Founded in 1557, the state capital is one of the most beautiful cities in the country thanks to its vast architectural heritage. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guanajuato features religious landmarks such as the Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato, as well as the temples of La Compañía, San Diego, San Francisco, Los Hospitales, San Roque, Belén, San Cayetano, and La Valenciana, along with the Mineral de Cata church. Among its notable buildings are the Alhóndiga de Granaditas, the Principal Theater, the Juárez Theater, the Legislative Palace, the former Bocamina San Ramón hacienda, and the Conde Rul Mansion. In addition, the city offers a rich cultural scene, not only as the host of the International Cervantino Festival, but also through venues such as the Iconographic Museum of Don Quixote, the Regional Museum of Guanajuato, the Mineralogy Museum, the Olga Costa and José Chávez Morado Art Museum, the Autonomous University of Guanajuato, the Museum of the People of Guanajuato, the Diego Rivera House Museum, the Tía Aura House Museum, the Gene Byron House Museum, the Wax Museum, the Museum of the Holy Inquisition, the Dieguino Museum, the Alfredo Dugès Museum of Natural History, and the Museum of the Mummies.
It features small squares and plazas such as Plaza de la Paz (Main Square), Baratillo Square, Ignacio Allende Square, San Fernando Square, Los Ángeles Square, Casimiro Chowell Square, and San Roque Square.
Other points of interest include the Alley of the Kiss (Callejón del Beso), Callejón de la Condesa, Miguel Hidalgo Tunnel, the Pípila Monument, Campanero Bridge, Tecolote Hill Road, Hidalgo Market, and the Unión, Embajadoras, and Reforma gardens.
In the surrounding area, you can find the Guadalupe, La Valenciana, El Nopal, and La Garrapata mines, as well as the former San Gabriel de Barrera Hacienda.