begins the Friday before September 8 and lasts for 3 weeks, incorporating the national Fiestas Patrias (independence celebration). Cockfights, bullfights, sporting events, band concerts, and general hoopla prevail. Famous bullfighters appear, and the cheap bullfight tickets go for around $8. In the nearby town of Guadalupe, now almost a suburb of Zacatecas, is a large Franciscan convent and evangelical college founded by a famous member of the evangelical college of Querétaro, Fray Antonio Margil de Jesús. It remains an active monastery, but a large part of the convent houses a wonderful museum of colonial art, which will impress anyone interested in art and painting of any kind. Some people might skip this one because they suppose colonial art to be staid, scholastic, and full of arcane symbolism. Not true. The paintings, mostly from the 1700s, are by some of the greatest painters of New Spain -- Cabrera, Villalpando, Correa, and others. They are detailed, expressive, dramatic, and eye-catching for their use of anachronisms and fantastical themes. There is also a smaller museum displaying antique carriages from colonial times and classic cars. Zacatecas had a lively carriage-building industry in the colonial era. A taxi to Guadalupe runs about $8. Transportes de Guadalupe buses go to Guadalupe from the Central Camionera in Zacatecas. A Ruta 13 bus leaves for Guadalupe from López Mateos and Salazar, just up from the Hotel Gallery. The bus stops a block from the convent. It leaves about every 15 minutes or so and costs 50¢ for the 20-minute ride. If you're driving, take López Mateos east, and follow the signs. When you enter the town, ask anyone for directions to the convent. The convent's church has a lovely facade and holds the famous 19th-century Capilla de Nápoles, a chapel in the shape of a cross with lots of gilding and beautiful designs. You cannot enter the chapel, but you can see it from the ground floor of the church or from the organ loft, which is accessible from the museum. Between Guadalupe and Zacatecas is a school for silversmiths. Known as the Centro Platero de Zacatecas, it will most likely cease to operate in a couple of years. It is difficult to get to unless you take a taxi. If you decide to go, you'll find some workshops as well as people who will be happy to explain how they work with silver.
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