Bogotá

On weekends a sightseeing train, popular with Bogotá residents, runs to outlying towns Zipaquirá and Nemocón. The route to Zipaquira (famous for its salt cathedral) is 53 km long. Another line goes towards the north for 47 km and ends at Briceño.

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Colleges and universities

Main article: Universities of Bogotá

Bogotá has a scholarly tradition that dates back to 1580 when the first university was founded by the religious Order of Santo Domingo. The oldest university of Bogotá is Universidad Santo Tomás opened on July 13, 1580. The second oldest is Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, founded on July 9, 1623 by the Jesuits. In December 31, 1651 the still-operating School of Our Lady of Rosary was founded by Fray Cristóbal de Torres.

The largest university of Colombia, the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, was created in September 22, 1867. A study by Universia found it to be the Colombian university producing the largest number of scientific papers published in peer-refereed publications in 2005, and the 142nd most prolific in Latin America.^[7]

In 1886, the Externado of Colombia University was founded.

Founded in 1948 and now with more than 14,000 students, the private Universidad de los Andes is considered one of the major universities in Colombia.

Bogotá has more schools, colleges, and universities than any other city in Colombia.

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Parks and recreation

There are many parks, many with facilities for concerts, plays, movies, storytellers and other activities.

"Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park" is a large park regularly used to stage free concerts (such as the annual Rock al Parque, a festival in which new and popular Latin rock bands play free of charge). Kites are flown in the park.

The public Parque Nacional (National Park)has many trees and green spaces, ponds, games for children, many foot and bicycle paths, and venues for entertainment such as public screenings of movies and concerts and events organized by the Council of Bogotá. It is located between two main streets, the Circunvalar Avenue and the 7th Avenue.

Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park.

The Bogotá Botanical Garden (Jardín Botánico de Bogotá).

"Parque de la 93" is located between 93rd and 93Ath street, and 12th and 13th avenue, and has day-time leisure activities and nightlife. Several of the top restaurants and bars in the city are in this park.

There are restaurants and bars in the vicinity of a T-shaped pedestrian strip dubbed "La T" (The T) at the corner of 82nd street and Cra.12. More recently, restaurant activity has begun in the "Zona G" (Gourmet Zone) in and around 67th and 70th Streets and other locations including Usaquen in the north-east and La Macarena (center east).

Mundo Aventura is an amusement park, with an entry charge and charges for the different attractions. It has rides for adults and children, a petting zoo, and the "cerdodromo", where pigs race.

Santamaría Bullring and a planetarium.

"Salitre Mágico" is another amusement park with rides and attractions. The park is near the well-known Simón Bolívar park, where concerts are held throughout the year.

Parque del Chicó has trees, gardens, artificial creeks and ponds, and a colonial style house converted into a museum.

To the north Parque Jaime Duque has rides, a giant map of Colombia, popular exhibits, a zoo, and a big hand holding the world symbolizing God. There is a reproduction of the Taj Mahal in the park with a collection of reproductions of famous paintings.

Maloka is an interactive museum of sciences.

There are many other parks in Bogotá. Each neighborhood has its own park. Some of these parks are private, for local residents only, and others are public. Some parks are watched over by park-keepers. Sporting events are sometimes held in parks.

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Sister cities

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References

^ DANE, Censo General 2005 Resultados Area Metropolitana de Bogotá
^ Arias, S.; Meléndez, M. (2002). "Sacred and Imperial Topographies in Juan de Castellanos's Elegías de varones ilustres de Indias", Mapping Colonial Spanish America: Places and Commonplaces of Identity, Culture and Experience. Bucknell University Press. ISBN 0838755097.
^ travel nytimes
^ 2005 Washington, DC Murder Rate Infoplease.com
^ Profiling Bogotá's Security Plan, Comunidad Segura.
^ Bogotá Transportation Terminal & Train Station Bogotá-dc.com
^ Ranking-Instituciones-Investigacion-Colombia (Spanish). universia.net. Retrieved on 2008-01-13.

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Gallery

View of downtown Bogotá from nearby Monserrate	An Eastern view of Bogotá's International Business District with Monserrate looming above	TransMilenio's 19th Street Station	Station at Jiménez Avenue and Carrera 7
TransMilenio Station at Mandalay, Américas Avenue	Bavaria Central Park	Overview of Bavaria Central Park	Santamaría Bullring with Park Towers behind
Colpatria Bank Building	Colpatria Tower at night	Negret Sculpture at National Museum	Mural at the elliptic room of the National Congress.
Saint Francis of Assisi Church	Panoramic view of downtown Bogotá from nearby Monserrate	Monserrate Church	Candelaria Church
Downtown Bogotá	View of the Maloka Museum dome theater from the museum	The Maloka Museum from the sidewalk	View of the Maloka dome theater
Maloka Dome theater facade	Maloka Dome theater facade	Up: Santamaría Bullring Down: Distrital Planetarium	The painted ceiling and Murano chandelier of the Teatro Colon
Private balcony view of the Teatro Colon	Basilica of Our Lady of Carmen

Panoramic view of Bogotá

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See also

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External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Bogotá

Bogotá travel guide from Wikitravel
City Official Site
Mayor Official Site
Bogotá Tourism Guide
Skyscrapers and Buildings in Bogotá - Photographies and general information about buildings in the city.
Bogotá Tourism - Directory & travel information
BogoWiki - A Wiki dedicated to Bogotá
Bogotá from The Air - Aerial photographs of Bogotá
Museos de Bogotá - A museum guide for the Colombian capital
Harvard Gazette Archives Text on Antanas Mockus's many inspired strategies to change Bogotá
www.surumbo.com TransMilenio official interactive guide

Bogotá is at coordinates 4°36′42″N 74°04′34″W / 4.6117, -74.076 (Bogotá)Coordinates: 4°36′42″N 74°04′34″W / 4.6117, -74.076 (Bogotá)

Preceded by Turin	World Book Capital 2007	Succeeded by Amsterdam

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2001: Madrid · 2002: Alexandria · 2003: New Delhi · 2004: Antwerp · 2005: Montreal · 2006: Turin · 2007: Bogotá · 2008: Amsterdam · 2009: Beirut