4 Best Sights in Medellín, Colombia

Casa de la Memoria

Fodor's choice
This museum bears witness to the nation's tempestuous and violent past by commemorating the victims, investigating the roots of the conflict, and offering a hopeful view of the future. The museum's slogan, "Stories that move us to build peace," conveys its mission through the use of engaging, and at times heartrending, exhibitions that take visitors deep into the country's collective memory. Even if you don't speak a word of Spanish, the museum is worth a visit as there is enough information in English to get by, and some of the powerful video interviews are subtitled. Tours can be arranged in advance through the website.

Museo de Antioquia and Plaza Botero

Fodor's choice

The Antioquia Museum contains a collection of 188 paintings and sculptures by native son Fernando Botero. Known for depicting people and objects with a distinctive "thickness," Botero donated part of his personal collection to the museum (the bulk of his gift went to Bogotá). The plaza out front completes the Botero circle, with 23 sculptures dotted between trees, benches filled with chatting locals, and two fountains designed by the artist as well. The museum also offers a grand overview of Colombian art, with salons dedicated to pre-Hispanic, colonial, Republican, and contemporary art. There are free tours in Spanish daily, which take in both the museum and the works in the plaza. English-speaking guides are available, but tours have to be organized at least two days in advance.

Parque de Bolívar

Despite its location in the middle of crowded Medellín, this shady park has a generous amount of open space. In the evening it's popular with young people who congregate on the steps of the nearby cathedral. The small Lido theater, on the eastern side of the square, has borne witness to the growth of Medellín's theater and cinema since its construction in 1945.

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Parque de las Esculturas

This small sculpture park near the peak of Cerro Nutibara is a maze of paths dotted with modern and traditional sculptures by Latin American artists.